Sharelunker seeking assistance...

11/10/2008 7:17:34 AM

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ShareLunker seeking volunteers

The Budweiser ShareLunker program is looking for people willing to help care for big largemouth bass anglers donate to the program.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department fisheries biologist David Campbell will travel anywhere in the state to retrieve a big fish, with the goal of having the fish receiving care within 12 hours of being caught. However, Texas is a big state, and sometimes more than one lunker at a time is waiting to be picked up.

"What we have now is a new program in which we work with local fishing businesses and tackle shops to make recommendations for making their holding of ShareLunkers more efficient to help the fish survive," said Randy Myers, TPWD district fisheries biologist whose territory includes two of the hottest bass lakes in Texas, Falcon and Amistad.

Robert's Fish n' Tackle in Zapata is one of the first businesses to be certified by TPWD as an official ShareLunker holding site.

Zapata, on Lake Falcon, is a 10-hour drive from Athens.

Owners Robert and Norma Amaya will be on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week during the Budweiser ShareLunker season to receive lunkers and place them in a holding tank until Campbell or another TPWD employee arrives to pick them up.

"We're happy to help Texas Parks and Wildlife," Robert said. "I think the ShareLunker program is a great program. I've fished this lake for 40 years, and the fishing has always gotten better since TPWD started this program. We want the public to know that my wife or I will be here at 7 o'clock in the morning, or 4 o'clock in the morning, or 10 o'clock at night to help them out if they catch a fish over 13 pounds."

Falcon State Park is a second facility on Lake Falcon. Angler's Lodge in Del Rio is an official station for Lake Amistad.

Stations are needed at other lakes, especially those located far from Athens. Businesses interested in becoming an official ShareLunker holding facility should contact David Campbell at (903) 670-2230.

Official ShareLunker Receiving Stations:

Robert's Fish n' Tackle
2425 S. US 83
Zapata, TX (956) 236-6015

Falcon State Park
Falcon Heights, TX
(956) 844-3426

Angler's Lodge
8969 W. US 90
Del Rio, TX
(830) 719-9907

The Budweiser ShareLunker program is made possible through support from Anheuser-Busch, Inc.