Here's another thing on SAL producing the offspring for "Operation World Record."


First Operation World Record Results Encouraging

ATHENS, Texas � Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Inland Fisheries biologists were pleasantly surprised recently when they went electrofishing for tagged Budweiser ShareLunker offspring in three research lakes.

They found fish�lots of fish. �The most exciting thing from these preliminary samples is that ShareLunker offspring were collected at high rates,� said Inland Fisheries biologist Michael Baird. �This bodes well for the age-4 sample slated to be completed in the spring of 2009.�

TPWD fisheries biologists are monitoring the growth rate of stocked Budweiser ShareLunker offspring as compared to resident �wild� fish in the reservoirs. The average ShareLunker offspring was 7.1 inches long and weighed 2.7 ounces. The average wild fish averaged 5.3 inches long and weighed 1.2 ounces.

�Because the ShareLunker offspring were raised at the hatchery, their initial size was larger,� pointed out Tim Bister, one of the project biologists. �We�ll have to consider this difference when we make growth comparisons in the future.�

The fish were sampled from Lake Raven, in Huntsville State Park; Mill Creek Reservoir, in Canton; and Meridian State Park Lake. The valuable Budweiser ShareLunker offspring were produced from female largemouth bass contributed by anglers to the program in 2005 and were spawned and reared at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens, home of the ShareLunker program.

Operation World Record is an attempt to produce the next world record largemouth bass through a program of selective breeding using Budweiser ShareLunkers with pure Florida largemouth genes. Research to evaluate the growth rates of these selectively bred fish is ongoing.

The Budweiser ShareLunker program is made possible through support from Anheuser-Busch, Inc. Since 1991, Anheuser-Busch, in partnership with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, has contributed millions of dollars in funding to support conservation causes and fishing, hunting and outdoor recreation programs in Texas.

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/newsmedia/re...6&nrsearch=

Possible.......Hopeful.... Sure, and don't get me wrong I'm not saying SAL is bad, or that I don't like it.

I just like to point out where people get confused over what are normal stocking efforts and research efforts vs. SAL.

Operation World Record was started in 1986 right?

Do you not find it the least bit curious that all but one of the top 10 bass caught in the State of Texas were probably already in the lakes by the time the program started?

1 Lake Fork 18.18 25.5 01/24/1992
Barry St. Clair
2 Lake Fork 17.67 27.5 11/26/1986
Mark Stevenson
3 Lake Fork 17.64 28 04/01/1989
Stan Moss
4 Lake Fork 17.63 26.25 08/29/1990
Jerry L. New
5 Lake Fork 17.29 02/14/1988
Larry Barnes
6 Lake Fork 17.08 25.5 02/26/1991
Troy Coates
7 Pinkston 16.9 27.66 02/16/1986
Earl Crawford X
8 Lake Fork 16.89 25.5 02/08/1993
Bryan Turner
9 Sam Rayburn 16.8 28.75 05/31/1997
Tommy Shelton X
10 Mill Creek Lake 16.77 03/01/1990
Herchel Brickey



The 1997 fish is the only 'likely' candidate as that puts that fishes age at 11 yrs old. A 'normal' growth rate is a pound a year. They can gain as much as 2 a year, but that's usually not for the entire life span of the fish, just a couple of the really good seasons.

Barry's fish in 1992 was not a 1986 year class fish. It would only be 7 years old, not very likely an 18lb fish being only 7.

Maybe we are catching more fish in the 13+ range than ever before. But if we are going by Statistics, we aren't catching as many 16+ pound fish........



For the Record I am not bashing SAL, just trying to point out where it gets credit that belongs to TPWD as a whole.

then the "Super Bass" got in his Delorean and flew high above to Athens - airdropping lollipops and waving to the chlidren below.

And the children all believed.

Hmmm? I wonder were that fish came from?

Not sure where the next state/world record will come from in Texas but I have a good idea who will be taking credit for it.

No.

ShareLunker was started in 1986 and the former state record bass that Mark Stevenson caught (17.67-pound Ethel) was ShareLunker No. 1.

Operation World Record is a different program. It was started about a decade ago (2000 or 2001) as a spinoff program from within SAL. It's primary purpose is to produce a world record bass in Texas.

For a great read on all of this, see this story in Texas Monthly, "Bass-O-Matic".

It gives a detailed look at ShareLunker and Operation World Record and addresses many issues raised in this thread.

http://www.texasmonthly.com/2008-08-01/feature5-1.php#

Another good read on all of this and the history of Texas bass fishing is from TPW Magazine:

http://www.tpwmagazine.com/archive/2008/apr/ed_4

I'd bet that there are more 13+ pounders lurking around Texas waters that never get caught, let alone caught and not entered into the SAL program. The bass entered into the SAL program are, I assure you, a small sampling of the 13+ bass swimming in Texas waters. They don't get that big from habitually biting hooks or hanging around boats for that matter.

That's what, in my mind, makes catching such a big bass an honor. Outsmarting a wise old fish. That's the whole idea behind trophy fishing in my opinion.

Just another .02

SAL is all about advertising!!!!!!!
It is about bringing Fishermen to Texas to fish, and it seems to be working in that capacity

I thought it was about the "Super Bass" ?

HAHA

I know where my 13+ will be going and its not to Athens. That's just a selfish thing cause I want it in my pond. On another note is the SAL program still cost effective? Operating cost of SAL vs buying pure Florida fingerlings.