Lake Fork Toyota ShareLunker 489 Makes Big Bass Top 50 List

Larry Hodge, 903-676-2277, larry.hodge@tpwd.texas.gov

News Image Share on Facebook Share Release URL

Catch qualifies angler for $11,550 in cash and prizes

Note: This item is more than 14 years old. Please take the publication date into consideration for any date references.

ATHENS — James Quisenberry moved to the Lake Fork area in hopes of catching the bass of a lifetime.

That dream came true March 22 when he caught a 15.61-pound largemouth from Lake Fork, but when he weighed the fish at Lake Fork Marina, an official ShareLunker weigh and holding station, he got even better news.

The bass ties for the number 33 spot on the list of top 50 biggest largemouth bass caught in Texas, which qualifies Quisenberry for $10,000 in cash from the Lake Fork Area Chamber of Commerce’s Lake Fork Bounty Bonanza tournament. Added to that will be $500 for catching a bass weighing 13 pounds or more, likely another $300 for the biggest bass weighed in during the month, $250 in tackle from Berkley and $500 in tackle from Lake Fork Marina.

Quisenberry caught the fish in 10 feet of water while fishing with a waterdog. The fish was 23.25 inches in girth and 25.25 inches long.

The fish is the biggest ShareLunker to come from Lake Fork since 2002.

Anyone legally catching a 13-pound or bigger largemouth bass from Texas waters, public or private, between October 1 and April 30 may submit the fish to the Toyota ShareLunker program by calling program manager David Campbell at (903) 681-0550 or paging him at (888) 784-0600 and leaving a phone number including area code. Fish will be picked up by TPWD personnel within 12 hours.

For complete information and rules of the ShareLunker program, tips on caring for big bass and a recap of last year’s season, see http://tamus.pr-optout.com/Url.aspx?513992x774680x-46784. The site also includes a searchable database of all fish entered into the program along with pictures where available.

Information on current catches, including short videos of interviews with anglers, is posted on www.facebook.com/sharelunkerprogram.

The Toyota ShareLunker Program is made possible by a grant to the Texas Parks & Wildlife Foundation from Gulf States Toyota. Toyota is a long-time supporter of the Foundation and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, providing major funding for a wide variety of education, fish, parks and wildlife projects.