O.H. Ivie Closes Out ShareLunker Collection Season in Style

O.H. Ivie Closes Out ShareLunker Collection Season in Style

April 10, 2026

Media Contact: TPWD News, Business Hours, 512-389-8030

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ATHENS - In the final hours of the 2026 Toyota ShareLunker program collection season Tuesday evening (March 31), O.H. Ivie reservoir delivered a buzzer beater with its fifth Legacy Class largemouth bass of the season. The fish broke a tie with J.B. Thomas for the most Legacy Class ShareLunker entries in 2026 and clinched the top spot for O.H. Ivie in the waterbody standings for the sixth consecutive year.

Ted Taylor, of Lucas, was the angler who reeled in 14.22-pound ShareLunker 701; the 18th overall Legacy Class largemouth bass of the 2026 collection season. Charles Roberts of Trinity commenced the 40th Anniversary season of the Toyota ShareLunker program on Jan. 20 at O.H. Ivie with 13.75-pound ShareLunker 684, so Taylor's catch on Tuesday was a fitting way to close it out.

O.H. Ivie has now produced 63 Legacy Class largemouth bass since the 2020 season. These achievements highlight the success of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's (TPWD) ongoing bass management efforts, which focus on habitat improvement, stocking programs and genetic research to ensure anglers have opportunities to catch lunker-sized fish for years to come.

"O.H. Ivie delivered a finale of the season worthy of its reputation," said Natalie Goldstrohm, TPWD coordinator for the Toyota ShareLunker program. "This kind of performance highlights the success of our conservation work and reinforces why Texas remains a destination for anglers seeking fish of a lifetime."

Taylor and his friend headed out to O.H. Ivie in pursuit of a massive largemouth bass with hopes they had timed everything right with the weather patterns. They had caught several fish and were focusing on a pattern of targeting creeks. Taylor eventually pulled up on the fish using forward-facing sonar and his friend Brad indicated it looked like a giant.

"We threw to her with no reaction and then I threw in again and I caught a fish that was about 1.5 pounds that I assumed was the male with her," said Taylor. "I then saw multiple fish and realized they were feeding here. I pitched up into the cover next to the trees and the next thing I felt was just dead weight. I said I think I just got bit, so I set the hook and my rod doubled over, so at that point I was hung up or got a big fish on. No sooner did I get that out of my mouth, I felt the tail waggle and the pull and realized I think I had that big fish."

Taylor then commenced the process of getting the fish into the boat.

"I got her turned coming up and she didn't jump or anything," said Taylor. "As soon as she came to the surface next to the boat, Brad spectacularly grabbed her with the net, and I knew she was something special when she came in the boat because I had never seen a fish like that. We weighed her in the boat and she was 14 pounds, so we called the ShareLunker program."

Taylor then headed to the certified scale to get the official weight on his fish of a lifetime. It proved to be a personal best and his first double digit largemouth bass. Taylor also had a great experience with the Toyota ShareLunker program.

"Natalie was great as she walked us through the whole process of submitting the fish, as neither one of us had done that or caught a ShareLunker," said Taylor. "TPWD biologists arrived at Elm Creek and fin clipped the fish and took measurements, so that experience was great. Everyone was so responsive and very professional and care was taken for the fish. Natalie, the biologists and everything from Texas Parks and Wildlife Department was awesome and it's great to see the money from licenses going to good programs like this."

About the Toyota 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 TPWD for the ShareLunker selective breeding and stocking program. These anglers can call TPWD on the ShareLunker hotline at (903) 681-0550 to report their catch 24/7 through March 31, 2026.

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. Taylor used the Elm Creek Marina scale and holding station to get the certified weight on his fish.

Anglers who catch and loan a 13-plus pound lunker earn Legacy Class status, receive a catch kit filled with merchandise donated by program sponsors, 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 and ShareLunker branded apparel provided by AFTCO. 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 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 provide vital data for TPWD fisheries biologists, helping them better manage 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 card 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 qualified 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 biologists for genetic analysis. Anglers who contribute a sample to the program will receive a Lew's baitcasting reel while supplies last, with a limit of one reel per angler. Instructions for submitting DNA samples are located on the Toyota ShareLunker website.

TPWD and the Toyota ShareLunker program are once again partnering with AFTCO on the AFTCO Guide of the Year award for the 2026 ShareLunker season. The AFTCO Guide of the Year award recognizes a fishing guide who contributes to conservation and enhancement of largemouth bass in Texas.

The Toyota ShareLunker program is made possible in part by the generous title 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.