By Ramona Moore
The Toledo Bend Lake Association (TBLA) awarded 42 lunker bass replicas to anglers at the Toledo Bend Sealy Outdoors Big Bass Splash at Cypress Bend Park on Sunday, May 19. Dinah Medine, coordinator of the TBLA Lunker Bass Program, and TBLA President Ricky Yeldell presented the replicas to anglers from Louisiana, Texas and Missouri. The largest fish was caught by Sean Kennon, of DeQuincy, LA, weighing in at 14.0 pounds, qualifying in the “Top 100” largest reported largemouth bass caught on Toledo Bend. Four of the fish caught and released were previously tagged fish in the TBLA Lunker Bass Replica program.
The Lunker Bass Replica program was initiated by the Sabine River Authority of Louisiana in 1992 and transferred to Toledo Town and Tackle in 1998. It was assumed by TBLA in 2005. Since its inception, approximately 950 lunkers have been caught, tagged, and released back to Toledo Bend Lake through this program.
The goal of the program is to encourage the return of trophy fish to the Lake by rewarding anglers with a replica bass for catching and releasing their Toledo Bend Lunker. TBLA hopes these fish will live, spawn, reproduce, grow and be caught again by another angler.
Photos of the anglers and their lunkers can be seen on the Toledo Bend Lunker Bass Program Facebook page, and a complete list is also posted on www.toledobendlakeassociation.com. This year’s replicas were produced for TBLA by Scottie’s Reproductions.
Congratulations to all the anglers who have earned lunker replicas.
Photo Caption: Toledo Bend Lake Association awarded 42 lunker bass replicas to anglers on Sunday, May 19th at the Sealy Big Bass Splash.