Bud's ShareLunker Program and Official Rules

#13 ShareLunker from Lake Fork Mark Cyrus caught the 13th lunker for the year 2000 from Lake Fork. He is from Russell, Ky. The Lunker weighed 13.93 lbs with a 21 1/4 girth and 25.75 inches length. He was fishing with a waterdog at 3:00 PM on 3/16/00.
#14 ShareLunker from Lake Fork Richard McCarty (fishing guide) from Alba caught his 3rd ShareLunker at 8:00 AM today. This fish 14.02 lb is also the third largest fish in the program this year. This fish has a 21.5 inch girth and 25.5 inch length and was caught on an artificial lizard in five feet of water at Lake Fork Reservoir. Richard caught his first Lunker on 2/25/89 from Lake Fork (13.56 lb) and his second on 12/07/94 (14.07 lb) from Lake Fork. Combined weight of his three fish is 41.65 lb.
#15 ShareLunker from Lake Fork Ray Preston from Danville, Kentucky caught ShareLunker #15 at 8:20 AM this morning from Lake Fork Reservoir. The fish weighed 13.3 lb with a 21.25 inch girth and 25.00 inch length. He caught the fish in 7 ft of water using a live shiner.

Bud's ShareLunker Program
Program Description
Bud's ShareLunker Program is a tripartite venture among businesses, state government, and anglers to preserve and enhance Texas largemouth bass fisheries. Through the Program, anglers may loan largemouth bass weighing 13 pounds or more to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for spawning and research purposes which include evaluating relationships between genetics and early life history, growth, performance, behavior, and competition. After spawning, TPWD personnel will contact the angler and arrange a date at which the fish can be released back into the waters from which it was caught. In return for their cooperation, participating anglers receive a free fiberglass replica of their catch, ShareLunker clothing, and recognition at the awards banquet at Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center. In addition, the Texas resident catching the largest ShareLunker entry of the season will be awarded a lifetime fishing license
Anyone catching a 13-pound-plus largemouth bass is eligible to participate by calling (903) 670-2226 weekdays or by paging (888) 784-0600 weekends and evenings.

Since the start of the Program in 1986, 333 largemouth bass from 58 public reservoirs have been donated.
For more information about the program, call 903-670-2226.

Official Rules for ShareLunker

1. The Program is limited to largemouth bass weighing 13 pounds or greater.
2. The Program is in effect from December 1 - April 30.
3. The fish must be legally caught in Texas waters.
4. A Texas Parks & Wildlife employee will be solely responsible for accepting a fish into the program, based on the expectation that the fish will be able to survive and spawn.
5. Possession of the fish must be transferred to a designated Texas Parks & Wildlife representative within 12 hours after capture. The angler must sign a release absolving all sponsors, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, and Texas Parks & Wildlife Department employees of any liability resulting from the loss or death of their fish.
6. Employees and families of program sponsors are not eligible for participation in the program.
Traditionally, anglers who donate live bass to the ShareLunker program for use in fish production and research efforts have been rewarded with a free fiberglass replica of their catch and an invitation to the annual awards banquet. Now, participants will also receive a three-in-one parka, a ShareLunker shirt and an opportunity to win a $1,000 cash prize through a random drawing during the annual banquet.
Each year, the program accepts live 13-pound-plus "lunker" bass from anglers. Bass loaned or donated through the program are used by TPW's hatchery staff in research to produce potentially trophy-sized bass for stocking in Texas public waters. In this way, the best, big-fish genes will be captured and passed on to improve bass fishing in Texas.