The 14.5-pound largemouth bass took a rainbow-trout imitating swim bait being worked in 3 feet of water by Tyler angler Brett Harris. The fish was 27.75 inches long and 20.25 inches in girth.

Harris choice of baits seems odd until you realize that Texas Parks and Wildlife Department stocks rainbow trout into the lake during the winter to increase angling opportunity.

Largemouth bass were stocked into the 64-acre lake in 1975, 1985 and 1990.

The previous ShareLunker and old lake record weighed 13.28 pounds and was caught in 2000.

The Budweiser ShareLunker program is made possible through support from Anheuser-Busch, Inc. Since 1991, Anheuser-Busch, in partnership with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, has contributed millions of dollars in funding to support conservation causes and fishing, hunting and outdoor recreation programs in Texas.

News Source: Texas PWD - Mar. 19, 2008