HANDLING TIPS

Keeping your lunker alive is critical. Handle it carefully and go to a weigh station ASAP.
Always wet your hands before handling and transferring the fish.
Avoid holding the fish vertically by the lower lip. Use one hand to firmly grasp the lower jaw and the other to support the weight just behind the belly. Or, use a knotless, fine mesh, soft net or plastic weigh bag to transfer the fish.
Try not to hold the fish out of water longer than 30 seconds.
Transfer the fish to a well-aerated live well or aerated cooler, out of direct sunlight.
Go immediately to a TBLA Weigh Station.

The Toledo Bend Lake Association awarded 139 lunker bass replicas to anglers at the Sealy Outdoors Big Bass Splash at Cypress Bend Park on Sunday, May 22, 2016. This was the fourth year in a row that the record number of lunkers has been broken. During this lunker year, the fish were caught in Toledo Bend from May 15, 2015, to May 19, 2016. Mrs. Dinah Medine, Coordinator of the TBLA Lunker Bass Program, presented the replicas after the final weigh-in of the 2016 Sealy Outdoors tournament.

Among the 139 fish caught: 93 were in the 10-lb. class; 31 were in the 11-lb. class; 12 meet the 12-lb. class; 2 were in the 13-lb. class; and the largest fish weighed in at 14.16 lbs. Fourteen lunkers moved into the Top 100 largest reported bass caught on the Bend, and the anglers were awarded a Top 100 hat and certificate by Mrs. Linda Curtis-Sparks, Director of The Sabine Parish Tourist Commission.

Derek Mong of Many, LA, caught and registered three lunkers in 2016 year--while three fishermen—Darold Gleason of Leesville, LA, Dennis Blankenship of Pleasant Hill, LA, and Rudy Vaussine of Lake Charles, LA, caught and registered two lunkers during 2015-2016 lunker year. Ninety-eight anglers from LA caught and registered lunkers, while 36 lunker anglers were from TX, and 5 from out of state. All fish caught and registered through the Toledo Bend Lunker Bass Program were tagged and returned to the lake to spawn and be caught again. Fourteen previously tagged fish were caught in 2016.

You can see photos of the anglers and their lunkers by going to the Toledo Bend Lunker Bass Program on Facebook. A list of the lunkers is posted under the program year at the top of this page.

The TBLA Lunker Bass Program is the signature conservation program among many projects sponsored by the Toledo Bend Lake Association that meet its mission: “to improve the quality of Toledo Bend Lake and the amenities surrounding it.”

Congratulations to all 1,027 anglers (as of May 2021) who have earned lunker replicas since the program began in 1992 . . . let’s keep the Nation’s #1 bass fishing lake, as designated by Bassmaster’s Magazine, booming with lunkers for next year’s awards!

2015-2016 Lunkers Presented on May 22, 2016, to 139 Anglers

Toledo Bend Lunker Bass Program

The Toledo Bend Lunker Bass Program was initiated by the Sabine River Authority of Louisiana in 1992 and continued by Toledo Town & Tackle in 1998. Sponsorship was transferred to the Toledo Bend Lake Association in 2005. From 1992 through the 2020 season, 1,041 Lunkers have been caught and released through the Program.

Toledo Bend Lunker Bass Program

OUR WEIGH STATIONS INCLUDE:

The goal of the Program is to encourage the return of trophy fish to the lake by rewarding anglers a replica bass for catching and releasing their Toledo Bend Lunker back to the lake. TBLA hopes it will spawn and produce more potential lunkers and continue to grow and be caught again by another angler. To qualify for a Lunker Bass replica, the fish must be weighed, registered, and released alive by TBLA or its representative. TBLA provides an angler a free fiberglass replica for any bass weighing 10 pounds or more, provided the following rules are met:

The bass must be caught in Toledo Bend Lake and weigh a minimum of 10.00 lbs.
Fish must be caught by sporting means, i.e. a fishing pole, rod, reel and line, or other form of sport fishing tackle. Fish caught by hand, hand lines, set lines, trot lines, net, trap, seine, or snagging are not eligible.
Fish must be weighed on an ASGS approved scale at a TBLA Official Weigh Station or an approved tournament scale.
At weigh-in, the angler must present a valid fishing license or approved exemption and complete, agree to conditions, and sign a TBLA official registration form.
A designated witness at the weigh station must attest to the weight and sign the registration form.
Angler must release the live fish to a weigh station employee.
A weigh station employee or TBLA representative must witness the live release of the fish into Toledo Bend Lake and attest to such by signing the registration form.
If the fish dies prior to release, the angler will be notified, it will be returned to him/her, and TBLA will not award a replica.

2022 LUNKER REPLICAS AWARDED AT CYPRESS BEND RESORT

The Toledo Bend Lake Association (TBLA) awarded 32 lunker bass replicas to anglers at Cypress Bend Resort on June 25, 2022. Dinah Medine, coordinator of the TBLA Lunker Bass Program, and TBLA President Gary Moore presented the replicas to the deserving anglers. The largest fish was caught by Jimmie Box on March 26, 2022, weighing in at 12.16 pounds. View and download the video of the anglers with their lunkers HERE.

Texas side:

Fin & Feather Resort, South Lake- 245 Fin & Feather Drive., Hemphill, TX. (409) 579-2056
Fairmount General Store, South Lake- 2419 Fairdale Rd., Hemphill, TX.
(409) 579-9080
Keith’s Toledo Bend Tackle, Mid Lake- 6302 State Hwy 21 E, Hemphill, TX. (409) 625-0181
Holly Park Mid-lake, 3000 E Carter’s Ferry Rd, Milam, TX.
(409) 625-4424, 24Hr# (936) 596-5343
Huxley Bay Marina, North Lake, 13200 FM Rd 2694, Shelbyville, TX.

(866) 733-8193

A big thank you to P.D. Vinson of #BassCashBash for donating $4,000 to TBLA for the Toledo Bend Lunker Bass Program. Pictured is Ned Goodeaux & Ricky Yeldell.

RECORD NUMBER 139 TOLEDO BEND LUNKER BASS REPLICAS AWARD AT 2016 SEALY OUTDOOR BIG BASS SPLASH