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ATHENS – With the eyes of the bass fishing world on Lake Ray Roberts for the 2025 Bassmaster Classic, Sam Rayburn Reservoir and Lake Tyler took their own turn in the spotlight on Saturday and delivered a double lunker day for the Toyota ShareLunker program. These were the first Legacy Class largemouth bass of the 2025 collection season for these waterbodies.
Zach Fogle of White Oak kicked the day off when he reeled in 13.11-pound ShareLunker 678 at Sam Rayburn, followed by Jason James of Whitehouse who landed 13.20-pound ShareLunker 679 at Lake Tyler. The entries by Sam Rayburn and Lake Tyler boosted the overall season total to 10, which have come from eight different waterbodies. O.H. Ivie continues to hold the individual collection season lead with three Legacy Class ShareLunkers.
“A double Lunker day is always exciting, but what makes this season truly special is seeing lunker bass coming from so many reservoirs across Texas,” said Natalie Goldstrohm, Toyota ShareLunker program coordinator. “From watching the excitement of the Bassmaster Classic at Lake Ray Roberts to seeing Legacy Class ShareLunkers being caught across the state, anglers have plenty to be excited about when it comes to Texas bass fishing.”
Fogle was fishing in the American Bass Anglers Professional League tournament at Sam Rayburn on Saturday in one of the creek arm pockets. He spotted two fish out in the middle of the pocket and threw the bait out at them. They came off the bottom but then retreated and went back down, so Fogle switched his baits for the next cast.
“I picked up a 10-inch worm on a Texas rig that was sitting on the deck, and I threw it out in front of them,” said Fogle. “I saw the biggest of the two react to it and the line started to tighten up. I set the hook and the rest is history after that. It took about three minutes to get her in and she jumped about four or five times. When I finally got her in the net there was a sense of relief that I actually landed her. I realized she was well over double digits, so I weighed her a scale and when I saw she was over 13 pounds, I made the call to the ShareLunker program.”
ShareLunker 678 was a personal best for Fogle and the largest fish he has ever weighed in a tournament. The catch propelled Fogle to a second-place finish on Saturday and took home the Big Bass award for the tournament.
“My experience with the ShareLunker program was incredible,” added Fogle. “They are professionals at what they do and take great care of the fish. We were able to get her weighed on a certified scale and got everything submitted. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) staff showed up and verified that water temperatures between my livewell and the tank in the truck matched before quickly moving the fish from the livewell to the truck. It was a pretty cool experience.”
James was fishing at Lake Tyler in front of a boathouse in about 11 feet of water when he spotted what looked to be a large fish.
“I picked up a jerk bait and threw it out there and cranked it down to her where she hit it in about seven or eight feet of water,” said James. “It was the biggest fish I ever caught, and it was crazy. I told my dad that it’s a 10- or 11-pound fish and to go ahead and get the net out. We got her in the boat, and I’d never seen a fish that big. I put her on my hand-held scale and when she registered over 13-pounds, I realized I had a ShareLunker.”
James indicated he and his dad have been catching some big fish at Lake Tyler. Earlier in the day, he fished in a tournament and won the Big Bass award with a largemouth bass that was nearly eight pounds.
“The ShareLunker program was great to work with and Natalie [Goldstrohm] helped me through the whole process of submitting the fish,” added James. “The process was seamless and I’m proud that I had the chance to enter one. I’ve fished Lake Tyler my whole life, and to catch one like that was amazing.”
ShareLunker 679 was just the second Legacy Class entry for Lake Tyler and first since 2021. Angler James Crawford of Whitehouse put Lake Tyler on the Legacy Class lunker stage on March 20, 2021 with 15.44-pound ShareLunker 604. It shattered the previous Lake Tyler record by over 2.5 pounds and still reigns at the biggest largemouth bass in lake history.
During the first three months of the season (Jan. 1 through March 31), anglers who reel in a 13-plus pound bass can loan it to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for the ShareLunker selective breeding and stocking program. These anglers can call the ShareLunker hotline at (903) 681-0550 to report their catch 24/7 through March 31, 2025.
Legacy Class ShareLunker weights are all verified using a certified scale, but anglers may use a digital scale to get an initial weight to inform the ShareLunker response team. Once the TPWD team arrives, they can take a certified weight on site.
A list of official weigh stations can be found on the ShareLunker Official Weigh and Holding Stations website. Fogle used the certified scales at ShareLunker Official Weigh Stations at Jackson Hill Park Marina, and James used the certified scales at an Angler Recognition Program Official Weigh Station.
Anglers who catch and loan a 13-plus pound lunker earn Legacy Class status, receive a catch kit filled with merchandise, a 13lb+ Legacy decal for their vehicle or boat, VIP access to the Toyota ShareLunker Annual Awards event, a high-quality replica mount of their fish from Lake Fork Taxidermy, ShareLunker branded apparel provided by AFTCO, and Bass University will provide a swag pack and annual subscription. Anglers also receive entries into two separate drawings – a Legacy Class Drawing and the year-end Grand Prize Drawing. Both drawings will award the winner a $5,000 Bass Pro Shops shopping spree.
The year-round Toyota ShareLunker program offers anglers three additional levels of participation for catching bass over eight pounds or 24 inches in Texas public waters. Each of these levels provide vital data to TPWD fisheries biologists, helping them continue to create bigger, better bass in Texas.
Anglers who enter data for any lunker they catch greater than eight pounds or 24 inches also receive a catch kit, a decal for their vehicle or boat, a one-month subscription to Bass University and an entry into the year-end Grand Prize Drawing to win a $5,000 Bass Pro Shops shopping spree. ShareLunker entry classes include the Bass Pro Shops Lunker Class (8 lb.+), Strike King Elite Class (10 lb.+) and Lew’s Legend Class (13 lb.+).
Once a lunker is reeled in, anglers need to enter the catch data on the Toyota ShareLunker mobile app – available for free from the Apple App Store and Google Play – or at TexasSharelunker.com.
In addition to providing basic catch information, anglers have the option to send a DNA scale sample from their lunker bass to TPWD researchers for genetic analysis. Anglers who contribute a sample to the program will receive a Lew’s baitcast reel valued at up to $200 while supplies last, with a limit of one reel per angler. Anglers who send in a genetic sample will also get a three-month subscription to Bass University. Instructions for submitting DNA samples are located on the Toyota ShareLunker website.
The Toyota ShareLunker Program is made possible in part by the generous sponsorship of Toyota. Toyota is a longtime supporter of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation and TPWD, providing major funding for a wide variety of fisheries, state parks and wildlife projects.
Additional vital program support comes from Legend class category prize sponsor Lew’s, Elite class category prize sponsor Strike King, Lunker class category prize sponsor Bass Pro Shops, AFTCO, Bass Forecast, Bass University and Lake Fork Taxidermy.
For updates on the Toyota ShareLunker Program, visit facebook.com/sharelunkerprogram/, https://www.instagram.com/TexasShareLunker/ or TexasSharelunker.com.
