The 22nd largest bass ever recorded in Texas was caught by Granbury, Texas angler Richard Scibek out fishing with his fishing friend James Quisenberry on famous Lake Fork. The fish was 25.75 inches long and 23 inches in girth, weighing in at 16.04 pounds. It’s the largest bass caught out of Lake Fork in 11 years. That fish puts Scibek in the lead for the Angler of the Year honors in the Texas Parks and Wildlife Division’s Share Lunker program. If the AOY is a Texas resident and has a lifetime fishing license, he’s eligible for a prize pack.
Lake Fork has produced 16 bass weighing 16 pounds or more and holds 32 spots on the Top 50 Bass from Texas list. The fish was weighed and held at The Minnow Bucket marina, an official weighing and holding station for the ShareLunker program. The fish is being tested to see if it is a true Florida Strain or a hybrid. True Florida strains are bred for improving fish stocks in Texas lakes while hybrids are returned to the lakes they came from immediately.
The fish was caught on a unique live bait called a black salty. A black salty is actually an ordinary goldfish that is selectively bred to achieve a bronze color. The fish bit deep in 54 degree water and had to be fizzed to ensure its survival until pick up for testing.
For more information on the catch, fizzing and the TPWD ShareLunker program, click this link to the Tpwd.state.tx.us website.
