To kick off the second quarter of the 2024 Toyota ShareLunker set season, three anglers at three different lakes caught Legacy Class shares on Monday evening. Anglers submitted three or more Tradition School largemouth bass in a single day for the thirteenth time in system history. Since the 2021 set time, when the feat was accomplished twice, today is the first triple lunker time.
At O. H. Ivie, Angler Aaron Suess of Gardner, Kansas, started the day off with a 13.87-pound ShareLunker 654, followed immediately by Alec Morrison of Peru, New York, who gave Sam Rayburn his 13.82-weight ShareLiner 655. With a 13.15-pound ShareLunker 656 from Lake Naconiche, Ben Milliken of New Caney, Texas, ended the time.
Since Larry Mosby’s 13.06-pound ShareLunker 567 on February 28, 2017, the fish from Lake Naconiche was the first Legacy Class passage, coming in simply next overall. O. H. Ivie continues to lead the score with three comments in 2024 thanks to Monday’s work of ShareLunkers, which increased the season total to six.
According to Natalie Goldstrohm, representative of the Toyota ShareLunker,” the fact that we got three now was quite incredible.” I’ve participated in double ShareLunker time, and that’s what we believed we had when we left the facility. However, we received a phone regarding the third Legacy Class ShareLunker while we were traveling. These fish are simply caught in small numbers each month. When the ShareLunkers are biting and you end up with more than one, some days are unique.
Suess spent three days at O. H. Ivie, but her fish was greatly constrained on the first two weeks due to strong winds. On Monday, however, the breeze died down, allowing Suess to maneuver around the lake and focus on important areas of the ocean.
According to Suess,” We set out for an region I fished in last year around 8 a.m. I had to return to try and surpass the 11.7-pound seafood I caught because it was the first double-digit fish of my life. When I saw her, I tied an overcoat equipment to the line and gave her a good cast. After she consumed it, getting her into the ship was quite a challenge. This is something I may have seen in a dream, but for it to come true is astounding. I’m 51 years old and had spent my entire life fish.
Suess therefore called ShareLunker to begin the passage procedure.
Suess continued,” Everyone with the ShareLunker program has been amazing, and I did n’t realize how big of a deal this is.” I watched a video of the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center with the” Lunker Bunker” and Natalie ( Goldstrohm ) discussing the program before I came down here. Look at what these people do for the fish and the fish in the State of Texas, I said as I told my wife about it. The ShareLunker program has greatly impressed me, and this practice was incredible.
On the first day of practice for the Major League Fishing ( MLF ) Invitational event, which begins on Friday, Morrison was scouting some areas at Sam Rayburn. Morrison had some experience with the river because he had won the Toyota Series at Sam Rayburn next month.
Morrison remarked,” I really did n’t catch that many fish today, but I was lucky to get one of those big ones to bite. When I first hooked it, I did n’t think it was all that big, but I estimated it to be between 8 and 9 pounds. It surprised me by not fighting all that difficult and coming up next to the ship. Additionally, it did n’t really jump during the fight, but when I caught a close-up view of it, I knew it weighed at least 10 pounds. I only realized I had a specific fish in my hands when I got it in the boat.
When the bass weighed more than 13 pounds, Morrison started the ShareLunker program entry process. A year prior, he broke his private best of 11 pounds by reeling in a guitar that weighed 12.1 pounds. Morrison had no idea that the fish would be a Legacy Class ShareLunker on Monday, topping his private best once more.
Morrison continued,” I’ve always been a great admirer of the ShareLunker system and everything related to it. I firmly believe that the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s ( TPWD ) and the ShareLunker program are to blame for these lakes being as good as they are. I’ve always been interested in the software and have wanted to finally be a part of it. It was really cool to take part in the entire process and witness it first because I might not catch a fish that size again. It was a fantastic practice.
At Lake Naconiche, Milliken positioned his ship in about 30 feet of water in search of fish. About 45 minutes earlier, he had only caught one that weighed slightly more than 10 pounds.
According to Milliken,” I noticed the big kinds were actually starting to lift up out of the paint on the lake’s bottom.” I dropped a tiny 6th Feel balance minnow that I was using on an 1/16 ounce head and led her far. It was really great because, lucky for me, she approached it right away and ate it while I was twitching it in. I caught her using a spinning rod that was incredibly gentle thanks to the six-pound hair and flouro chief it had. I fought it for all time, but when she finally surfaced, I knew it was a huge one, but I took my time and let her in. It was quite thrilling!
Recently, Milliken had visited the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center to take a tour of the ShareLunker building and give some lectures to Bass University.
Millikin continued,” I saw the ShareLunker we caught three years ago at O. H. Ivie.” They kept the bass nearby and used it to breed a large number of different seafood. It’s amazing and wonderful that Texas places a high value on wrapping the best genetics available in the entire state. The outcomes of that work are being seen.
Anglers who reel in a 13-pound bass can loan it to TPWD for the ShareLunker selective breeding and stocking program during the first three months of the season ( Jan. 1 through March 31 ). These fishermen can report their capture by calling the ShareLunker line at (903 681- 0550 ) from any time until March 31, 2024.
Anglers are required to use a licensed scale to evaluate any possible Legacy Class fish. The ShareLunker Official Weigh and Holding Stations site has a list of recognized weigh facilities. The anglers on Monday used certified scales at County Park at Lake Naconiche, Tackle Addict, and Elm Creek Marina ( ShareLunker 654).
A 13lb+ Legacy emblem for their boat or car, VIP access to the Toyota ShareLunker Annual Awards event, a high-quality replica mount of their fish from Lake Fork Taxidermy, and swag packs and monthly subscriptions are all given to anglers who catch and loan one of these 13-pound or more lunkers. Additionally, these fish will be included in two distinct drawings: the Grand Prize Drawing for the year’s end and the Legacy Class Drawing. The winner of both drawings will receive a$ 5,000 shopping spree from Bass Pro Shops.
For catching bass in Texas that weigh eight pounds or 24 inches, there are four levels of membership in the year-round Toyota ShareLunker system.
During the 2024 calendar year, fishermen who submit information for any lunker they catch that weighs more than eight weight or twenty-four inches also get a catch kit, decals for their boat or car, one-month Bass University membership, and entrance into the grand prize drawing for the year’s end, where they can win$ 5, 000 worth of Bass Pro Shops shopping spree. The Bass Pro Shops Lunker Class ( 8 lb ) is one of ShareLuncher’s entry-level classes. Strike King Elite Class ( 10 pounds ) ( + ). Lew’s Legend Class ( 13 lb. + ) and + ).
Fish must enter the get information on the Toyota ShareLunker mobile app, which is accessible for free from the Apple App Store and Google Play, as well as the online version of the vehicle at Texas Sharelunkers.com after reeling in a fish.
Anglers have the option to take a DNA size sample from their lunker bass to TPWD researchers for genomic analysis in addition to providing basic find information. A Lew’s baitcast reel valued at up to$ 200 while supplies last, with a cap of one reel per angler, will be given to fishermen who submit samples to the program in 2024. A three-month membership to Bass University will also be given to anglers who submit a biological sample. The Toyota ShareLunker site has instructions for submitting DNA sample tests.
Toyota generously sponsors the Toyota ShareLunker Program, which helps to some extent. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation and TPWD have long supported Toyota, which has contributed significantly to funding for numerous state parks, wildlife initiatives, and fish.
