Texas Lakes Continue Producing ShareLunker Largemouth Bass

A lake in Austin is joining other waters in Texas producing sizable largemouth bass.

Lake Austin has produced two more Toyota ShareLunkers, bringing its season total to five.

Corey Johnson of Cedar Park hooked the 13.18 pound bass shortly after noon on March 21^st from Lake Austin, using a white jig in 4 to 5 feet of water.

Later that same evening, Charles Whited of San Marcos caught a 13.59 pounder using a Senko in 8 feet of water. The 26.125 inch-long fish was caught just after 6:00 p.m. during a Texas Tournament Zone tournament.

Central Texas lake O.H. Ivie has also produced its first ShareLunker of the season as well over the weekend. Stacy Brookings of Midland was using a spinner bait when he caught a 13.22 pound bass in 8 feet of water.

Currently, Lake Austin’s season total of ShareLunkers has increased to 5, leading them to a number 6 ranking statewide of ShareLunkers with 17 total.

Lakes across the state producing high numbers of ShareLunkers include Lake Fork with 249, Lake Alan Henry with 25, O.H. Ivie with 24, Sam Rayburn with 23, Falcon with 19, Conroe with 16, Choke Canyon with 13, and Amistad has netted 12.

Anyone that catches a largemouth bass weighing 13 pounds or bigger from public or private waters in Texas between October 1^st and April 30^th may submit the fish to the Toyota ShareLunker Program. This can be done by calling the ShareLunker hotline at 903-681-0550 or paging 888-784-0600 and leaving a phone number with an area code. The fish will be picked up by Texas Parks and Wildlife personnel within 12 hours.

Bass submitted to the Toyota ShareLunker program are generally taken to the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens, Texas. DNA of the bass is taken, and if it is 100 percent Florida largemouth bass, it is used for spawning at the Center. If it is not completely Florida largemouth, the bass is given back to the angler or returned into the lake from which it was caught.

For more on the Toyota ShareLunker program, click here.