The Texas ShareLunker program’s Legacy Class collection season ended with a heck of a rally from the waters of O.H. Ivie, including a 13.66-pounder and a monster 14.56-pound bass, but Texas isn’t done yet. Just after the collection season ended on March 31, Cullie Beveal caught a 16.39-pound monster on O.H. Ivie this week, and it’s one of the biggest in Texas history.
Beveal’s fish is the first Lew’s Legend Class bass of 2025 — an honor given to bass 13 pounds or heavier caught outside the January – March season. He offered the fish for donation to the Texas Parks & Wildlife department, which will display the fish in the new aquariums being installed as part of the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center renovations. It is official the 20th biggest bass ever caught in Texas.
“We are excited that scores of anglers will be able to see this remarkable bass on display when the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center reopens in the coming months. Surely it will inspire many new anglers to get out there and try and catch their fish of a lifetime in the Texas outdoors,” the department said in a Facebook post.
Beveal’s fish bumps a 16.7-pound bass caught by Keith Burns at Caddo Lake in 2010 out of the Top 20. The current state record belongs to Barry StClair and his 18.18-pound bass he caught on Lake Fork in 1992.
One of the last Legacy ShareLunkers, #683 of the season was netted by Michelda Criswell of New Mexico when she caught a 14.56–pound bass on O.H. Ivie on the last day of March. She previously caught a Legacy ShareLunker in 2023.
Before that, Terry Scott pulled ShareLunker 682 from O.H. Ivie that weighed 13.03 pounds. It’s also Scott’s second Legacy Class fish — he caught a 13.63-pounder (ShareLunker 241) from Lake Conroe in 1996.
And before THAT, Kevin Robertson landed Legacy Class Lunker 681 weighing 13.66 pounds.
All in all, there were six Legacy Class fish caught at O.H. Ivie this year, and 14 for the season in total.
Anglers who reel in a 13-plus pound bass from Jan. 1 – March 31 can loan it to TPWD for the ShareLunker selective breeding and stocking program and report their catch via the ShareLunker 24/7 hotline at (903) 681-0550. Once certified, the catch earns Legacy Class status.
First, the fish must be weighed on a certified scale (a list of official weight stations can be found here). Anglers must also 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 researchers for genetic analysis. Anglers who contribute a sample to the program will receive additional prizes, including a Lew’s baitcast reel.
Legacy Class anglers receive a catch kit filled with merchandise, 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, ShareLunker branded apparel provided by AFTCO, and Bass University will provide a swag pack and annual subscription.
They 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.
