J.B. Thomas, O.H. Ivie Serve Up Three Legacy Class Lunkers Including the Second Double Lunker Day of 2026

J.B. Thomas, O.H. Ivie Serve Up Three Legacy Class Lunkers Including the Second Double Lunker Day of 2026

March 13, 2026

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

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ATHENS - The final month of the 2026 Toyota ShareLunker program collection season is off to a roaring start with four Legacy Class entries submitted by anglers across the state. J.B. Thomas and O.H. Ivie in West Texas contributed two of those fish Sunday evening with the second double lunker day of the year. O.H. Ivie followed suit with an additional Legacy Class fish on Monday night.

Lawrence Lee of Tolar landed his second Legacy Class fish to get things rolling with 13.12-pound ShareLunker 696 at J.B. Thomas. Lee recorded his and J.B. Thomas' first ever Legacy class entry on Jan. 17, 2024 with13.79-pound ShareLunker 651. Lee's ShareLunker 651 is also the current lake record holder for largemouth bass at J.B. Thomas.

Lee commenced a breakout year for J.B. Thomas in 2024 which produced its first two Legacy Class Sharelunkers, including Lee's lake record and a junior waterbody record on 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. Lee's catch is the second for J.B. Thomas in 2026.

Over at O.H. Ivie, Tristan Marsh of Atlanta reeled in 13.65-pound ShareLunker 697 Sunday evening followed by Carl Self of Spicewood with 13.73-pound ShareLunker 698 Monday night to bump O.H. Ivie back on top of the season standings with four total Legacy Class entries this season. Charles Roberts of Trinity kicked off the 40th Anniversary season of the Toyota ShareLunker program with 13.75-pound ShareLunker 684 on Jan. 20 at O.H. Ivie followed by Josh Jones of Sapulpa, Oklahoma, with 13.51-pound ShareLunker 692 on Feb. 21.

O.H. Ivie has now produced 62 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.

"J.B. Thomas and O.H. Ivie continue to distinguish themselves as two of Texas' premier big bass reservoirs," said Natalie Goldstrohm, TPWD coordinator for the Toyota ShareLunker program. "Both lakes have produced multiple Legacy Class ShareLunkers in recent years, and they're clearly still delivering the exceptional fish this program is known for. At the same time, we've seen many other reservoirs step up and contribute Legacy Class entries throughout the season. Together, these submissions speak to the overall health and momentum of bass fishing in Texas - it's bigger and better than ever."

ShareLunker 696

Lee was on a guided trip on Sunday where he and his client began fishing early in the day. Lee's client caught a largemouth bass that was just under 10 pounds, but from around noon until four or five o'clock, they didn't have any success getting bites. His client decided to take a break and told Lee to go ahead and fish.

"I stayed on the trolling motor and found a fish within a minute," said Lee. "On my first cast over there, I sank my bait out right at 20-feet and she just ate it. I headed to the back deck of the boat to where the net was and she hopped in the net. It was pretty uneventful as far as the fight goes, and visually on the screen I didn't think she was more than nine or maybe 10 pounds. I didn't expect her to be that big when she finally came up and made it in the net."

Lee weighed the fish two times on the boat, and his scale registered 13.08 pounds, so he made the call to the Toyota ShareLunker program to get a weight on a certified scale.

"Normally I'm pretty calm and collected and suppress my adrenaline pretty well throughout all of my fishing either offshore or here at the lake," said Lee. "As unexpected as it was, when we finally got her certified and sent off, I just had a full adrenaline dump. The submission process to the ShareLunker program was a cakewalk and Natalie picked up the phone right away when I called. She located a verified scale to weigh the fish on and I got everything submitted through the app online."

ShareLunker 697

Marsh arrived at O.H. Ivie during the late afternoon and was looking for bed fish throughout the day. The first flat he stopped at yielded an 11.76-pound largemouth bass and at the next spot, Marsh located his fish of a lifetime.

"She was sitting on a bed and when I saw her, I was pretty sure she was a ShareLunker," said Marsh. "I'm a guide and have had a couple clients and my father catch one with me, so I've become familiar with what they look like on the screen and when I saw this one, I said this is a real one. I flipped in there with a 6th Sense Panorama and found out it was definitely a bed fish. She turned around and ate it two or three times and then finally grabbed the hook. She didn't move when I set the hook, but finally she came up and broke the surface and when I saw her I said yeah that one is over 13 pounds. I netted her and started screaming out on the lake. I've never experienced an adrenaline rush like that."

Marsh called his friend Brett Cannon who came over, and they weighed the fish on his scale. When it registered at more than 13 pounds, Marsh took it to Elm Creek Marina to get the verified weight. The 13.65-pound Legacy Class Lunker was a personal best for Marsh.

"I had a client submit a Legacy Class fish last year and one the year before and it's always fun to put them on the biggest fish of their lives and helping them go through the submission process," said Marsh. "It's a whole other feeling catching the fish yourself, submitting it and going through the process. It's every bass angler's dream to do that, so it's pretty cool to get to see that firsthand."

ShareLunker 698

Monday was Self's first day out on O.H. Ivie fishing with his guide and as the day was drawing to a close, he reeled in his fish of a lifetime.

"She was just the second fish we caught and found her about two hours before dark," said Self. "I threw a variety of baits at her and sometimes she'd react well and sometimes she wouldn't and swim off. I was about to give up on her at about eight o'clock and then she just decided to bite. It was pretty fast and furious."

Self took the fish to a certified scale to get the verified weight and his 13.73-pound largemouth bass proved to be a Legacy Class ShareLunker and a new personal best. They made it to the program to submit the catch.

"The submission process was pretty painless because I already had the app and sent in scales on some eight-pounders before," said Self. "I was so excited and pumped up with adrenaline and everything, the guys around me kind of helped me out as well. The TPWD staff who showed up were very knowledgeable, took good care of her, scanned the fish for a pit tag and then she found a happy home in the Lunker Bunker. I appreciate the program and it seems like it's doing a heck of a good job here in Texas so keep it up."

About the 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. These three anglers used official weigh stations to get certified weights on their fish. Lee used B&B Crappie Guide Service and Bait Shop. Marsh and Self used Elm Creek Marina scale and holding station.

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.