Gigantic Largemouth Reeled in At Lake Nacogdoches
On Monday afternoon, angler Jack York of Emory caught ShareLunker 634 Giant largemouth at Lake Nacogdoches, the first Legacy Class largemouth bass of the 2023 Toyota ShareLunker collection season. This is the second overall Legacy Class fish donated to the program this year. Nacogdoches has now produced a Legacy Class fish in three of the last four collection seasons. York’s catch was certified at 13.51 pounds.
It is great to see Texas reservoirs, such as Lake Nacogdoches, producing Legacy Class Lunkers back-to-back, said Natalie Goldstrohm, ShareLunker program coordinator. We will be performing genetic testing on ShareLunker 634, and it will be interesting to find out if she is related to the other Lunker bass caught from Lake Nacogdoches in the past.”
Fishing started early in the morning for York, and by 9 a.m. he had landed several quality fish. He then began fishing around shallow aquatic vegetation before going back out to search for fish in deeper water. York found his Lunker in roughly 15 feet of water.
Upon getting the Lunker on board, York contacted a friend who guided him through the submission process, starting with finding a certified scale. Goldstrohm assisted him in finding a certified scale on the lake and he pulled up to the dock to verify the newest Legacy Lunker’s weight.
There are six Giant Largemouth Legacy Lunkers in Nacogdoches dating back to 1996. Kellie Renfro of Lufkin landed 13.27-pound ShareLunker 628 in 2022; Joe Castle landed 15.34-pound ShareLunker 583 in 2020.
Anglers who catch bass weighing 13-plus pounds during the first three months of the season from January through March can loan them to TPWD for its ShareLunker selective breeding and stocking program. Until March 31, anglers can report their catch on the ShareLunker hotline at (903) 681-0550.
Anglers who snag one of these 13-plus pound Lunkers will be rewarded with Legacy Class status, a catch kit with merchandise, a 13-plus pound Legacy decal, VIP access to the Toyota ShareLunker Annual Awards event, and a replica of their fish courtesy of Lake Fork Taxidermy.
Participation in both the Legacy Class drawing and the year-end Grand Prize drawing also give them the chance to win a $5,000 Bass Pro Shops shopping spree and an annual fishing license (resident or non-resident).
In Texas, the Toyota ShareLunker program offers four levels of participation for bass weighing more than eight pounds or 24 inches. ShareLunker entry classes include Legacy Class (13 pounds or more between January and March), Lunker Class (8 pounds or more), Elite Class (10 pounds or more), and Legend Class (13 pounds or more).
In addition to receiving a catch kit, a decal for their boat or vehicle, and an entry into a year-end drawing for the Grand Prize of $5,000 Bass Pro Shops shopping spree and an annual fishing license, anglers who enter data for any Lunker they catch (greater than eight pounds or 24 inches) during the calendar year 2023 will also receive a catch kit.
When a Giant Largemouth Lunker is caught, anglers need to enter the catch data via the Toyota ShareLunker mobile app – available for free on the Apple App Store and Google Play – or online at TexasSharelunker.com. Anglers are also able to submit a DNA scale sample from their Lunker bass to TPWD for genetic analysis along with basic catch information.
Starting with the 2023 season, anglers no longer have to weigh their Legend Class ShareLunkers on a certified scale to qualify for the program; rather, they must include a photo of the Lunker on a digital scale. Toyota and other generous sponsors of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation and TPWD make this program possible. These include Bass Pro Shops, Lake Fork Taxidermy, American Fishing Tackle Company, Stanley Jigs and 6th Sense Fishing.
Sources: Kltv
