SAL reported at Falcon

14.6, TPWD on the way. I bet James is testy....

Sweet!

I didnt think people at falcon would even report a SAL... but I want to see this beast of a fish!!!

Anybody heard from JerseyDan? or is he not down there anymore?

Falcon anti sal mafia may rob the truck when it gets there! lol

Probably already slashed the anglers tires.

There has been quite a few over 13 caught and not turned in.

When is the season over? There have not been a lot turned in this year as in years past.

Yes, Dan's on the water as are Monte Coon and Fish Killer.

Catch em & release em and leave em there for Anglers Quest TOC in October....

Pics or it didn't happen!!! lol

Fish Killer and Monte had a great day yesterday.

It happened.
The fish was weak and srtuggling. Its alive and well now. Thanks to sure life and fresh lake water and the TPW is on its way.

I did not catch this fish but it's the individuals decision to do what they see fit. Release,eat or contribute. If a fisheries representives cant support keeping a fish alive for whatever purpose they might as well fillet them thereselves. Because these fish die when there is not appropriate holding stations available.
Someone catches one and [censored] goes wrong and there is no one to help the people out.
And the fish dies. Argue what to do with it after its stable. Anything is better than just letting it die.

I'm counting the days till that tourney already....

Please!!

Me and you both 5.0 My partner and I are heading down there on the 29th for a little fun fishing.

It was a beast of a fish

I have a pic of it in the tank but can't post it for a bit


Special thanks to Tgutie for taking over the care of the fish since there wasn't a holding tank available

Also to Monte who donated the bottle of sure life that did it's job

Its true! When I first saw the fish I told the angler that caught it my guess was 14 and change. The person that caught the fish wanted to donate it to the SAL. At present there is not an active holding tank near Zapata accepting donations so the fish was properly taken care of near lakes edge until SAL arrive to pick up this beautiful fish. Tgutie helped these guys out a bunch. Congratulations guys and thanks for the Hamburger!

My friends Bill Tarwater, Ronny Head and Gary Wingate were at Falcon and Gary is the one who caught this fish. They were there a week, each landing nice fish and about 10-15 per day per man. Friday morning Gary landed this 14lb 6 oz Share A Lunker fish. Congrats to Gary on a outstanding fish.

They wanted to let the forum know that the accommodations at Rick and Doris Turner's, Bed and Bass Lodge, were great. Great hosts and there website is bedandbass.biz for anyone looking for an place to stay at Falcon.

Here is the pic.

4Weight

LARGE !!!

Awesome fish!

Huge fish! Someone down there, (Falcon Lake Tackle or Robert Amayas tackle or someone else) needs to build a tank to take these fish to to get them healthy and keep them until TPWD can get there. They may not want them to go to the SAL program, but if the angler decides that is what he wants, the fish need to be taken care of. Congrats to the angler!

I agree SoCal. I believe a gentlemen named Tony really aided Gary and Bill with the fish. Gary wanted the fish in the program and it sure would have been nice to have the tank there. TPWD drove down from San Marcos to get the fish and grant Gary's wish.

Thanks.

4W

Seems to me that since TPW manages the SAL program with grant $ that they would have a vested intrested in having a holding tank at all lakes with big bass potential. Just say'in.

Pretty sure there was one at Robert's for a pretty good length of time.

The reason it was removed was because of local pressure and not because TPWD didn't want one on the lake.

Congrats. Known Gary for several years. One he!! of a fisherman.

Congrats! That is a P.I.G!!!!!!

I don't see what all the fuss is about.. He wanted to turn in his fish and he did it..

Nobody breaking his balls for that..

But why do you want to break the balls of people who don't want to be a slave to you and TPWD?

Having a SL tank is an unpaid and pretty much thankless job. PAW does not contribute to the cost of the tank, or equipment, or compensate an individual for their time.

And you are on call 24-7 for six months of the year.. Do you in your job do that for free?

Sounds like one of you guys should move down here and put one in.. I know that PAW is looking for someone to do it..

As far as anyone catching a 13 that is a product of the SL program.. It just ain't happened.. And can't for the next four or five years. And the odds that it will happen are miniscule, to say the least.. It's possible that Heather Locklear will move down here and fall in love with me.. I'd say that the odds are about even..

Look for fewer and smaller SL fish in the next five years.. It is already happening.. I told you it would..

Falcon may be the exception.. But with the pressure, tourneys, people mounting big fish, and people filleting seven pounders like crappie, look for Falcon to decline in a few years as well. It has happened on every other lake. Why would Falcon be any different?

If you decide to keep or turn in your fish, it is your business. I am just trying to make you understand that the SL program, when it comes to growing bigger fish, is a wet dream..

And by the way, TPWD did not remove the tank.. Robert decided not to keep it..

Wow! PIG is the word....

Why? If they TP&W wants it they should pay for it not anybody else. Half the people down there don't want it anyway but each his own nice fish.

Let em swim so the next persons dream can come true. Odds aren't good for em when they have to travel from down there. Replicas are expensive but not anymore expensive than half the accessories on the boats we pay tens of thousands of dollars for to catch a fish of a lifetime like that. It is someones right to do what they want with a legal fish...but there just isn't much logic behind it to me...not down there. Cant wait for the AQ TOC either.

My only comment will be if someone wants to turn it in why would someone not want to have the facility available. The only only option is a livewell and I would think that the publicity alone would be worth the effort

If the main concern is fish care why not overlook the personal agenda against and give the guys that are willing an option other than having it in the lifewell for 4 hours waiting for the guys from San marcus to pick it up

I would think the out of town visitors alone would offset any costs with the publicity of being the named station in the reports

The thing about to for me is that no one really wants the fish to die and it is a trophy in anyones eyes but he can do what he wants with it. If you are hunting trophies you kill them every time you shoot one. You catch a fish and you give it a fair chance to live and they take as good of care of the fish as anyone would. I would want to turn it in for the free replica.

If you have enough $$$$ to fish falcon for 3-5 days like most do hotel,food,gas you should be able to pay for a replica just my 2 cents. But like I said it's his fish do as you please.

What's the problem with putting a fish like that in the program? Its going to a good cause. The fish didn't die it got the care it needed to make it so the tpwd could pick it up... I just don't get it. In my opinion a lake that has big bass potential should have a holding tank for the program. If someone wants to donate the fish then to me that is a noble thing to do. I don't get what you guys are talking about releasing the fish back into the lake. Why should he have released it back? Gary is my dad and I'm proud that he put the fish in the program because it's going to a great cause.

Power worms gonna be sold out !

If folks at Falcon were real worried about taking care of those giant fish they would have a tank available.

And this one is pure Florida so it is going to be spawned. Falcon will be getting some little SAL fingerlings if she successfully spawns.

Fish of a lifetime there for sure!

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/fishboat/fish/action/stock_bywater.php?WB_code=0278

And they release the fish back into Falcon.

Looks like a WIN-WIN-WIN!

Taking my wife and dad with me that weekend. Will be my second time to go and last time I went it was 20 feet high.LOL So looking for any tips to help our trip. If anyone has any please message me!

First that is a gaint of a fish.

On the SAL stuff so SAL is not ok but tournaments are...which one hurts the fish stock more? Pulling a male off a bed protecting its fry is ok but ensuring a spawning females egg, hatch turn to fry and finglering and released is not? Even if the SAL has a 5% better chance than fish in wild thats 30 or more bass in the lake.

How many from Falcon that has been turned in to the Sal program made it back to Falcon?

heres the bigger question... how many 10 plus pounders die every time bass champs goes there or other trails from delayed mortality? How many 8 plus pounders that one day might be 10-15 pounders? A ton... nothing kills more fish then 30-50 pounds in a livewell all day in super rough water. Sharelunker isnt hurting anything... tournaments kill more fish then we will probably ever know. That many pounds does not fit in our high dollar boats livewell...

btw i'm an AVID tournament angler.

His fish.
His decision.
My $0.02

I not sure I see where anyone is bashing his descision to donate the fish. There are alot of different opinions on the subject that have been hashed out on the forum for a long while. Don't get over defensive about the guy's descision to donate and start talking about how great sharelunker is without expecting some response to the contrary.

I say it's his fish to do what he wants with it that was one awesome Bass!!!

Here's a video of Tony doing everything he can to keep it healthy I'm glad he was there to help out and we were able to see it ....