The Toyota ShareLunker Program will begin its 40th season on New Year’s Day 2026, marking another milestone for Texas’ long‑running largemouth bass selective breeding and stocking initiative. Since its launch in 1986, the program has attracted anglers from across the country who hope to catch a Legacy Class largemouth bass weighing 13 pounds or more.
Each year, from January 1 through March 31, anglers who land a Legacy Class fish may loan it to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) for captive spawning at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens. Offspring from these fish are later stocked into public lakes statewide, supporting efforts to enhance bass genetics and maintain high‑quality fisheries for future generations.
Program coordinator Natalie Goldstrohm said the 40th season highlights decades of collaboration between anglers, biologists, and partners. “Every Legacy Class fish shared with TPWD helps advance selective breeding and stocking efforts that benefit bass fisheries statewide,” she said. “This milestone season is a celebration of the participating anglers, TPWD Inland Fisheries Division employees, our partners and sponsors, and the collaborative fisheries conservation efforts that make these incredible catches possible.”
The 2025 season produced several notable achievements. Nine public lakes—O.H. Ivie, Richland‑Chambers, Lady Bird, J.B. Thomas, Alan Henry, Tawakoni, Sam Rayburn, Tyler, and Toledo Bend—recorded Legacy Class entries, bringing the total number of lakes with qualifying catches to 79. O.H. Ivie led the state with six entries. At Lady Bird Lake, angler Willie Pipkin set a new lake record with a 14.05‑pound bass. Four anglers recorded their second Legacy Class catch, and one angler, Ross Gomez, caught the same fish twice in separate years. Lakes Tyler and Sam Rayburn also produced a double‑lunker day in March.
Anglers who loan a 13‑pound‑plus fish receive Legacy Class status and a package of sponsor‑provided items, including a replica mount, branded apparel, and entries into two drawings for a $5,000 Bass Pro Shops shopping spree. The program also offers three additional participation levels for anglers who catch bass over eight pounds or 24 inches, providing TPWD with valuable biological data.
Catch information can be submitted through the Toyota ShareLunker mobile app or the program’s website. Participants may also send DNA scale samples for genetic analysis, receiving additional incentives while supplies last.
For 2026, TPWD and the program will again partner with AFTCO to present the AFTCO Guide of the Year award, recognizing a fishing guide who contributes to largemouth bass conservation in Texas.
The Toyota ShareLunker Program is supported by Toyota, a long‑time contributor to TPWD and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, along with additional sponsors including Lew’s, Strike King, Bass Pro Shops, AFTCO, Bass Forecast, Bass University, and Lake Fork Taxidermy.
Updates and program information are available on the ShareLunker social media channels and at TexasSharelunker.com.
