The ShareLunker program is a selective largemouth bass breeding program that is housed at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center (TFFC) in Athens. To participate, anyone legally catching a 13 pound or bigger largemouth bass from Texas waters, public or private, between October 1 and April 30 may submit the fish to the Toyota ShareLunker program by calling program manager David Campbell at (903) 681-0550 or paging him at (888) 784-0600 and leaving a phone number including area code.
Some of the offspring from these large fish are stocked back into the water body from which they were caught. This, in turn, increases the genetics of the remaining bass population. 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 on June 5, 2010. 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 Texas’ ShareLunker program, tips on caring for big bass and information on last year’s bass season, check out this website. The site also includes a searchable database of all fish entered into the program along with pictures where available. Best of luck on your next fishing trip!