In the 90's, there were like 30 of these things caught every year. Now, we're lucky if there is six.
Also, look at the top 50 bass caught in Texas. Not many are from this century. This struck me as odd, considering the advancements in equipment. Where have the lurkers gone?
They've gone the way of lakes maturing and being less fertile, pure Florida and F1 genes being watered down with age, loss of habitat due to invasive aquatics control and natural loss of cover (and silting) as lakes age. Droughts come and go, but the most recent was severe and prolonged. That lack of water certainly had an impact, too.