11-year-old breaks junior bass record with over 13 pound catch

IRA, Texas (KETK) – According to the Texas Parks and Wild Department, Stetson Davis, 11 of Tuttle, Oklahoma, set a new junior angler waterbody record for J.B Thomas Reservoir on Wednesday.

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Stetson’s catch was a 13.31 pound largemouth bass that TPWD calls ShareLunker 661. The catch beat the previous J.B Thomas Reservoir junior angler record of 7.96 pounds by over 5 pounds.

Stetson Davis. Photo courtesy of the Toyota ShareLunker Program – Texas Parks and Wildlife.
Stetson Davis. Photo courtesy of the Toyota ShareLunker Program – Texas Parks and Wildlife.

Stetson and his dad, Brodey Davis, made the trip to J.B Thomas Reservoir on Tuesday and set out on Wednesday to try and catch Stetson his largemouth bass over 10 pounds.

“We didn’t have much luck at the start but around 9:20 a.m. we spotted her,” said Stetson. “I made multiple casts her way, but she wouldn’t bite, and it was a little frustrating. I finally placed the bait close enough to where she saw and then she bit. I set the hook and instantly my dad went to go and grab the net. When the fish came to the surface, we knew it was a double digit. It was a fairly quick fight, and we were able to secure it in the net and get it into the boat.”

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Stetson is joining Brodey in the record books since Brodey submitted the seventh biggest largemouth bass in Texas history, the 17.06 pound Sharelunker 620, back in 2022. Brodey’s catch is the current O.H. Ivie waterbody record, according to the TPWD.

“We were just looking for a 10-pounder and ended up catching a ShareLunker and the junior lake record,” added Stetson Davis. “It was really fun to bring the fish over and put it on the ShareLunker scale and to see it say 13.31-pounds. I was pretty excited that I caught a ShareLunker at 11-years old.”

Any bass over 13 pounds that anglers catch during the first three months of the year can be brought to the TPWD for the ShareLunker selective breeding program. When Anglers like Stetson and Brodey loan their fish to the program they can get a lot in return, such as:

  • Legacy Class status

  • A catch kit filled with merch

  • A 13lb+ Legacy decal for their boat or vehicle

  • Toyota ShareLunker Annual Awards event VIP access

  • A high-quality replica mount of their catch from Lake Fork Taxidermy

  • A Bass University swag pack and annual subscription

  • Entry into the Legacy Class Drawing

  • Entry into the year-end Grand Prize Drawing

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“We are excited to recognize Stetson’s accomplishments through the Toyota ShareLunker Program and Angler Recognition Program,” said Natalie Goldstrohm, Toyota ShareLunker program coordinator. “Getting young people hooked on fishing through these programs is important to creating a lifelong love of the sport.”

To learn more visit the Toyota ShareLunker program online.

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