Tag: Largemouth bass

Texas lake continues to yield enormous largemouth bass

O.H. Ivie Lake in Texas this week yielded two largemouth bass topping 13 pounds – rare catches that are eligible for a selective breeding program designed to enhance state fisheries

*Update: Texas Parks and Wildlife reported another Legacy bass catch on Friday, bringing the number to six this year – five from O.H. Ivie

O.H. Ivie Lake in Texas this week yielded two largemouth bass topping 13 pounds – rare catches to be used in a selective breeding program designed to enhance state fisheries.

Dalton Smith and Caden Cowan, pictured left-to-right atop this post, landed bass weighing 14.76 pounds and 13.31 pounds, respectively.

“Do not adjust your screens, you are seeing double double-digits bass!” the Toyota ShareLunker Program boasted Thursday via social media.

The “Legacy Lunkers” were donated to the state’s ShareLunker hatchery program to be used as spawners for Texas Parks and Wildlife Department stocking programs.

Legacy bass must weigh at least 13 pounds. The bass caught by Smith is the largest of four Legacy bass caught since the program began its 37th season on Jan. 1.

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O.H. Ivie, on the Colorado and Concho rivers, has produced four of the five catches; the other was that of a 13.51-pound largemouth bass by Jack York at Lake Nacogdoches.

Jack York displays 13.51-pound ShareLunker Legacy bass caught at Lake Nacogdoches

The ShareLunker Program, which runs through March, is off to another impressive start.

Last year, 24 Legacy bass were caught from nine water bodies and collected for hatchery spawning. That was the most since 27 were caught in 1995.

Since the program began, 75 Texas water bodies have yielded Legacy bass.

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Texas angler lands giant bass, but is the photo misleading?

A Texas fishermen is being congratulated for catching a giant bass, but people are joking about the photo.

A Texas angler landed one heck of a largemouth bass this week while fishing at Lake Nacogdoches.

It was so massive that biologists borrowed the bass for use in a selective breeding program to benefit statewide fisheries.

But before anyone gets too excited, the bass caught by Jack York is not as large as it appears to be in an image shared Monday by the Toyota ShareLunker Program – Texas Parks and Wildlife.

Top comment: “Camera man… ‘HOLD IT AS CLOSE AS YOU CAN TO ME! THIS FISH LOOKS AS BIG AS A GROWN MAN! PERFECT!’ ”

Another observation: “I’m gonna need this photographer to take my fish pics! That is a giant but geeze in this pic it looks bigger than Jack. Good job!”

Ribbing aside, the bass weighed 13.51 pounds, certainly worthy of Legacy Class ShareLunker designation.

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Legacy bass must weigh at least 13 pounds to become part of the breeding program, conducted January through March each year. The fish are encouraged to spawn at a hatchery and their offspring are stocked around the state.

Tom Nilssen with 13.52-pound largemouth bass. Photo: TPWD

This is the 37th season of the ShareLunker Program and York’s catch is the second Legacy bass caught this year.

The first, by Tom Nilssen last week at Lake O.H. Ivie, weighed 13.51 pounds.

While Nilssen’s bass was slightly larger, it looks smaller in the photo because there seems to have been less of an attempt at forced perspective.

Last year, 24 Legacy bass were caught from nine water bodies and collected for the ShareLunker program. That was the most since 27 were caught in 1995.

Overall, 75 Texas public lakes have yielded Legacy Class largemouth bass.

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Watch: Astonished angler finds 22-inch snake in mouth of bass

A fishing website on Monday shared footage of an angler pulling a 22-inch garter snake from the mouth and belly of a 16-inch largemouth bass.

A fishing website on Monday shared footage of an angler pulling a 22-inch garter snake from the mouth and belly of a 16-inch largemouth bass.

The footage, captured by Adam Young of Panfish Nation, is used as an example that largemouth bass, often referred to as bucketmouths, will prey on just about anything they’re able to ambush.

The footage was included in an article that mentioned other known prey items of Florida-strain bass. They include smaller bass, trout, bluegill, and tilapia.

States Young: “In certain areas of the country like Florida and Texas, tilapia have infiltrated the local watersheds. The bad news is that these species compete with native species of fish…but the good news is that bass love them!”

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Young claims to have caught bass using hotdogs and bread. “You bet bass will eat hot dogs and tons of other strange foods too,” he writes. “Give it a try!”

To be sure, largemouth bass are not picky and have been documented devouring everything from bullfrogs to ducklings.

One of the most sought-after game fish in the United States, largemouth bass can weigh 20-plus pounds, although catches exceeding 15 pounds are extremely rare.  (The world record is a tie between 22-pound, 4-ounce bass caught in Georgia and Japan in 1932 and 2009, respectively.)

Most anglers target bass using swimbaits and other lures that mimic prey, and most anglers practice catch-and-release.

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Warden not buying angler’s odd excuse for illegal bass catch

A Missouri angler has been cited for catching an over-limit of mostly undersized largemouth bass, apparently, for the sake of a social-media photo.

A Missouri angler has been cited for catching an over-limit of mostly undersized largemouth bass, apparently, for the sake of a social-media photo.

The Missouri Department of Conservation stated Monday that the unidentified angler violated fishing regulations “just so he could take a picture of a stringer full of fish.”

St. Francois County MDC Agent Clayton Lewis cited the angler at Hager Lake in Farmington. The daily bag limit is six bass measuring at least 15 inches; the stringer contained eight small bass.

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The MDC stressed that fish placed on a stringer, although they might be kept alive and released later, “are counted towards daily and possession limits of the taker.”

The agency added: “MDC reminds anglers to check statewide and Conservation area regulations prior to fishing and to read area regulation signs. And please don’t boost your social media presence at the expense of our wildlife.”

Bass angler lands gar that rivals record; ‘So rare to come by’

A Texas angler who was fishing for bass received the surprise of a lifetime recently after the fish that attacked his lure turned out to be a 58-inch longnose gar.

A Texas angler who was fishing for bass received the surprise of a lifetime recently after the fish that attacked his lure turned out to be a 58-inch longnose gar.

Callan Frazier, 16, was casting crankbaits with his father, Bryan, at Sam Rayburn Reservoir when the toothy gar struck. Callan fought the gar for 10 minutes, thinking he had hooked an enormous largemouth bass.

“We were so surprised,” Bryan Frazier told My San Antonio. “They are so rare to come by, and we weren’t even fishing for them.”

The Texas length record for gar is 58 inches. That fish, caught last year on the Brazos River, weighed 30.3 pounds. Callan and his father teamed to release Callan’s gar rather than keep the fish for the sake of a possible record.

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“Gars are kind of hard to hold because from the gills up it’s just solid teeth,” Bryan told My San Antonio. “So we went ahead and put it back in the water. We know it was trophy class but, at that moment, it was good to let it go and watch it swim away.”

Callan Frazier poses with 58-inch gar. Photo: Bryan Frazier

The catch occurred April 17, Easter Sunday. On April 25 the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department congratulated Callan via Facebook.

“Whoa, what a gar!” the agency wrote. “ This longnose gar was caught and released at Lake Sam Rayburn by 16-year-old Callan Frazier. Measuring about 58 inches, it rivals the official state record longnose gar caught from the Brazos River in 2021.”

–Images courtesy of Bryan Frazier

Texas catch of enormous bass described as ‘historic’

An Oklahoma man who drove in snow with his son to fish in Texas has landed one of the largest bass ever caught in the Lone Star State.

An Oklahoma man who drove in snow with his son to fish in Texas has landed one of the largest bass ever caught in the Lone Star State.

The 17.06-pound largemouth bass, caught Thursday by Brodey Davis at O.H. Ivie Lake, is a pending lake record and one of the top-10 heaviest bass weighed in Texas.

“It’s been an unbelievable day,” Davis, who lives in Tuttle, Okla., told FTW Outdoors late Thursday. “We drove from Oklahoma to specifically fish O.H. Ivie for a double-digit bass. My son Stetson, who is 9, was out of school due to the winter storm that went through Oklahoma earlier this week.”

Brodey Davis and son Stetson pose with 17.06-pound largemouth bass

The Toyota ShareLunker Program, run by Texas Parks and Wildlife, announced the catch Thursday on Facebook:

“Historic day! Angler Brodey Davis just weighed one of the largest Texas ShareLunkers to hit the scales in the past 30 years!!”

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State biologists collect live bass weighing 13 pounds or more as part of the ShareLunker Program. These “Legacy Class” bass become part of a selective breeding operation designed to enhance fisheries statewide.

Davis’ catch, on a 6th Sense Divine Swimbait, is the largest of 12 Legacy bass caught so far this year. The fish measures 27-1/4 inches with a girth of 23-1/4 inches.

According to Josh Jones of Josh Jones Fishing, Davis’ catch ranks No. 7 all-time in Texas. The state record, an 18.18-pound largemouth bass caught at Lake Fork, has stood since 1992.

Jones on Thursday shared video footage showing Davis’ bass being weighed and the reactions of those who were present.

O.H. Ivie routinely produces trophy-size bass during the winter-spring spawning season.

On Wednesday, Jones landed a 14.79-pound largemouth bass at O.H. Ivie to become the first angler to submit four Legacy bass to the ShareLunker Program, which began in 1986.

–Images courtesy of Toyota ShareLunker Program and Brodey Davis

Texas anglers land two enormous bass to kick off new season

A Texas lake famous for producing giant bass has yielded two behemoths to kick off a new season for an angler-driven program intended to improve fisheries statewide.

A Texas lake famous for producing giant bass has yielded two behemoths to kick off a new season for a program intended to benefit statewide fisheries.

Tyler Anderson and Wendell Ramsey Sr. reeled in largemouth bass weighing 14.48 and 14.92 pounds, respectively, while fishing this past week at O.H. Ivie Lake.

As “Legacy Class” bass, they were donated alive to the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department as part of the agency’s annual Toyota ShareLunker program.

The Legacy designation applies only to bass weighing 13 pounds or more. These rare catches are delivered to the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens, where biologists “attempt to spawn them to make bigger, better bass to stock and enhance fishing in Texas lakes,” The TPWD explained in a recent news release.

O.H. Ivie Lake last year produced 12 of 23 Legacy bass caught by Texas anglers and used in the selective-breeding program.

The ShareLunker program, which runs from Jan. 1 through March, is in its 36th year. The bass caught by Anderson and Ramsey are cataloged as ShareLunker 609 and ShareLunker 610, respectively.

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Anderson caught the 14.48-pound bass Jan. 5 while casting an Alabama rig in 28 feet of water on his second day of fishing.

Tyler Anderson with his 14.48-pound bass. Photo: Texas Parks & Wildlife

“I stumbled upon a school of what looked to be eight or nine fish,” Anderson told the TPWD. “My cast ended up being a little too short and landed right on top of where they were. My Alabama rig fell right into the school of fish, but I didn’t even have to retrieve the lure. I lifted it right up and started my retrieve and the fish was already on there.”

Ramsey, a West Texas guide, was fishing with his grandsons on Jan. 8 and used an umbrella rig with 3.5 rage tail swimmers to hook the 14.92-pound bass.

“We started out working some spots for white bass and black bass to get a few bites for the kids and have a good time,” Ramsey said. “It was slow and we moved around the lake to some different spots before we circled back to where we started.

Tyler Ramsey Sr. with his 14.92-pound bass. Photo: Texas Parks & Wildlife

“I spotted a fish suspended in about 14 feet of water and quickly grabbed a fishing pole. I sent the cast past the fish and slowly let it go down to about eight feet before I started reeling. The fish hit the bait and when I set the hook it didn’t budge so I knew it was a really big fish.

“The battle started and I eventually brought it into the boat with the dip net.”

Both bass were kept in live wells before biologists arrived to pick them up for the transfer to Athens.

Said Kyle Brookshear, Toyota ShareLunker Program Manager: “This is a great start to the 2022 collection season.  “After the historic 2021 season, it seems fitting that the first two entries come from O.H. Ivie. Many predict another record season for trophy bass catches across the state and with the 2022 season underway, time will soon tell.”

Angler catches record bass, Montana’s sixth record in less than 9 months

Brandon Wright, who usually goes fly-fishing, tried bait fishing and proved himself adept by catching a state-record largemouth bass.

Brandon Wright, who usually goes fly-fishing, decided to try lake fishing with bait and proved himself adept by catching what turned out to be a state record for a largemouth bass, Montana’s sixth state record in less than nine months.

Fishing from shore at Lake Elmo, Wright used a piece of a nightcrawler and caught a 9.575-pound bass that broke the state record of 8.8 pounds that stood since 2009, as reported by the Billings Gazette. The previous record was caught at Noxon Rapids Reservoir by Darin Williams.

It was the first largemouth bass Wright had ever caught and he plans to have it mounted by a taxidermist, the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks reported on Facebook.

Wright had the fish weighed on a certified scale at Albertsons grocery store in Billings Heights, and FWP confirmed the species, along with its weight and length. The largemouth bass was 22.5-inches long.

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Wright arrived at Lake Elmo at around 10 a.m. last Saturday and told the Billings Gazette he then sat back and started watching Tik Tok videos on his cellphone. Fifteen minutes later, the bass bit.

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Montana has been hot for producing state records lately. Recent record-breakers included a 32.05-pound Chinook salmon in August 2020 at Fort Peck Reservoir by Greg Haug, a 7.84-pound smallmouth bass in October 2020 at Fort Peck Reservoir by Theron Thompson, a 1.91-pound yellowhead bullhead in December 2020 at Tongue River Reservoir by Roberta Legge, a 32.43-pound brown trout in February in the Marias River by Robbie Dockter and a 3.42-pound longnose sucker in March in the Missouri River by Jacob Bernhardt.

Photo courtesy of the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

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15-year-old latest Texas angler to land record largemouth bass

A 15-year-old angler on Sunday landed the heaviest largemouth bass ever caught at Lake Travis in central Texas.

A 15-year-old angler on Sunday landed the heaviest largemouth bass ever caught at Lake Travis in central Texas.

Trace Jansen’s catch of a 15.32-pound bass breaks a lake record that had stood since 1993. But Jansen also joins a small group of Texas anglers who have caught bass weighing 13 pounds or more this year.

These spawning-size “Legacy Class” bass have been donated live to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for its long-running Toyota ShareLunker selective-breeding program.

The program, designed to enhance state fisheries, began in 1986. The program record – also the current state record – is an 18.18-pound largemouth bass caught at Lake Fork in 1992.

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Jansen’s catch is the 12th Legacy Class largemouth bass to have been landed in 2021. The heaviest was a 16.40-pound bass caught Feb. 19 at O.H. Ivie Lake.

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That fish, landed by Joe McKay of Bussey, Iowa, is an O.H. Ivie Lake record and the largest bass caught in Texas in 22 years, according to the Runnels County Register.

Jansen told For The Win Outdoors that he was casting a Wacky Worm at about 3 p.m. when the giant Lake Travis bass dashed from its spawning bed and struck the lure.

“She was tired from spawning but she fought good for about 10 seconds, then I got her to the boat,” Jansen said.

Late February and March comprise the spawning season at most Texas fisheries and is the period when the heaviest female bass are typically caught.

The ShareLunker season, which also features lower divisions in which anglers receive recognition for catch-and-release efforts, runs through March 31.

–Image courtesy of Trace Jansen

Texas lake yields two giant ‘ShareLunker” bass in one day

Two anglers reeled in largemouth bass weighing 14-plus pounds Thursday at O.H. Ivie Lake in Ballinger, Texas.

Two anglers reeled in largemouth bass weighing 14-plus pounds Thursday at O.H. Ivie Lake in Ballinger, Texas.

Both fish were collected by biologists and will be used as spawners to enhance state fisheries as part of the state’s long-running Toyota ShareLunker Program.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department used social media to announce the catches by Brett Cannon of Willis (14.4 pounds; top photo) and Casey Sobczak of Spring (14.2 pounds).

“You get one guess for what Lake produced two ShareLunkers today! Oh yes, that’s right, O.H. Ivie,” the agency asked on Facebook. “SL#593 (14.4lbs) and SL#594 (14.2lbs) are headed to Athens.”

Only fish weighing 13 pounds or more are designated “Legacy” catches and collected for use in the selective breeding program. Thursday’s catches bring to six the number of Legacy fish caught during the 2021 season, which began in January and runs through March.

Only four Legacy-class bass were caught in 2020.

How rare are these catches?

According to the ShareLunker website, “Out of the millions of bass anglers in Texas, only a select few have ever crossed the 13-pound threshold.”

O.H. Ivie is a sprawling reservoir on the Colorado and Concho rivers, and famous for producing trophy-size largemouth bass.