O.H. Ivie Reservoir Adds Third Legacy Class Largemouth Bass of 2025
ATHENS, TX – The 2025 Toyota ShareLunker collection season continues to impress as O.H. Ivie Reservoir added its third Legacy Class largemouth bass on Thursday. This brings the total number of Legacy Class Lunkers for the season to eight, with O.H. Ivie contributing three of these remarkable catches.
The latest addition, ShareLunker 677, was caught by Branden Burkhardt of Verdigris, Oklahoma. The 13.14-pound bass marks a personal best for Burkhardt, surpassing his previous record of 10 pounds and five ounces. Burkhardt, who has been aware of the ShareLunker program for some time, makes an annual trip to Texas with the goal of catching a Legacy Class ShareLunker.
“O.H. Ivie has been a destination for anglers chasing giants, and today it delivered once again,” said Natalie Goldstrohm, Toyota ShareLunker program coordinator. “Watching another big fish come out of this reservoir proves why it’s on many anglers’ list of reservoirs to fish for a catch of a lifetime.”
Burkhardt’s catch came on the final day of his trip. Initially planning to leave, he decided to stay after noticing the lake was relatively empty. Within 15 minutes of getting on the water, he spotted the fish 15 feet down and successfully reeled it in after a couple of attempts.
“The process for submitting the fish to the ShareLunker program was seamless,” said Burkhardt. “I put the fish in the live well and called Elm Creek Marina to get it on their certified scale. I brought the fish up there, they weighed it and put it into the holding tank. When TPWD staff arrived, I brought the fish out, got some good pictures and made the transfer. It was a great experience.”
The Toyota ShareLunker program, which runs from January 1 through March 31, allows anglers who catch a 13-plus pound bass to loan it to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) for selective breeding and stocking. Anglers can report their catch 24/7 through the ShareLunker hotline.
Anglers who catch and loan a 13-plus pound lunker earn Legacy Class status and receive various rewards, including a catch kit, a Legacy decal, VIP access to the Toyota ShareLunker Annual Awards event, a replica mount of their fish, and entries into drawings for a $5,000 Bass Pro Shops shopping spree.
The program also offers three additional levels of participation for catching bass over eight pounds or 24 inches, providing vital data to TPWD fisheries biologists. Anglers can enter their catch data through the Toyota ShareLunker mobile app or the program’s website.
The Toyota ShareLunker Program is supported by sponsors such as Toyota, Lew’s, Strike King, Bass Pro Shops, AFTCO, Bass Forecast, Bass University, and Lake Fork Taxidermy.
For more updates on the Toyota ShareLunker Program, visit their Facebook page, Instagram, or website.
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