I have to give credit where credit is due.

This is not a debate about what you should do or shouldn't do with a Sharelunker, what scale you should use or what was the official weight ( bigger or smaller). It is a story about my PB. That is all.

Pre fishing for the TTT Friday Jan. 29th me and Mark Pack headed out on Big Sam. I had been on the lake the first week of Jan. to pre fish. Mark had given me some general areas to check but made no big deal about any of them. On this day, the day before the tourney we would revisit some of the same water.

We pulled up on one spot I had checked early in the month that I remembered looked sexy based on the charts and visual landscape. An elongated secondary point. Mark proceeded to tell me once we arrived to this locations that he had had 5 top ten finishes on this spot during his B.A.S.S. days. He then went on to say that he had also taught Kelly Jordan a few tips on C- Rigging here during one of one of those finishes that they shared this area of Sam. ( another story too long to post)

As we poked around Mark of course took the deep end of the underwater point and left the back of the boat (me) to explore the grass/bank line out. He claimed " this is a spot you can get 'right' here quick" I must have casted a dozen time at every angle I could hit. I found deep grass and other structure once in a while with a 3/4 oz. football jig. Yes is the answer to which brand but not a point to the story. On the following cast I found said structure again still in exploring mode and learning the underwater features however this time I found myself hung up or so I thought. So I did not set the hook but rather gave it an extra pull. Nothing gave until my line started rising. She surface in slick water (no wind) with a boat to our left and right and a boat motoring into the area. I gave her slack to avoid attention but she was not coming un buttoned. Mark then said " take your time with her". After a ride around the boat I had a new PB. Mark put her on the Boga Grips and he said stone faced " 11.5" What? I mean she is my PB and 1st DD but she must be bigger. After a few pics he said with the same stone cold look " Do you want to know what she really weights?...........13.25" Yes unofficial. She was release back to her home before this years spawn. Later in the day I said that I couldn't believe I had caught a Sharelunker today...Pack said " well you can't call it that it wasn't turned in you'll just have to call it a Release a Lunker"

Thanks Packman. We added some more history to a particular spot of yours and I am thankful for another day sharing time on the water with you. One I won't forget.

Awesome fish. Congrats !!!

Holy "Cow" - awesome...share a lunker the old fashioned way...!!!

Awesome fish...

Wow! Congrats!

WTG, memories are why I fish,, but to release a SAL would be tough to do

Great story. What a beast!

What dreams are made of right there!

Awesome, brother! Nice job.

Well Done!

Dangit!

David, congrats on your personal best brother!

So happy for you....what a beautiful fish!!

Man she's a beauty! Congratulations.....fishing with Mark, wow...man he put you spot on sounds like !
Nice going.....catch of a lifetime!
God Bless
Lee

Good Memories there , that's the way to do it

A Whopper! I love Big Sam. Congrats