Hate seeing this news. I agree. Fish get stressed out from being caught, especially these older 10-16 pound fish.

Just think about it. If you’re 60+ years old. You’re old but still strong and virile and reasonably stable. You have your home and everything you need for survival set up.

And then someone grabs you and thrusts you in a totally foreign and barren environment. A sterile plastic tub and then transfers you to a sterile concrete tub for weeks.

It’s not hard to see why so few fish survive that experience. It’s easy to see how stressed big fish already become from being in a livewell for a few hours.

Let them get back to their environment and stabilize in the best way they know how to.

Keep on stocking Florida bass. No need to keep on grabbing so many fish out of those lakes.

Almost wonder if it’s the publicity alone that makes so many people donate their fish.

Hate seeing this news. I agree. Fish get stressed out from being caught, especially these older 10-16 pound fish.

Just think about it. If you’re 60+ years old. You’re old but still strong and virile and reasonably stable. You have your home and everything you need for survival set up.

And then someone grabs you and thrusts you in a totally foreign and barren environment. A sterile plastic tub and then transfers you to a sterile concrete tub for weeks.

It’s not hard to see why so few fish survive that experience. It’s easy to see how stressed big fish already become from being in a livewell for a few hours.

Let them get back to their environment and stabilize in the best way they know how to.

Keep on stocking Florida bass. No need to keep on grabbing so many fish out of those lakes.

Almost wonder if it’s the publicity alone that makes so many people donate their fish.

now this might sound like a crazy questions, but I gotta ask. Do you all feel that you have more knowledge about black bass and freshwater lakes than the biologist and people that work for TP&W on the sharelunker program?

Just because scientists have education and make decisions don't make them the correct ones.

One of the 17 fish submitted has passed, we have not had issues with any other fish.

PM from the program on FB.

Almost wonder if it’s the publicity alone that makes so many people donate their fish.

WHHAAAATTTT????

Throwing shade at TPWD????
Don't you know the first rule at TFF??
1. Thou shalt not say bad things about TPWD.

Everyone knows that there wouldn't be any bass in Texas if it weren't for TPWD.

Just believe the hype.
Just believe that Share Lunker is most awesome program ever invented.
It's so awesome that when you look at the glossy pictures, you wont dare to ask any questions.

Don't pay any attention to facts.

You know, facts like -
MOST of your fishing license dollars and boat registration dollars are used to:
Do boarder patrol work.
Helicopter surveys on private high fences properties.
Genetic and disease analysis for private deer breeders.
Fish and Game officers doing the jobs of municipal LEOs.
on and on.


Share Lunker . . . "Look!! an eagle".

At least they are trying. TPWD is leading the efforts nationally to improve fisheries.

None of you would ever catch those fish if they were released and you have zero clue about whether they would’ve lived or died upon release. It sucks if they died but its had plenty of years to reproduce its genetics. For all we know they were at deaths door from Mercury poisoning by eating too much fish.