Three bass — weighing over 13 pounds — caught on same day in Texas. ‘Unbelievable’
Three fishermen in Texas are celebrating three rare catches on the same day, Texas Parks and Wildlife said.
“There’s only a handful of these fish that are caught every year,” Natalie Goldstrohm, Toyota ShareLunker coordinator, said in a Feb. 8 news release from Texas Parks and Wildlife.
The anglers each caught a largemouth bass at different lakes across Texas on Feb. 5 weighing more than 13 pounds.
Aaron Suess of Gardner, Kansas, kicked off the day catching a 13.87-pound bass at O.H. Ivie Reservoir, which spans across three counties in central Texas.
“I’m 51 years old, been fishing my whole life and this is something I may have seen in a dream, but for it to come true is unbelievable,” Suess told Texas Parks and Wildlife.
Alec Morrison of Peru, New York, had another largemouth bass catch at 13.82 pounds. He told Texas Parks and Wildlife he may never catch a fish that big again.
“I didn’t think it was all that big when I initially hooked it, but figured it was at least in the 8- to 9-pound range,” Morrison said in the release. “To my surprise, it didn’t fight all that hard and came up next to the boat. It also didn’t really jump at all during the fight but when I got my first glimpse of it up close, I knew it was at least 10 pounds. Once I had it in the boat, that’s when I realized I had a special fish in my hands.”
Ben Milliken of New Caney, Texas, rounded off the day’s big catches with a 13.15-pound bass caught at Lake Naconiche in southeast Texas.
“I fought (the bass) forever, but she came right up to the surface and when I saw her, I knew it was a giant one so I took my time and got her in. It was pretty exciting!” Milliken told Texas Parks and Wildlife.
All three anglers submitted their catches to the ShareLunker program with Texas Parks and Wildlife District. The program began in 1986 “to promote and enhance bass fishing in Texas.” The fish are loaned to the district for breeding and stocking, according to a news release.
“I may never catch a fish of that size again,” Morrison said.
This story was originally published February 13, 2024 at 10:36 AM with the headline "Three bass — weighing over 13 pounds — caught on same day in Texas. ‘Unbelievable’."
