Photos: O.H. Ivie Monster Bass Gaining National Attention

BALLINGER – O.H. Ivie reached the double-digit mark for Legacy Class Lunkers in the 2023 Toyota ShareLunker collection season Friday, Sunday and Monday with two more massive largemouth bass. The lake boosted its total to 12 Legacy Class fish and increased the overall collection season tally to 14.

See the photos at the end of this article. 

Mechelda Criswell landed ShareLunker 646 weighing in at 14.08 pounds on Monday.  Angler Nolan Sprengeler of Plymouth, Minnesota, hauled in 13.89-pound ShareLunker 644 Friday, followed by Brandon Vaughan of Jacksboro with 14.5-pound ShareLunker 645 on Sunday.

ShareLunker 644 is unique from the other O.H. Ivie entries this year — it’s a recapture from the 2021 collection season and now has two ShareLunker designations. The fish was originally caught by Jim Smith of Weatherford on March 14, 2021, and weighed in at 14.42 pounds to become ShareLunker 601.

“A common question asked is if any of these Lunkers from O.H. Ivie have been recaptures — we know that ShareLunker 644 was entered into the Toyota ShareLunker Program back in the 2021 season since she had a passive integrated transponder (PIT) tag,” said Natalie Goldstrohm, Toyota ShareLunker program coordinator. “Having a recaptured Lunker tells us a few important things about the survival and growth of these Lunkers over time.”

Sprengeler and a few friends made the trip down from Minnesota in search of a catch of a lifetime. He’s the third angler this season who crossed multiple states to get to O.H. Ivie and land a Legacy Lunker. Two days of slow fishing and struggling to get bites didn’t dampen their spirits. Sprengeler had fished for muskie with friend Josh Jones this past summer; one afternoon, Jones showed him around O.H. Ivie and provided some pointers.

“A couple of days after meeting with Josh, we stumbled upon a pack of big fish,” said Sprengeler. “I pitched in there and one of the big ones came out of the group and grabbed the swim bait. The fish came in pretty easy, but when my friend scooped it up in the net, I had never seen a largemouth bass that big before. I weighed her on my hand scale. When we realized she was over 13 pounds, we called up Elm Creek and brought her in for an official weigh in.”

Sprengeler was impressed with the ShareLunker program and excited to be a part of it.

“It was neat to see the process that the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) staff conducts when they arrive to take the fish,” said Sprengeler. “After following the ShareLunker program on social media the last couple of years and then planning to take a trip here, getting a chance to experience this personally is pretty awesome.”

Analysis by TPWD staff showed that ShareLunker 601/644 is a pure Florida largemouth bass. In 2021, she was spawned at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center (TFFC), producing 44,165 eggs and 17,545 fry. The fish was returned to O.H. Ivie on April 29, 2021, and is back at TFFC for the second time thanks to Sprengeler.

Vaughan arrived at O.H. Ivie Friday morning. After traveling across the lake, the engine blew out on his boat. Vaughan didn’t let the setback stop him and continued to fish using his trolling motor. His persistence paid off on Sunday.

“This morning, my son went fishing with me and we put in at the Concho, where we began trolling around,” said Vaughan. “We saw a fish so I casted on it and it didn’t act interested. When I was reeling in my line, another one came up from the bottom and she hit the bait maybe five feet in front of the boat. I was out there just trolling around with my son having a great time and got a catch of a lifetime.”

Vaughan had been on the hunt for a ShareLunker for four years and caught a 13.68-pound fish in October. He immediately got the process rolling to submit this Legacy Class fish.

“I had to call one of my friends to come tow me back to the boat ramp, but we made it up there and got the fish submitted,” said Vaughan. “It was a cool experience and something Texas does that’s different, so it’s special to be able to get a ShareLunker.”

O.H. Ivie claimed two of the three entries in January and now boasts nine so far in February. The fishery is only one entry away from matching its 2021 and 2022 collection season totals of 12 with roughly a month to go in the collection season. Since January 2021, O.H. Ivie has been on an unprecedented run thanks to a combined total of 35 Legacy fish. Only ShareLunker 644 is a recapture from previous seasons, but some genetics data are still pending.

During the first three months of the season (January through March), anglers who reel in a 13-plus pound bass can loan it to TPWD for the ShareLunker selective breeding and stocking program. These anglers can call the ShareLunker hotline at (903) 681-0550 to report their catch 24/7 through March 31.

Anglers who catch and donate a 13-plus pound Lunker earn Legacy Class status, a catch kit filled with merchandise, a 13-plus pound Legacy decal for their vehicle or boat, VIP access to the Toyota ShareLunker Annual Awards event and a high-quality replica mount of their Lunker from Lake Fork Taxidermy. These anglers will also receive entries into two separate contests — a Legacy Class drawing and the year-end Grand Prize drawing. First place in either wins a $5,000 Bass Pro Shops shopping spree and a resident (or non-resident) annual fishing license.

The year-round Toyota ShareLunker program offers four levels of participation for catching bass over eight pounds or 24 inches in Texas. In addition to Legacy Class (13-plus pounds between January and March), ShareLunker entry classes include the Lunker Class (8-plus pounds), Elite Class (10-plus pounds), and Legend Class (13-plus pounds from April to December).

Anglers who enter data for any Lunker they catch (greater than eight pounds or 24 inches) during the calendar year 2023 also receive a catch kit, a decal for their vehicle or boat and an entry into the year-end Grand Prize drawing to win a $5,000 Bass Pro Shops shopping spree and annual fishing license.

Once a Lunker is reeled in, anglers need to enter the catch data on the Toyota ShareLunker mobile app – available for free from the Apple App Store and Google Play — or on the Toyota ShareLunker online app at TexasSharelunker.com. In addition to basic catch information, anglers can also provide a DNA scale sample from their Lunker bass to TPWD researchers for genetic analysis.

A new procedure is in effect for the 2023 season. Legend Class ShareLunkers no longer need to be weighed on a certified scale for entry. Anglers must include a photo of their Lunker on a digital scale to qualify for Legend Class.

The Toyota ShareLunker Program is made possible in part by the generous sponsorship of Toyota. Toyota is a longtime supporter of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation and TPWD, providing major funding for a wide variety of fisheries, state parks and wildlife projects.

Prize donors such as Bass Pro Shops, Lake Fork Taxidermy, American Fishing Tackle Company, Stanley Jigs and 6th Sense Fishing provide additional support for this program.