The main goals of the Sharelunker program is to increase awareness of catch and release, caring for big fish, and spreading the popularity of bass fishing to boost economic output. Says it right there on their website.

All the science about genetics and whether or not this or that bass was a descendant of a SAL brood fish, along with the "Operation World Record" program are all ways to promote the program to achieve the above goals and they achieved them very effectively. Not to mention the free replica and lifetime fishing license incentives for donating. They achieved their goals whether or not the breeding program actually "worked" or "failed" or whether or not the program resulted in damage to the 13+ pound fish population. It drew attention to the sport and still draws attention and that is what TPWD wants. Attention to the sport is also what tackle dealers, fishing guides, gas station owners, and hotel/resort owners want.

There is certainly far more awareness now of catch and release in our state, fish care, and more money spent on bass fishing than there was 30 years ago and the Sharelunker program has played a part in that so in that respect, the program is a success irregardless of your standpoint on the science projects they conduct. And say what you will but the bass fishing in Texas is pretty damn good if you ask me.

Joefishin

Below is from the Texas A&M AquaLife Extension Aquaculture website. As you will read most Fishery Biologists do not use lbs. to measure growth, but use inches instead. We have all caught 12" fish that might be 1-1/2lbs or bigger, but that is the exception.

Largemouth can grow to more than 2 pounds their first year under ideal conditions, but in nature about 0.5 pound is normal. Females are normally larger than males. The maximum size of the Northern largemouth is about 10 pounds, while a large female Florida largemouth may reach 20 pounds. In Texas lakes, typical size at year 1 is 8″, year 2 is 12″, year 3 is 15″, year 4 is 17″, and year 5 is 18″.

James. Could some of your hated for the TP&W be because you think they have abandoned Falcon Lake. That you are mad because TP&W (who made the initial stockings of Fla. into Falcon that got it where it is today) will not stock Strippers and Largemouth in the lake anymore because they were tired of seeing them caught in some Mexican's net. Do you think the Fla's you are catching now swam over from Fla. and stocked themselves.

Why don't the people who live on Falcon Lake do like the ones who live around T-bend. Buy your own fingerlings and stock them yourself. Yes this has been an ongoing project of the Toledo Bend Landowners association for at 10yrs. I know of.

Turns out the fish was an offspring of a Share A Lunker caught from Lake Conroe.

CONFIRMED!!
The recent entry into the Toyota ShareLunker Program from Marine Creek Lake by Ryder Wicker, was just confirmed to be the daughter of previous ShareLunker 410! This new catch is evidence that ShareLunker offspring have greater growth potential and ultimate size than non-ShareLunker bass!

ShareLunker 410 was caught on 3/22/2006 from Lake Conroe, donated to the ShareLunker program by angler Edward Reid, and paired up with a male ShareLunker offspring at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center hatchery in Athens, Texas. One of the 5,000 (or so) fingerlings produced by that pair and stocked into Marine Creek Lake grew up to 13.07 pounds in less than 11 years and shattered the previous lake record of 10.78 lbs when it was caught last Friday!

The stocking that included ShareLunker 566 and her siblings was done as part of a ShareLunker evaluation research project, designed to compare growth of ShareLunker fingerlings to growth of the resident bass population in several Texas lakes including Marine Creek. The catch of ShareLunker 566 from Marine Creek Lake not only validates the success of TPWD�s selective breeding program at producing ShareLunker-size bass, but also demonstrates how anglers can help others by donating their ShareLunkers for breeding purposes. Mr. Wicker can tip his hat to Mr. Reid for making this moment possible!

#ToyotaShareLunker

Do you work for TPWD or have any business ties with them? It seems no matter what they say, do or survey they release, you are in love with whatever they say. What's the special meaning of this fish having a partial genetic gene from another fish. Heck, how many fry does a bass have every year and it's happened 2 or 3 now in a billion years. The program is a joke, but if it is truly tax free money (doubtful), then whatever..waste away.

Fouz.. I am going to have to disagree with you on one point.. The city of Athens contributed 4 to 5 million to the construction of the TFFC.. Last time I checked, cities get their revenue from the citizens and that indeed was taxpayer monies..

ChuChu, the 1943 state record was a Northern Strain Largemouth. Every single giant largemouth bass caught since November of 1986 have one thing in common, and it's not the SAL program, selective breeding or anything other than alleles. Specifically alleles from pure, Florida largemouth bass. Those came from Bob Kemp in 1974. Everything else since is window dressing.

We (state) can buy pure florida LMB. Many more than we can raise for the same $. Why don't we?