Angler Reels in Two Legacy Class ShareLunkers at J.B. Thomas, Becoming First Angler to Catch Three Lunkers in One Season

Angler Reels in Two Legacy Class ShareLunkers at J.B. Thomas, Becoming First Angler to Catch Three Lunkers in One Season

March 30, 2026

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

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ATHENS - J.B. Thomas Reservoir in West Texas got back on the board March 24 with not one but two Legacy Class ShareLunkers, boosting J.B. Thomas' total to four during the 2026 Toyota ShareLunker program collection season. These Legacy Class fish also increased the overall season total to 17 and established a tie between O.H. Ivie and J.B. Thomas for the top spot in the waterbody standings at four entries each.

Lawrence Lee of Tolar reeled in two Legacy Class fish Tuesday, bringing his lifetime total to four, with three of those catches recorded during the 2026 collection season. It's the first time in program history that an angler has caught three 13-pound or heavier Legacy Class fish in a single season.

"Lawrence Lee had a day on the water that every angler dreams of," said Natalie Goldstrohm, TPWD coordinator for the Toyota ShareLunker program. "Many public waterbodies in Texas offer the chance to catch multiple double-digit bass in a single trip, but landing two fish over 13 pounds is truly extraordinary. Catches like these highlight the incredible potential of Texas fisheries and the anglers who help us continue improving them through the Toyota ShareLunker program."

On March 24, Lee kicked off a day of fishing by catching 13.10-pound ShareLunker 699 in the morning followed by 13.57-pound ShareLunker 700 Tuesday evening.

Previously, Lee caught 13.12-pound ShareLunker 696 at J.B. Thomas on March 8 and recorded his and J.B. Thomas' first ever Legacy Class entry on Jan. 17, 2024, with 13.79-pound ShareLunker 651. ShareLunker 651 is the current lake record holder for largemouth bass at J.B. Thomas. Lee is now only one catch behind Josh Jones of Sapulpa, Oklahoma, for the most Legacy Class ShareLunkers submitted to the program. Jones landed his fifth Legacy Class largemouth bass at O.H. Ivie on Feb. 21 of this year with 13.51-pound ShareLunker 692.

Lee began his fishing trip bright and early at J.B. Thomas on Tuesday, and it wasn't long before his Legacy Class ShareLunker made its way into the boat by way of a brand-new lure he had just bought.

"I went to the Bassmaster Classic last week and picked up a new lure made by KGB Swimbaits; a small six-inch crappie," said Lee. "Out here at J.B. Thomas, they ate crappie really well and just as the sun was peeking up, I saw this fish swimming out on the scope. There wasn't much to it and didn't think she was very big, maybe 10 to 11 pounds, but the first cast over there, she looked right up at it and inhaled it right after a couple of glides. It was a pretty uneventful fight and went straight into the net."

Lee took an initial weight with his scale on the boat, and when it registered more than 13 pounds, he headed to the dock and made the call to the Toyota ShareLunker program.

Little did Lee know that he would be making a second call to the program later that day, but another massive largemouth bass made it into his boat that evening. As the sun was about to set, Lee checked one other spot where he knew fish would probably be staging.

"I chased three or four fish that I'm pretty confident were over 12 pounds, and all of them rejected everything," said Lee. "As I was following the other fish, I saw this one pop into my screen, so I casted my DC swimbait over there. On the first cast she ate it, I set the hook and she immediately bolted to the surface and jumped probably 20 feet from the boat. From there she dived straight under the boat."

The battle was on at that point with the fish making multiple dives and maneuvers before Lee was able to get her in the net.

"It was pretty crazy flurry of emotions of 'I'm going to lose her, I got her, I'm going to lose her, I got her,'" said Lee. "Luckily, she stayed hooked, and when she went into the net the hook more or less fell out of her mouth. This catch was one of those emotional roller coasters. I knew the first time she jumped and the second she hit the deck that fish was going to be a 13-pounder."

Once the fish was secured on the boat, Lee made that second call of the day to the Toyota ShareLunker program. TPWD biologists met Lee at J.B. Thomas where they took measurements and genetic samples. Lee then returned both fish to the lake.

"It's pretty unreal, and I'm speechless that I caught two Legacy Class fish in a single day with the collection season coming to an end," added Lee. "The goal is always to catch more, but I don't have any expectations of catching another one. I'm just going out and then targets I do see on the scope I attempt to cast at and if I find one, I find one. I typically go out fishing with low expectations and high hopes. When I'm guiding, I tell every single client all you need is 30 seconds, one cast can change everything, and you have a giant like this in the boat."

Lee commenced a breakout year in 2024 for J.B. Thomas, which produced its first two Legacy Class ShareLunkers, including Lee's lake record and a junior waterbody record of 13.31 pounds held by Stetson Davis. The lake had one Legacy Class largemouth bass in 2025 and produced multiple Bass Pro Shops Lunker Class, Strike King Elite Class and Lew's Legends Class entries each of the past two years.

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

Legacy Class ShareLunkers are temporarily housed at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center hatchery until they are spawned and later returned to their home water. When holding capacity at the facility is reaching its limit, the final holding tanks where the Legacy Class fish are held will be reserved for selected fish at the discretion of the program coordinator. TPWD appreciates the strong support of our valued anglers, and they are still encouraged to call the hotline if they believe their largemouth bass is 13 pounds or more.

The spawning collection season is still underway, and all eligible catches will still receive all prizes and accolades associated with the Legacy Class, including a fiberglass replica of their ShareLunker. For those fish not transported to TFFC, TPWD biologists will collect genetic and catch information to help further evaluate and guide future stocking and management efforts.

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. Lee used B&B Crappie Guide Service and Bait Shop to get a certified weight on his catch.

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.