Bud's ShareLunker Program and Official Rules

Lake Fork
News Release
Toyota ShareLunker Season Begins October 1

Toyota ShareLunker Season Begins October 1

September 14, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact: Larry Hodge, larry.hodge@tpwd.state.tx.us, (903) 670-2255

ATHENS, Texas—Texas Parks and Wildlife Department will begin accepting entries into the Toyota ShareLunker program October 1, 2009.

Anyone legally catching a 13-pound or bigger largemouth bass from Texas waters, public or private, between October 1 and April 30 may submit the fish to the Toyota ShareLunker program by calling program manager David Campbell at (903) 681-0550 or paging him at (888) 784-0600 and leaving a phone number including area code. Fish will be picked up by TPWD personnel within 12 hours.

Toyota became the new program sponsor effective September 1. The current season marks the 24^th year of the program. To date 471 fish have been entered into the program. Those fish have come from 57 different public reservoirs and more than a dozen private lakes.

ShareLunker entries are used in a selective breeding program at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center (TFFC) in Athens. Some of the offspring from these fish are stocked back into the water body from which they were caught. Other ShareLunker offspring are stocked in public waters around the state in an attempt to increase the overall size and growth rate of largemouth bass in Texas.

Anglers entering fish into the Toyota ShareLunker program will receive a free replica of their fish, a certificate and ShareLunker clothing and be recognized at a banquet at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens on June 5, 2010. In addition, if a Texas angler catches the largest entry of the year, that person will receive a lifetime fishing license.

For complete information and rules of the ShareLunker program, tips on caring for big bass and a recap of last year’s season, see www.tpwd.state.tx.us/sharelunker. The site also includes a searchable database of all fish entered into the program along with pictures where available.

The Toyota ShareLunker Program is made possible by a grant to the Texas Parks & Wildlife Foundation from Gulf States Toyota. Toyota is a long-time supporter of the Foundation and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, providing major funding for a wide variety of education, fish, parks and wildlife projects.

ShareLunker Program
Program Description
Bud's ShareLunker Program is a tripartite venture among businesses, state government, and anglers to preserve and enhance Texas largemouth bass fisheries. Through the Program, anglers may loan largemouth bass weighing 13 pounds or more to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for spawning and research purposes which include evaluating relationships between genetics and early life history, growth, performance, behavior, and competition. After spawning, TPWD personnel will contact the angler and arrange a date at which the fish can be released back into the waters from which it was caught. In return for their cooperation, participating anglers receive a free fiberglass replica of their catch, ShareLunker clothing, and recognition at the awards banquet at Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center. In addition, the Texas resident catching the largest ShareLunker entry of the season will be awarded a lifetime fishing license
Anyone catching a 13-pound-plus largemouth bass is eligible to participate by calling (903) 670-2226 weekdays or by paging (888) 784-0600 weekends and evenings.

For more information about the program, call 903-670-2226.

Official Rules for ShareLunker

The program is limited to largemouth bass weighing 13 pounds or greater.
The program is normally in effect from October 1 - April 30.
The fish must be legally caught in Texas waters.
A Texas Parks & Wildlife employee will be solely responsible for accepting a fish into the program, based on the expectation that the fish will be able to survive and spawn.
Possession of the fish must be transferred to a designated Texas Parks & Wildlife representative within 12 hours after capture. The angler must sign a release absolving all sponsors, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, and Texas Parks & Wildlife Department employees of any liability resulting from the loss or death of their fish
Employees and families of program sponsors are not eligible for participation in the program.
Anyone that may qualify can call our toll-free, 24 hour pager at 1-888-784-0600 (Oct. 1-April 30 only) or (903) 670-2226.

For complete information and rules of the ShareLunker program and tips on caring for big bass, see www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/visitorcenters/tffc/budsharelunker/.

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.