Video Recounts History of First ShareLunker, a Fish Called Ethel

ATHENS—A seven-minute video about the most famous largemouth bass ever caught in Texas is now available for viewing on YouTube.

“The Legend of Ethel” tells the story of how a 17.67-pound bass caught in November 1986 became the first fish entered into Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s ShareLunker Program and went on to become the featured attraction at the original Bass Pro Shops in Springfield, Missouri.

Ethel became the “poster fish” for catch-and-release fishing and was viewed by an estimated 20 million people before her death in 1994.

Her memorial service was attended by 1,500 people and made national news.

The video includes interviews with Mark Stevenson, the angler who caught Ethel; Texas Parks and Wildlife Department biologists who cared for the fish; and Johnny Morris, founder of Bass Pro Shops. It features video of Ethel in the aquarium in Springfield.

Check out the video below:

Source: TPWD

TF&G Staff

Recent Posts

Don’t Forget Spoons For Specks

Spoons are not the most popular lure to use for speckled trout in the modern…

1 day ago

Did Men Really Die From Eating CWD Infected Deer?

A sketchy online report from neurologists at the University of Texas Health Science Center, in…

1 day ago

A 19-Foot Long Mako?

While working on a story on great white shark lookalikes, I came across an interesting…

1 day ago

Louisiana Moves Forward On Limited Bear Season

The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission (LWFC) adopted an amended Notice of Intent to hold a Louisiana…

6 days ago

TPWD Makes Big Changes To Bird Hunting Regs

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission have approved hunting regulations for the 2024-25 season with…

6 days ago

Historic Shark Photos Wanted

Shark Photos I’m working on some future content and looking for historic photos of great…

6 days ago