Donald Deville of Ville Platte, La., became the latest angler to find a big Texas largemouth bass at Lake Fork, which became Toyota ShareLunker 547 on March 20.
Deville caught the fish in 5 feet of water using a Brush Hog. The water temperature was 58 degrees, according to a Texas Parks and Wildlife Department report.
The 14.06-pound largemouth was 25.75 inches long and 22 inches in girth.
“It was about my third cast,” said Deville, in a news release. “I was fishing with one of my sons, and he threw on the left side of the stump, and I threw on the right. And I got the big lunker to bite.”
Deville fought the fish for some time.
“She didn’t wrap on anything, but she took a lot of drag,” he said. “Finally we saw her and how big she was, and we got really excited.”
Deville was not familiar with the Toyota ShareLunker program, but some members of his group were and advised him to take the fish to Lake Fork Marina to be weighed.
“I’m really excited about the way Lake Fork Marina handled the fish and the care they took of the fish after we got it here,” he said.
The fish is the 11th entry into the ShareLunker program during the current season, which runs through April 30. Average weight of the entries this season is 13.85 pounds, and the largest entry weighed 16.04. Two 14-pounders and one 15-pounder have been entered.
