Lyons posts new lake record on Toledo Bend
By PATTY LENDERMAN Lakecaster Managing Editor

Courtesy photo DYLON LYONS shows off his prized catch during a trip on Toledo Bend. The catch, a black bass, weighed 11.48 pounds setting a new Junior Angler record for Toledo Bend.

It was March 6, Darrell Lyons and his son Dylan were on Toledo Bend in search of crappie. Dylan is nine years old and loves to fish. In fact, he and his dad teamed up to fish Bass-N-Bucks and have been partners for the past few seasons. As they approached one of the areas where Darrell wanted to spot check for crappie, Dylan asked his dad "if he might could catch a bass here." Darrell said "Yes, and you might even catch a good one!"

Dylan proceeded to pick up his Challenger rod with an SY's Rabbit tail flicker flash jig in a crawfish color. He doused it with Kick-n-Bass and made his first cast. "It felt like a taptap kind of bream bite" Dylan said. "I set the hook, and it headed for deep water. It never jumped at all. I thought I had hooked on to a Gasper Goo!" It only took him about five minutes to reel it in, and when he saw the fish he was amazed. "My eyes were bigger than the fishes eyes!" Dylan exclaimed.

The closest certified scales were at Toledo Town & Tackle, so they loaded up and headed there. This beautiful black bass weighed 11.48 lbs., setting a new Jr Angler Lake Record for Toledo Bend. Now, as you know Toledo Bend is a border lake for Texas and Louisiana. Each side has its own big bass program. Dylan's fish qualified for a free replica in Louisiana's Big Bass Program, and the replica will be presented to Dylan, as well as everyone else who participated in the program this past year with a 10+ lb bass, on the last day of the Toledo Bend McDonald's Big Bass Splash June 24. The catch was also certified by Texas Parks & Wildlife Resource Specialist Joedy Gray, and was entered into the TP&W records as a new Junior lake record for black bass on Toledo Bend.

Big Bass Programs:

Louisiana - The Toledo Bend Lake Association believes in helping to preserve the fishing for future generations on Toledo Bend Reservoir. The purpose of this program is to reward you a replica bass for the catch and release of your Toledo Bend lunker so it may spawn hundreds of little lunkers. This program supplies a fisherman a free complete replica mount of their bass if it weighs between 10 and 11.99 pounds. All bass must be weighed in at Toledo Town & Tackle, located on the corner of Hwy. 191 & Hwy. 6.

Your bass must be alive and it must be turned over to Toledo Town & Tackle for the proper weight and measurements of your fish. A small amount of paperwork is filled out and your fish swims in a holding tank overnight for release the next morning. Your fish MUST survive the night in the holding tank in order for you to be eligible for a replica. This means you must take all precautions necessary to ensure the well being of your fish.

Please note any fish that weighs more than 12 pounds are still rewarded with a replica fish but these are supplied by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fishery from January 1 through April 30. The Toledo Bend Lake Association Bass Replica Program runs from July 1 through June 30.

Texas - The Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center is headquarters for the Budweiser ShareLunker program, which encourages anglers who have caught 13- pound-plus largemouth bass to lend or donate the fish to TPWD for spawning purposes. The program runs from Oct 1 - April 30 each year. At the end of spawning season, the ShareLunker will be returned to the angler for live release, or the angler may donate it permanently to the program. Either way, the angler receives a fiberglass replica of the catch made by Lake Fork Taxidermy, Budweiser ShareLunker clothing, and recognition at an annual awards banquet held at TFFC. In addition, the Texas resident catching the largest entry of the season is awarded a lifetime fishing license.

If you catch a lunker, check the program rules at www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdes t/visitorcenters/tffc/budsharelunker and call their 24- hour pager at 1-888-784-0600.

The current Junior Angler Lake Records for Toledo Bend include:

Bluegill - .85 lbs. Kevin Johnson 4/10/06

All other species are still open for Junior Lake Records.

The current Junior Angler Lake Records for Sam Rayburn include:

Bass, Largemouth - 11.57 lbs. Brandon Adams 4/23/05

Bluegill - .55 lbs. John Pencil 9/17/03

Catfish, Channel - 1.15 lbs. Travis Ellington 7/03/03

Crappie, Black - .80 lbs. Travis Ellington 7/03/03

Drum, Freshwater - .75 lbs. Travis Ellington 7/01/03

Sunfish, Longear - .10 lbs. Travis Ellington 7/02/03

Warmouth - .15 lbs. Travis Ellington 7/03/03

What age qualifies for the Junior Angler Records? Any youth whose age is under 17- years-old. Also, kids under 17-years-old are not required to purchase a fishing license. If you think you may have a new record of any kind, contact Todd Driscoll, Inland Fisheries Biologist at the State Fish Hatchery in Jasper, TX at 384-9572 or call Joedy Gray, Inland Fisheries Resource Specialist at 512-389-8037.