Start ’em young.
There’s nothing that compares to thrill of landing your personal best. For bass fishermen across the world, the thrill of the chase is what keeps up coming back every single time. Although, for me up here in Wisconsin, there’s not chance I’ll sniff anything close to a fish like this.
11-year-old angler Stetson Davis hauled in the bucketmouth of a lifetime recently out on JB Thomas Reservoir, a premiere fishery in West Texas. Of course, Texas is a bass fisherman’s dream with 10-pounders coming out of the water every other day on many of the Lone Star State’s phenomenal bass lakes. Lake Fork, O.H. Ivie, Sam Rayburn, Toledo Bend, Falcon… they’re all known to produce giants, and that’s just to name a few.
Stetson’s 13-pound behemoth crushed the junior lake record, and fun fact, Stetson’s dad Brodey has the 7th largest bass in Texas history with the 17-pounder he landed at O.H. Ivie in 2022.
Look at this hog:
“Stetson’s fish right after she hit the boat! 13.31# and the new JB Thomas Junior lake Record! Proud doesn’t even describe it!”
Texas Parks and Wildlife’s popular Toyota ShareLunker program rewards Texas fisherman for catching big bass. They recognize fishermen for big bass, handing out merch, doing giveaways and other prizes for bass over 8 pounds, but when it comes those 13-pound behemoths, they do something special.
Dubbed the Legacy Class, Texas Parks and Wildlife actually take these giant fish and use them to breed before returning them to the water. Big females are typically sent to a hatchery so their offspring can be used to stock lakes and ponds across Texas
“Landing the 11th Legacy Class ShareLunker of the season at 11 years old! Stetson Davis caught ShareLunker 661 weighing in at 13.31 pounds at J.B. Thomas.
This catch is the pending junior waterbody record and is the second Legacy Class bass from J.B. Thomas. Stetson, thank you for supporting a future full of bigger better bass in Texas.”
Atta boy.
