The term share lunker

Has Tpwd watered down the term Share lunker . Seems like that was a term for fish over 13 lbs and now just a good fish is called that.

what's a lunker?

8# and over works for me, DD is just that much better.

I think the way it is now will help fisheries if people just send the scales in. if you kept it at only 13+ you don't end up with the data that allowing 8# and up will give. I think it will help with stockings etc. over the long run. jmo

You take a 32 oz. tumbler.. Fill it with ice.. Kinda small cubes. You fill it about 3/4 full of Jack Daniels.. And you add a splash of water or Coke or whatever..

Suddenly you hear footsteps coming down the hall.. You put the glass in the big drawer of your desk.. Your boss sits down in the chair across from you and talks for thirty minutes about his daughters soccer game from last night..

He finally leaves.. You pull your glass out and take a sip..

That's what ShareLunker tastes like right now..

Pretty watered down..

Sounds a lot like GAMECHANGER!

We don't keep score in a ballgame. We don't spank our kids when they need it. They get graduation caps and gowns for finishing grade school. God help you if ya make fun of anyone. Come on man...EVERYBODY gets a trophy these days. We CAN'T hurt these kids feelings! Here kitty, kitty, kitty!

I dont think so. We’re so spoiled here with insanely good fisheries that we sometimes forget that a huge number of people that bass fish consider an 8+ a true trophy. Pretty cool for TPWD to offer some recognition on the share lunker platform imo. Also brings more awareness to the program as well as providing TPWD with additional data to study. Just have to get used to saying “Legacy Class ShareLunker” for those freaks over 13.

Well put James.

who screws whiskey up by adding coke or water to it? LOL

Everybody knows a true sharelunker is 13lbs+. That said, ShareLunker is just the name of a program designed to help to improve the states fisheries. Adding "classes" to that program has nothing to do with everyone getting a participation trophy. It has to do with the state being super interested in as much data as they can get their hands on in regards to big fish. Hence they've made a couple different classes to encourage people to flood them with data. It's a business exchange. You take 3 minutes and give them some details on a fish over 8lbs, and they will send you a shoe box package with about 15 bucks worth of fishing related items in it. Win/Win.

So stop complaining it's a participation trophy or watering down of the terms. It's the state trying to make our fisheries better with a few different classes of fish to get more data. Lunker (8lbs +), Elite (10lbs +), Legend (13lbs +). Oh by the way, if you don't want to help the fisheries in the state get better, you don't have to participate!

sharelunker used to be a highly sought after achievement. 8 pounders come way to often.

photofish, used to sell a bunch of Courvoisier Xo mixed with coke to some of the dallas cowboys back in their day at Humperdinks and Old SanFrancisco Steak House.

Well stated. Seems everyone overlooks that the Lunker and Elite class were introduced to help gather more data on genetics.

Lunker class is also 24inches and up. Could be 5lbs if it’s 24inches.

I am not sure what all this "Data" is going to change.. I'm betting nothing..

We have been studying bass for decades.. This ain't no new species of fish..

This SL program is a great publicity program for the state of Texas..

Nothing more..

Don't make me use PAW's data again to prove my point.. I don't have the energy..

Having more data certainly never hurt anything. Listen to the words coming out of our mouth man. You sound like every old curmudgeon who's ever lived. If you have no use for science, math, biology, and data, to each their own... You don't have to participate.

One thing is for certain though, complaining on this forum about minor changes in a privately funded program is not going to make our fisheries any better.

I don't think I was complaining.. Just stating fact..

If that's what being a grumpy old crumedgeon is, then I'll wear the badge..

Seems like if this stuff was so good, it wouldn't have to be sold so hard..

Later

If it started out as 8# and above and then separated into classes y’all wouldn’t be in such a tizzy.

I dont plan to participate by entering anything under 13 pounds. So far, I have zero of those. But getting more people involved, getting more publicity for the program and for Texas and getting more data are all good things.

i spent a decade working very closely with SAL(Mr. Campbell, RIP) and was responsible for keeping many alive for years. i think this new data will negatively affect the original idea and F1 strain logistics and studies. might be good for more documentation on record to support asking for more funds IMHO.

I agree with this.

Interesting.

They should worry more about preserving aquatic vegetation to yield better fry survival rates, rather than watering down the ShareLunker system. I am quickly becoming a non advocate for TPWD. They have REALLY pulled some bonehead moves the last few years. Quit killing all the veggies in the lakes! Quit giving out a ribbon to everyone that catches a big bass! 13+ should be the ribbon winners! sorry.. rant over. got off on a tangent. ugh.

pm sent, not here to debate things ive done for decades with others with uneducated or biased opinions.

Couldn’t have said it any better.

Got your PM. I wasn’t looking to debate anything at all. I was genuinely looking for more information from someone in the know because your statement made me curious. No need to explain more if you don’t want to. It was a simple question.

I blame MLF for this!

Exactly what I was thinking.

Does that still happen?

You’re exactly right. The program began with the idea to “share” the lunker genetics with the state by loaning your 13+ lb fish for breeding with the premise that all Florida bass are not created equal and the individual genetics of that fish mattered. It’s still a point of contention that has no clear cut answer. There are great arguments for and against but nevertheless.... that’s where the “share” came from.

If you catch a sub 13 pounder, you aren’t sharing anything except maybe your photo on social media. Did we water down the term? Absolutely.

Just the rantings of an old curmudgeon.

Just another reason for people to keep a fish out of the water for a measurement and a pic.

Lunkers are in the eyes of the beholder....

Plus #1.

Ribbons for everybody ?

Well said

Agreed, Well said...

I noticed a certain individual posting he’d caught his fourth ShareLunker for the year just a couple months after the new format started. This left many with feeling that the term had definitely been watered down for some. An 8 pounder is still an 8 but submitting it along with the catch data can be valuable to TPWD. To us old school Sharelunker hunters it’s always going to be a 13+ that gets our attention.

I’m old school and caught my first real Sharelunker February 28 2017. A true Sharelunker would still have to be over 13 lbs and donated during the spawning window of the program. The Lunker has to spawn and share some of her fry to truly qualify for this title to me. However I am a open minded person just enough to realize that collecting catch data on bass 8 lbs and larger will help TPWD in their research. I know I’d love to have access to the data they’ve collected since the new era started.

Very well said Larry. Kyle who works in the program told me they do plan to make that information public in the near future.

That's not true. You are sharing information about where, when, and on what the fish was caught. Furthermore, they also ask they you send in scale samples. All this information combined makes an incredibly powerful data set to know which lakes are producing the largest fish and whether or not those large fish have ShareLunker DNA. In addition to all the really cool things we can learn about big bass behavior, we will also ultimately learn whether the ShareLunker program is truly spreading the superior genetics we all hope it is.

Its not so watered down it just gives a guy or gal a chance to say I made it .However its still the 13# mark you want .This is a sport like most others "No matter how great you were today ,you always want better tomorrow. LOL thats why we keep spending all that $ going

I guess I should have turned in the 9# er I got 3 weeks ago .However I have caught a 13 and a 12 just seemed a let down.

The term is now perverted. “Sharing” the data has zero to do with the design of the program and hence, the name.

Saying that I caught three more ShareLunkers is just clickbait. It’s great to add the data points for the bigger fish but it should be called a Lunker, an interesting number or just about anything else other that the term created in the mid 80’s to signify a 13 pounder that meets the given criteria.

this thread is funny

Or ice!

Must be drinking rot gut.

For those supporting the “water downed” argument.......could it be that you’ve put too much emphasis/value on the term “sharelunker”? To me it sounds like the program was so successfully marketed that it’s shaped how you define success.

This is a gold, silver, bronze situation, not a participation trophy as far as I can tell. Plus more data and information is always good.

A Sharelunker is a bass 13lbs or larger. Period. Everyone else is using the term incorrectly. Don’t care who you are.

Does it really matter? Who cares if someone calls their 8+ a sharelunker, good for them they caught a nice fish. Florida has the trophy bass program and they accept 8+ for data, why is it a big deal if Texas does the same?

This thread may set a new record for ignorant posts.

Before you ask......yes I have read most of the posts debating Big O and MLF. This one tops those by a mile.

Goodness

I refer to everything between 8 and 13 lbs as tacos.

Only refer to 13+ as sharelunkers.

But I'm Cajun, and it doesn't bother me what anyone else refers to their fish as.

I've caught 4 over 8 and none over 9 lbs, so you bet I'm proud of every one of the 8#ers I've caught. Why should I care if someone else is just as proud as the fish they caught. To each his own.

This is the start of the 3rd year where they started this 8+ thing. Started on in Jan 2018. I don't see anyone claiming to call an 8lber a sharelunker on this forum or any FB group page. To me, it's official when the TPWD truck shows up. I don't think it has watered down the term, especially if the OP is just now finding out about it.

This was discussed last year. Some poster wore the bass section out on the new share lunker rules, by posting pictures of his catch
(s) and labeling them share lunkers

I do believe the term “lunker” is in the eye of the beholder.

I still think of the term “Sharelunker” is a bass over 13 lbs. nothing less. And I’m still searching for her!

^^^this.