The latest Toyota ShareLunker had a short ride to its new quarters at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center: It was caught from a private lake in Henderson County only a few miles away.
Paul Detwiler of Tyler was fishing in five feet of water on November 16 when the big bass attacked his Strike King lipless crankbait. The fish weighed 14.43 pounds and was 27.5 inches long and 21.75 inches in girth.
Detwiler’s fish is the second entry into the Toyota ShareLunker program this season and only the ninth ShareLunker ever to be caught during the month of November. It is the first entry from a private lake during that month.
Anyone legally catching a 13-pound or larger largemouth bass between October 1 and April 30 can enter it into the ShareLunker program by calling program manager David Campbell at (903) 681-0550 or paging him at (888) 784-0600 and leaving a call-back number including area code. It’s best to repeat the number at least twice, since reception is often poor in remote areas.
ShareLunker entries are used in a selective breeding program at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center (TFFC) in Athens. Some of the offspring from these fish are stocked back into the water body from which they were caught. Other ShareLunker offspring are stocked in public waters around the state in an attempt to increase the overall size and growth rate of largemouth bass in Texas.
Anglers entering fish into the Toyota ShareLunker program will receive a free replica of their fish, a certificate and ShareLunker clothing and be recognized at a banquet at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens. In addition, if a Texas angler catches the largest entry of the year, that person will receive a lifetime fishing license.
For complete information and rules of the ShareLunker program, tips on caring for big bass and a recap of last year’s season, see www.tpwd.state.tx.us/sharelunker. The site also includes a searchable database of all fish entered into the program along with pictures where available.
The Toyota ShareLunker Program is made possible by a grant to the Texas Parks & Wildlife Foundation from Gulf States Toyota. Toyota is a long-time supporter of the Foundation and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, providing major funding for a wide variety of education, fish, parks and wildlife projects.By: “>Larry D. Hodge, TPWD
