Last Tuesday, Toyota ShareLunkers 479 and 482 were returned to Texas' Lake Amistad. Since neither of the fish was pure Florida largemouth bass, they were ineligible to be used in the selective breeding program at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center.
"It's not that these intergrades [crosses between Florida and northern largemouth bass] won't grow big, it's that pure Floridas will grow bigger, faster, and that's what we're after," said ShareLunker program manager David Campbell.
Anglers Teddy Silcox and Robert Robles, both of Del Rio, met Campbell at the lake and returned their fish to the water. Both expressed the hope they or another angler might catch the fish again someday.
Anyone legally catching a largemouth bass weighing 13 pounds or more is encouraged to enter the fish into the Toyota ShareLunker program by calling Campbell at (903) 681-0550 or paging him at (888) 784-0600 and leaving a number, including area code.
The Texas Parks & Wildlife Foundation is offering $500 per pound to the angler who enters ShareLunker 500 into the program. The fish must be alive, legally caught, and transferred to a TPWD representative within 12 hours after being caught. You can keep up with the current status of catches at www.tpwd.state.tx.us/sharelunker or 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.
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