Lake Conroe Produces Budweiser ShareLunker; New Junior State Record

Larry Hodge, 903-676-2277, larry.hodge@tpwd.texas.gov

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ATHENS, Texas-Teenager Kyle Nitschke of Willis caught Budweiser ShareLunker No. 456 from Lake Conroe December 13.

The 13.07-pound largemouth bass should qualify as the new junior angler state record by 0.01 pound.

Ironically, Nitschke was fishing in the Ignition Bass Tournament with his friend Tyler Goetzman, who caught the former record from Lake Conroe on January 13, 2008.

"We had a limit by 8:40 and started culling," Nitschke said. "We caught 14 keepers. She [the ShareLunker] hit a crankbait in six feet of water about 12:30."

The fish was 21.5 inches in girth and 25 inches in length.

Nitschke and Goetzman won the tournament with a bag of 32.85 pounds of fish.

Lake Conroe has now produced 13 Budweiser ShareLunkers and ranks number four in the number produced, after Lakes Fork, Rayburn and Alan Henry.

For the past several years Lake Conroe has been the site of intensive management of invasive aquatic vegetation by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department using triploid grass carp and chemicals. Local anglers, homeowners and recreational users have cooperated in developing an action plan that is reestablishing native vegetation in the lake.

The Budweiser ShareLunker program is made possible through support from Anheuser-Busch, Inc. Since 1991, Anheuser-Busch, in partnership with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, has contributed millions of dollars in funding to support conservation causes and fishing, hunting and outdoor recreation programs in Texas.