The 2024 Toyota ShareLunker season saw record-breaking participation, with 371 anglers submitting 689 lunker largemouth bass from 89 Texas public waterbodies.
The program recorded 467 Bass Pro Shops Lunker Class entries (8-9.99 pounds or at least 24 inches), 190 Strike King Elite Class entries (10-12.99 pounds), 18 Legacy Class fish (13 pounds or more caught between Jan. 1 and March 31), and 14 Lew’s Legend Class Lunkers (13 pounds or more caught outside the collection season).
These submissions provided Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) biologists with valuable data for bass population management. Anglers also contributed 82 DNA samples, helping TPWD determine genetic lineage and whether a fish was a hatchery product or related to past ShareLunkers.
One notable discovery came from Bois d’Arc Lake, where an 8.15-pound fish was identified as the offspring of ShareLunker 577, a 14.57-pound bass caught in Marine Creek Lake in 2019.
Anglers who enter their big catches receive prizes and a chance to win a $5,000 Bass Pro Shops shopping spree. Mason Merryman was randomly selected as the 2024 grand prize winner after submitting his 9.34-pound Lunker Class entry from Lake Granbury on Oct. 12.
“This fish was a blessing,” Merryman said. “It’s crazy to me that I caught a ShareLunker in a tournament and won the grand prize at 14 years old as a freshman in high school.”
Another standout angler, Lawrence Lee of Tolar, entered 74 fish, including a Legacy Class lunker and three Lew’s Legend Class fish. J.B. Thomas led all lakes with 156 total entries, followed by Lake Fork (109), O.H. Ivie (83), Sam Rayburn (26), and Toledo Bend (21).
“With a historic 2024 in the books, we are excited to see what 2025 has in store for big bass anglers,” said ShareLunker coordinator Natalie Goldstrohm.
From Jan. 1 through March 31, anglers landing 13-pound-plus bass can loan them to TPWD for the selective breeding program. Eligible fish must be weighed on a certified scale, and anglers can call the ShareLunker hotline at (903) 681-0550 to report catches.
Legacy Class participants receive a replica mount of their fish, branded apparel, and VIP access to the Toyota ShareLunker Annual Awards event, plus entries into two $5,000 Bass Pro Shops drawings. The program’s year-round entry levels—Lunker, Elite, and Legend—also offer incentives and provide critical data to TPWD.
Anglers can submit catches through the Toyota ShareLunker mobile app or at TexasSharelunker. com. DNA sample contributors receive a Lew’s baitcast reel valued at up to $200 while supplies last.
The Toyota ShareLunker Program is supported by Toyota, Bass Pro Shops, Strike King, Lew’s, AFTCO, Bass Forecast, Bass University, and Lake Fork Taxidermy.
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