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A Record Setting Day on Lake Fork
3 ShareLunkers Same Day
ShareLunker #335 - 03/22/2002- Richard Scharninghauser
ShareLunker #336 - 03/22/2002 - Jim Harrell
ShareLunker #337 - 03/22/2002 - Johnny Six


  Lake Fork, Texas In a scene reminiscent of previous years, Lake Fork once again played host to the Sharelunker team from the Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens. Representatives of the Bud Sharelunker program were called into action early Friday as three Lake Fork anglers landed Largemouth Bass over 13 pounds and then donated all three to the nationally acclaimed Sharelunker program.


Lakeview Lodge and Marina started the ball rolling when a 13.92 lb lunker was weighed in around noon at their facility located on FM 2946. Wisconsin anglers Rick Scharninghausen and Larry Kerber stumbled onto the "proverbial Pot of Gold", as one flooded Cedar tree yielded four lunkers, including the Sharelunker fish. According to Donnie Sellers, Lakeview owner, the Cudany, WI duo landed four large fish (including 3 double digit lunkers a 10.0, a 10.3, and a 13.92), all out of one lone submerged Cedar Tree. Rick s 13.92 pound beauty became the "Kicker" fish, falling to a Watermelon Green Zoom Lizard, and thus earning her a free trip to Athens as Lake Fork s second entry of the 2002 season.

Before the Sharelunker team could return to Athens with Scharninghausen s fish, another call went out from the Minnow Bucket Marina, and it was back to Lake Fork for the excited crew. This time, they would be able to make a "Double pickup"&capping off a record setting day for the Sharelunker program, as they later found out. Jim Harrell, from Texarkana, Texas and his fishing "buddy", aptly named&Buddy Ritchie, were fishing a Texas rigged Watermelon Red Lizard in 9 ft. of water, when Harrell felt a tap and after a brief struggle, landed what turned out to be the 17th largest Bass ever recorded in the Sharelunker program. Harrell s fish, expertly netted by Ritchie, topped the scales at 16.12 lbs upon arriving at the Athens facility later that evening, according to David Campbell, program director. Campbell s work was not over however, as another large fish had been weighed in just down the road at Oak Ridge Marina. Tulsa, Oklahoma angler Johnny Six fishing out of a small flat-bottom boat had brought in another giant Lake Fork Bass, which topped the scales at 15.65 lbs, thus becoming the 27th largest fish entered into the Sharelunker program to date. According to information received by the Sharelunker crew, the giant fish was caught on a Jig and Frog combination in 6-10 ft. of water, and she also was destined to make the trip to Athens.

The three large fish from Lake Fork, while not the most Sharelunker fish caught in one day, (4 were caught back in 1993), still appear to have established a record as the first time since the program started, that one Lake has produced three entries in a single day. David Campbell concurred that he does not recall that ever happening in the past, but is double-checking the records to verify if it is in fact a record. In either event, according to Campbell&"Friday, March 22, 2002 was a very good day for the Sharelunker program". I m sure that Rick Scharninghausen, Jim Harrell, and Johnny Six would echo Dave Campbell s sentiments.
Submitted by Gordon Krantz
Lake Fork Chamber of Commerce



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