Texas Sharelunker has an Epic 2023 Season

THE 2023 TOYOTA SHARELUNKER program delivered an exciting collection season for the third year in a row. Anglers contributed 18 Legacy Class ShareLunkers from four different lakes across the state, but the spotlight shined brightest on O.H. Ivie in west Texas. The waterbody produced a record-breaking 15 Legacy Class fish in 2023, following back-to-back years of 12 each during the 2021 and 2022 collection seasons.

Over the past three collections seasons, O.H. Ivie has amassed 39 combined Legacy Lunkers and multiple Legend Class entries. The Toyota ShareLunker website provides information on each Legacy fish from the 2023 collection season, archives of past seasons and details about how anglers can help make bass fishing even better in Texas.

 “These amazing milestones do not just happen. Without a doubt, this program would not be possible without the tremendous support of the anglers,” said Natalie Goldstrohm, Toyota ShareLunker program coordinator. “We’re grateful that so many anglers caught their fish-of-a-lifetime this season and then decided to share their Lunker with us to support a future full of bigger, better bass in Texas.”

Highlights from the 2023 season:

• A record 15 Legacy Class ShareLunkers for O.H. Ivie.

• Five fish weighing more than 14 pounds.

• Angler Kyle Hall recorded a Legacy Lunker in back-to-back seasons.

• Anglers Dalton Smith and Caden Cowan reeled in Legacy Lunkers at O.H. Ivie on the same day (Feb. 2).

• Anglers from seven states, including Texas, etched their name into the program’s record book: Texas, Colorado, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, New Mexico and Washington.

• ShareLunker 642 became the eighth-largest largemouth bass ever verified in Texas and the seventh-largest Legacy Class ShareLunker (public or private).

TPWD biologists implemented a genetic analysis of this year’s Legacy Lunkers and made some incredible discoveries. ShareLunker 644 is the only fish of the 39 Legacy Class ShareLunkers caught at O.H. Ivie in the past three years that has been determined to be a recapture.

However, ShareLunker 639 was a recapture of a fish that had genetics samples obtained through the year-round data collection program. That fish was previously caught and entered as a Legend Class Lunker by Josh Jones on Dec. 17, 2021.

ShareLunker 634 from Nacogdoches is the parent of an 8.15-pound fish caught by Wade Allen on June 17, 2021. Sharelunker 634 had not been entered into the program prior to Mr. Allen’s catch, which indicates that it had an in-lake spawn. ShareLunker 634 and Allan’s catch are both pure Florida-strain largemouth bass.

In addition, ShareLunker 649 is an offspring of ShareLunker 535, and is related to ShareLunker 536 and is a half-sister of ShareLunker 627. Genetic analysis also determined ShareLunker 636 is related to ShareLunker 600, ShareLunker 643 is related to ShareLunker 612 and ShareLunker 650 is related to ShareLunker 620.

A new procedure is in effect for the 2023 season. Legend Class ShareLunkers no longer need to be weighed on a certified scale for entry. Anglers must include a photo of their Lunker on a digital scale to qualify.

—TF&G Staff Report

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