It's no big deal its always nice to show off your fish
.I feel any of us who fish a lot and put their time in year after year have a better understanding of these fish populations then those who track it for a living. Every year there are changes to the conditions where we fish. It may be water color, different grass, no grass, new rock grass, Scallops vs. no scallops. These are the conditions we can see, But the fish see more changed conditions than we will never be able to see with the naked eye.
In 1998 and 1999 there was an area I would fish most of the time. This place stayed loaded with very nice trout. Since then it has never been the same. The bottom looks like it did back then, just no real fish anymore. It can't be explained. This area is what was known as the "Horseytree" (JT51, One Keeper, and Trenttrout know it well also).
If I continued to fish the Horseytree I would have been convinced the fish populations have dropped. The researchers may use similar techniques. Testing in the same area and not moving when the fish do.
My .02
