Choke Canyon Produces ShareLunker No. 469<\/p>\n
March 23, 2009<\/p>\n
ATHENS — Choke Canyon Reservoir continued its big bass bonanza March
\n20 with another ShareLunker, a 13.12-pounder caught by Joseph B.
\nThoman, Jr., of Farmersville, Louisiana.<\/p>\n
Thoman was fishing in the Texas Bass Club for the Deaf tournament
\nwhen he caught the fish, which was 25.25 inches long and 21.25 inches
\nin girth.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the Bass Champs South Region team tournament, also taking
\nplace on Choke Canyon on Saturday, weighed in two potential
\nShareLunkers at the Calliham Store. Store owner Brian W. Loy certified
\nthe weights as 14.47 and 15.27 pounds. Unfortunately, neither fish
\nsurvived.<\/p>\n
No tournament has ever weighed in more than one 13-pound-plus fish,
\nand the fact that two tournaments on the same lake produced three in
\ntwo days is extremely good news for Texas fishing.<\/p>\n
The deaths of the two big fish has generated quite a bit of
\ndiscussion both within Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the
\ntournament industry about ways to avoid similar tragedies in the
\nfuture.<\/p>\n
Tim Cook, state conservation director for the Texas B.A.S.S.
\nFederation Nation, fished the Choke Canyon tournament. \u201cNo one wants
\nto see big fish like these survive more than a tournament angler. We
\nwant the opportunity to catch that fish again when she\u2019s bigger, but
\na little extra help may be necessary such as the ability to weigh that
\nfish early in a tournament,\u201d he said \u201cI am a big advocate for
\nanglers policing themselves and not for government regulation. I
\nbelieve that we can successfully work to reduce ShareLunker and
\ntournament mortality.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brian W. Loy, himself a former tournament angler on the B.A.S.S. and
\nFLW trails, established a ShareLunker holding station at the Calliham
\nStore as a way of helping big fish survive. Sometimes the problem is
\ngetting fish to the store, and Loy is ready to help. \u201cI will provide
\na boat and operator with the right gear to keep big fish alive to go
\npick up fish during any tournament with more than 100 boats,\u201d he
\nsaid. \u201cWe will bring the fish to the store, get a certified weight
\non them, and put them in a tank where they will have a better chance
\nof surviving than in a livewell.\u201d<\/p>\n
Loy says the common perception that big bass are tougher than small
\nbass is not true. \u201cPeople don\u2019t realize how delicate these big
\nfish are,\u201d he said. \u201cThey really need delicate handling.\u201d<\/p>\n
David Campbell, ShareLunker program manager, encourages anglers to
\nhandle fish as little as possible, always support the head and tail
\nwhen moving or photographing them, and getting them to a minnow tank
\nat a marina or ShareLunker holding station as soon as possible after
\ncatching the fish. Suggested handling and care procedures can be found
\nat
\nhttp:\/\/www.tpwd.state.tx.us\/spdest\/visitorcenters\/tffc\/sharelunker\/handle\/.<\/p>\n
Find this article at:<\/p>\n
http:\/\/www.kbtx.com\/sports\/headlines\/41703722.html<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Choke Canyon Produces ShareLunker No. 469 March 23, 2009 ATHENS — Choke Canyon Reservoir continued its big bass bonanza March 20 with another ShareLunker, a 13.12-pounder caught by Joseph B. Thoman, Jr., of Farmersville, Louisiana. Thoman was fishing in the…<\/p>\n