April 4, 2025
Media Contact: TPWD News, Business Hours, 512-389-8030
ATHENS – In the waning days of the 2025 Toyota ShareLunker collection season, Toledo Bend and O.H. Ivie put an exclamation point on the season with a combined four Legacy Class ShareLunkers. These massive largemouth bass capped off an extraordinary run of six over a 10-day stretch, including a double-lunker day March 22.
O.H. Ivie, the reigning waterbody champion for the past five seasons, finished 2025 with six of the 14 total Legacy Class entries and remains the undisputed leader with 59 Legacy Class fish. Toledo Bend has now logged a Legacy Class fish in back-to-back seasons and was the ninth waterbody in 2025 to deliver a Legacy Lunker to the program.
Angler Curtis Melvin of Lumberton reeled in 13.24-pound ShareLunker 680 Tuesday, March 25 at Toledo Bend Tuesday followed by Kevin Robertson of Lubbock who landed 13.66-pound ShareLunker 681 on Thursday at O.H. Ivie. Terry Scott of Midland kicked off the final weekend of the season on Saturday when he landed 13.04-pound ShareLunker 682 and then on Sunday, Mechelda Criswell of Hobbs, New Mexico, reeled in the final Legacy Class fish of 2025 with 14.56-pound ShareLunker 683.
What’s even more special is the final two entries were caught by anglers who previously submitted Legacy Class fish. Scott’s first Legacy Class fish was recorded at Lake Conroe in 1996 with 13.63-pound ShareLunker 241. Criswell’s first Legacy Class largemouth bass was caught at O.H. Ivie Feb. 27, 2023, with 14.08-pound ShareLunker 646. Only 26 anglers have caught more than one Legacy Class ShareLunker during the history of the program.
“This season’s finale perfectly showcases the dedication of anglers, and the incredible fisheries Texas has to offer,” said Natalie Goldstrohm, Toyota ShareLunker program coordinator. “Ending with back-to-back catches from repeat Legacy Class anglers is a testament to the lasting impact of this program.”
ShareLunker 680
Melvin and his friend headed out early to Toledo Bend March 25 when weather conditions were good and primed with potential for excellent fishing.
“We pulled into the first cove that we wanted to fish and almost worked the whole cove over,” said Melvin. “We had started talking about where we wanted to go next but agreed to just finish out the stretch up to a point before taking off. As we were cruising along, I spotted her, so we just watched her for a second. She stayed there in that one area, so we started fishing for her and in about 15 minutes she got fired up.”
The friends took turns pitching at the fish, and eventually Melvin connected and enticed her to bite.
“At first things were calm, but then she dug down and surged like a big fish normally would,” said Melvin. “As she started swimming out to open water, she went under the front and side of the boat. As I was trying to get my line around the trolling motor, it hooked up onto it. She doubled back and ended up jumping right at the boat next to the trolling motor shaft. We were able to get the trolling motor up to free the line, and from there I was able to reel her in.”
ShareLunker 680 was a personal best for Melvin and broke his previous record of 8.7 pounds, which he also set at Toledo Bend.
“As soon as we netted her and got her into the boat, we knew she was going to be a special fish,” added Melvin. “We put her in the livewell and took her to Fin and Feather to get the weight on their certified scale. When it registered over 13 pounds I made the call to the ShareLunker program and spoke with Natalie. The process was simple, and she walked me through each step; filled out the information on the ShareLunker app and submitted photos. Within 30 minutes Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) staff arrived to pick up the fish.”
ShareLunker 681
At O.H. Ivie, Robertson was on a guided trip when he located what would become his fish of a lifetime.
“Around 11:30 in the morning, I got her to eat but the fish came off the hook,” said Roberston. “I tried again to get her to bite but was unsuccessful, so we decided to go have lunch. We went back out and found her on a bed in medium deep water. On the third or fourth pitch in, I caught her, and it was a pretty intense moment. It was the biggest fish I’d ever caught. I’ve landed quite a few big fish, but none quite like this.”
Robertsons’ previous personal best was 11 –pounds, 10 ounces, which he caught at his home lake J.B. Thomas.
“When we got her in the boat it was a rush,” said Roberston. “We knew how big she was because we could see her on the LiveScope and knew what we were dealing with before it happened. It was a rush when it all came together.”
On March 28 last year, Robertson was fishing with friend Tery Lewis when Lewis caught 13.99-pound ShareLunker 669at O.H. Ivie. Robertson now had his chance to turn in a Legacy Class ShareLunker of his own.
“Getting an actual Legacy Class fish is what it’s all about,” added Robertson. “I’ve caught 12 double-digit fish and have entered all of them into the program, but it’s not quite the same as finally hitting that 13-pound mark. The Legacy Class is the ‘Big League’. The whole process was so smooth, and everything was up and up. I have zero complaints and everything was as advertised. I’d like to thank the ShareLunker program most of all because this is the real deal.”
ShareLunker 682
Scott purchased some property near O.H. Ivie a couple of years ago and became friends with fishing guide Austin Pemberton. He headed out late Thursday afternoon and fished out of his own boat, but on Saturday he made a go of it with Pemberton as his guide.
“Saturday morning, we caught a number of 2- to 3-pound fish, but then we went hunting for the big fish,” said Scott. “We located her on forward-facing sonar, and Austin pitched in and caught the male fish who was near the bed. We then tossed the bait back towards her. I shook the rod tip four or five times, saw the rod tip thump when she crushed it and then reared back and set the hook. She was so heavy I couldn’t even turn her head for the first 15-20 seconds. When she finally came up to the boat Austin was right there with the net. The high-fiving was going on at that point.”
Once the fish was in the boat and the celebration was completed, Scott weighed the fish and made the call to the ShareLunker program.
“My experience with the ShareLunker program was very professional,” said Scott. “I had a lot of questions, but Natalie was great to work with and helped me through the process. I love the ShareLunker program and always have from the very first time I heard about it. It’s another big thrill for me to not only have done it once, but twice.”
ShareLunker 683
On Sunday, Criswell ventured out to O.H. Ivie on a guided trip with Brady Stanford, who had found a big fish in a particular spot a few days earlier.
“When we arrived at the spot, there were some other anglers in the area, so we went back to another location and waited,” said Criswell. “We returned and camped there the rest of the day. We sat on that bed and watched her go from bed to bed before she finally locked into one. We worked her, stopped, worked again and again trying to get her to bite. I didn’t want to leave and really wanted this bass, so we kept working at landing the fish for nine hours. When we finally got her, I could not believe how tough and big she was.”
Criswell then made the call to the ShareLunker program to submit what would be the final fish of the 2025 collection season. The fish was also a new personal best for Criswell.
“The ShareLunker program does such a great job in Texas for conservation and making these bass as healthy as they are,” said Criswell. “Everything went smooth with the process and it’s phenomenal what the fisheries do in Texas. The Toyota ShareLunker program brings dreams to people when you get the opportunity to do this. I want to thank everyone at TPWD for keeping this going because this is a wonderful program for anybody all over the world.”
About the ShareLunker Program
During the first three months of the season (Jan. 1 through March 31), anglers who reel in a 13-plus pound bass can loan it to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department 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, 2025.
Legacy Class ShareLunker weights are all verified using a certified scale, but anglers may use a digital scale to get an initial weight to inform the ShareLunker response team. Once the TPWD team arrives, they can take a certified weight on site.
A list of official weigh stations can be found on the ShareLunker Official Weigh and Holding Stations website. Robertson and Scott used the certified scale at the ShareLunker Official Weigh Station at Elm Creek Marina while Criswell used the ShareLunker Official Weigh Sation at Concho Park Marina to weigh ShareLunker’s 681, 682 and 683.
Anglers who catch and loan a 13-plus pound lunker earn Legacy Class status, receive a catch kit filled with merchandise, a 13lb+ Legacy decal for their vehicle or boat, VIP access to the Toyota ShareLunker Annual Awards event, a high-quality replica mount of their fish from Lake Fork Taxidermy, ShareLunker branded apparel provided by AFTCO, and a swag pack and annual subscription to Bass University. Anglers also receive entries into two separate drawings – a Legacy Class Drawing and the year-end Grand Prize Drawing. Both drawings will award the winner a $5,000 Bass Pro Shops shopping spree.
The Legacy Class collection season isn’t the only opportunity for anglers to contribute to the program. The year-round Toyota ShareLunker program offers anglers three additional levels of participation for catching bass over eight pounds or 24 inches in Texas’ public waters. Each of these levels provides vital data to TPWD fisheries biologists, helping them continue to create bigger, better bass in Texas.
Anglers who enter data for any lunker they catch greater than eight pounds or 24 inches also receive a catch kit, a decal for their vehicle or boat, a one-month subscription to Bass University and an entry into the year-end Grand Prize Drawing to win a $5,000 Bass Pro Shops shopping spree. ShareLunker entry classes include the Bass Pro Shops Lunker Class (8 lb.+), Strike King Elite Class (10 lb.+) and Lew’s Legend Class (13 lb.+).
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 at TexasSharelunker.com.
In addition to providing basic catch information, anglers have the option to send a DNA scale sample from their lunker bass to TPWD researchers for genetic analysis. Anglers who contribute a sample to the program will receive a Lew’s baitcast reel valued at up to $200 while supplies last, with a limit of one reel per angler. Anglers who send in a genetic sample will also get a three-month subscription to Bass University. Instructions for submitting DNA samples are located on the Toyota ShareLunker website.
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.
Additional vital program support comes from Legend class category prize sponsor Lew’s, Elite class category prize sponsor Strike King, Lunker class category prize sponsor Bass Pro Shops, AFTCO, Bass Forecast, Bass University and Lake Fork Taxidermy.
For updates on the Toyota ShareLunker Program, visit facebook.com/sharelunkerprogram/, https://www.instagram.com/TexasShareLunker/ or TexasSharelunker.com.
Author: TOR Poobah
Original Source: http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/newsmedia/releases/?req=20250404b
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