Nearly two years to the day after reeling in ShareLunker 641 from Lake Alan Henry, angler Ross Gomez caught a 14.78-pound bass only to discover it was the same fish.
Gomez, of Post, caught the fish in the same location and again entered it into the Toyota Share-Lunker program, this time as ShareLunker 674. He first caught the fish, then recorded as ShareLunker 641, on Feb. 10, 2023.
“I was actually standing in the same exact spot on the dock that I caught the first fish,” said Gomez. “I had a little paddletail swim shad type bait and said you know what, I’m just going to toss this thing and let it sink deep. I threw it three or four times and she hit the bait. I figured it was something good and when she started taking line, I knew it was a big fish. I had a fivefoot pole with a small reel and eight-pound test line, and the pressure was mounting so I started adjusting the drag. I just kept working her and eventually she tired out and I was able to bring her up.”
Gomez, an avid crappie angler, wasn’t even targeting a largemouth bass when he caught the fish the first time, nor did he know about the Toyota ShareLunker program. Another angler in a boat helped him weigh the fish and told him about the program. Fast-forward two years and two days later, and Gomez became the first angler to catch the same fish twice from a public waterbody.
Not only did Share-Lunker 641 thrive since its return to the lake in 2023, but it grew from 13.22-pounds to Wednesday’s weight of 14.78-pounds. The fish spawned 33,649 fingerlings on its first trip to the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center (TFFC) and when it was returned following the spawn, she was released at a location approximately 3.3 miles from the dock. One way or another, she made her way back to the same spot for Gomez to catch her again.
ShareLunker 674 was the fifth turned in for the 2025 Toyota ShareLunker collection season which have come from five different waterbodies, Lake Alan Henry, J.B. Thomas, Lady Bird Lake, Richland- Chambers and O.H. Ivie.
Gomez had initially thought about going out on a kayak, but the cold and windy weather conditions made him decide to stay on the docks to fish. The portable fish finder on his kayak didn’t show anything at all, but since he was there, he decided to try his luck and see what would happen.
Gomez landed her and said he realized it was bigger than the last one he caught. He was by himself and so he called a friend to help him get it weighed. Gomez saw the weight and then made the call to the ShareLunker program.
“When Natalie texted me and told me this fish was the same, I knew it,” said Gomez. “I was walking around the house earlier reliving the catch and I told my wife that it has to be the same fish.”
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 ShareLunker selective breeding and stocking program. These anglers can call the ShareLunker hotline at (903) 6810550 to report their catch 24/7 through March 31, 2025.
For updates on the Toyota ShareLunker Program, visit facebook. com/sharelunkerprogram/, https:// www.instagram.com/ TexasShareLunker/ or TexasSharelunker. com.
