© Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
Lake Fork in Texas is a worldwide destination for fishermen targeting largemouth bass. The lake is due east of Dallas, about halfway between Dallas and Shreveport, Louisiana. Lake Fork has produced some gargantuan fish over the years, the lake record is 18.18 pounds, and that’s what drives fishermen from all across the planet to go fish the lake.
True to its reputation for being a home to massive largemouth bass, Lake Fork recently produced a 13-pound bass and a 15.48-pound bass which were caught within 6 days of each other. Texas angler John LaBove caught the 15.45-pounder, the absolute fish of a lifetime, on March 2nd. Then, just four days later, angler Michael Terrebonne from Louisiana landed a lunker 13-pound fish. Remarkably, Terrebonne caught another 9-pounder on the same trip.
© Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
© Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
In addition to being the largest fish these gentlemen will probably ever catch, the fish of a lifetime, they were also pretty lucrative. Any largemouth bass weighing 13-pound or over can be donated to the Texas Parks & Wildlife ‘Toyota Share Lunker’ breeding program. This breeding program runs from the beginning of January through the end of March, and if an angler donates his fish he gets a $5,000 shopping spree and an exact replica mount of the fish he caught. Both fishermen, John LaBove and Michael Terrebonne, donated their fish to the breeding program so these lunker bass could lead to more piggy fish down the line.
For Lake Fork to yield two absolutely gigantic largemouth bass within just a few days is incredible, and the Texas Parks & Wildlife sent out a press release about this momentous occasion:
“We are very grateful that Mr. Terrebonne decided to loan this impressive fish to the Toyota ShareLunker program,” said Kyle Brookshear, Toyota ShareLunker program coordinator. “Growing bigger, better bass for future generations depends on us being able to selectively breed the state’s biggest fish, and we couldn’t do it without anglers like Mr. Terrebonne loaning their catches to us.”
The entry comes just a week after angler John LaBove caught and entered the first Legacy Class bass of the season. Labove caught Toyota ShareLunker 571, a 15.48lb largemouth bass out of Lake Fork March 2.
Every angler who loans a 13 pound or larger Legacy Class bass to the Toyota ShareLunker program during the spawning period Jan. 1 to March 31 will receive a Toyota ShareLunker Catch Kit containing branded merchandise and fishing tackle items, a 13lb+ Legacy decal, VIP access to awards programming at the Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest, a replica of their fish, and an entry into the year-end ShareLunker Prize Drawing to win a $5,000 shopping spree and an annual fishing license. These anglers will also be entered into the Legacy Class Prize Drawing for a $5,000 shopping spree and an annual fishing license at the end of the spawning period March 31. (via)
I lived in Dallas for a year and never had the chance to go fish Lake Fork, and I’ll be honest, that’s bumming me out right now. I might have to try and plan a trip there in the first/second week of March next year if anyone’s down. It seems like one of the best places in America to target lunker bass right now. (h/t WideopenSpaces)