2025 TPWD selective breeding/stocking program is underway and March is the bewitching month for the big bites.

Story and photography by Matt Williams

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s 2025 Toyota ShareLunker program kicked off its 39th season on January 1. Time for all of you big bass junkies out there to get those game faces on and go gunning for that magical bite.

Anglers who catch a bass that makes the grade over the next 12 months are encouraged to enter their catch in one of four ShareLunker categories. The free program is open for participation for anglers of all ages. Entering could net you some really cool prizes.

Legacy Lunkers

Bass upwards weighing 13 pounds or more that are caught between January 1 and March 31 are the heart and soul of the program. These fish are called Toyota Legacy Lunkers.

Giant bass are prone to show up any time of year on Texas waters, but March is the bewitching month for Legacy Lunkers. More of the big fish (285) have been caught during March than any other month.  That’s probably because it falls during the height of the spawning season when the fish are at peak weight and most vulnerable to shallow water fishing crowds.

Anglers who catch one may contact TPWD by phone or text message at (903) 681-0550 to make arrangements to put their catch on loan to the state agency. Qualifying fish deemed healthy enough for travel will be picked up by TPWD staff and transferred to the program headquarters at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens. The fish are relocated by TPWD fisheries biologists using special hatchery trucks.

The Legacy fish are always females. TPWD uses the big bass for selective breeding/stocking and genetics research aimed at producing bigger and better bass for anglers to catch.

************************************************************************
To read more, click here to SUBSCRIBE