Fort Worth angler Ryder Wicker caught the first Toyota ShareLunker of the 2017 season Feb. 10 at Marine Creek Lake. But this wasn’t the only “first” he checked off the list – this particular fish outweighs the former water body record holder by more than 2 pounds, and is likely the first ShareLunker caught from a group of selectively bred largemouth bass that were stocked by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Inland Fisheries biologists 11 years ago.

“It’s pretty cool that 11 years later an angler may have caught one of those fish,” said Michael Baird, a TPWD Inland Fisheries biologist from the Waco District. “That’s a milestone of its own – but it also could be the first one we’ve confirmed from any of the reservoirs we stocked in the state.”

The fin clip from the fish will be sent to a lab at the A.E. Wood Laboratory in San Marcos, where biologists will use genetic analysis to confirm parentage as well as the date and location it was originally stocked.

After collecting the fish from the lake it was transported to the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens by program coordinator Kyle Brookshear, where he said the staff would “get her comfortable, monitor her and ensure she’s healthy” before pairing her up to spawn.

Ryder told TPWD Inland Fisheries staff that he caught the 13.07 pound largemouth bass, now called Sharelunker 566, on his fourth cast of the day with a jerk-bait in roughly 10 feet of water. He called TPWD immediately, and within minutes a local biologist was on-site to verify the new catch.

At 25.6 inches long and 21.6 inches in girth, the 13.07 pound fish would break the water body record at Marine Creek Lake, which is currently held by a 25 inch long, 10.78 pound bass caught in 2003 by angler Josh Sneed.

Anglers entering fish into the Toyota ShareLunker program receive a free replica of their fish, a certificate, ShareLunker clothing and are recognized at a banquet at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens. The person who catches the season’s largest entry will be named Angler of the Year and will receive a prize package from G. Loomis of a top-of-the-line rod, Shimano reel, PowerPro line and G. Loomis hat. If the Angler of the Year is a Texas resident that person will also receive a lifetime Texas fishing license.

ShareLunker catches can be reported 24 hours a day, seven days a week during the season, by calling (903) 681-0550.

John Blankenbaker was definitely overdue for a Toledo Bend double-digit lunker. On the afternoon of Tuesday, Jan. 31, he landed his biggest bass ever.

Blankenbaker was flipping cypress trees in 2 ½ feet of water near the back end of the creek with a Bass Pro Shop Double-Trouble Stik-O Worm set on a 3/16-ounce Lucky Strike weighted hook. He was using 17-pound Sufix mono spooled to a Quantum Accurist reel on a 7-foot Abu Veritas rod.

At about 4 p.m., Blankenbaker felt a bump on his line. He first felt it weighed about six or seven pounds. The official scales at T-Town pegged the big fish at 10.24 pounds, making it eligible for listing in the Toledo Bend Lunker Bass Program. The bass was tagged and eventually released alive back into Toledo Bend waters.

Blankenbaker’s bass is lunker No. 32 for the 2016-17 season, and he will receive a free replica of his trophy in mid-May courtesy of the Toledo Bend Lake Association.

Photos courtesy of TPWD and Toledo Bend Lake Association