Texas High School Senior Reels In Legacy Class 13.65 Pound Bass

It's been a while since a 'Legacy Class' 13+ pound bass has been caught on Richland-Chambers Reservoir.

You have to go back to 2008 when Jeremy Bruton from Blooming Grove, Texas reeled in a Legacy Class ShareLunker that weighed 13.05 pounds.

On Sunday, January 26, that drought ended when Dylan Sorrells of Dallas hauled in a 13.64 bass on the lake located just southwest of Athens.

It's only the fifth overall Legacy Class fish in Richland Chambers' history. The other three were caught in 1999, 1997, and 1995.

Brian Scott Arnold holds the lake record of 14.25 pounds with the bass that he caught on April 22, 1995.

Sorrells has been fishing Richland-Chambers to better get to know the lake in preparation for an upcoming Texas High School Bass Association tournament. On Sunday, he decided to make another trip.

“I wanted to check a few things so I went to this main lake flat and was looking for brush piles or anything that could be around it,” said Sorrells. “I was trolling around on scope and just saw the fish sitting out there. There were some other big fish that should have been bass, but I saw this one and just threw at it. Initially, I didn’t think it was a bass but maybe a catfish. It stripped a bunch of drag, but when it came to the surface, I was like oh my, this is not a catfish this is a giant bass.”

Sorrells immediately told his friend to get the net so they could secure the fish in the boat. When the fish was finally aboard, he realized it was going to be over 12 pounds.

“When I put the fish on the scales and realized it was a ShareLunker, I called the program to let them know about the catch,” said Sorrells. “They were great, they let me know they were going to get the truck ready and within a couple of hours they were there. They did a great job and were super helpful as well.”

Sunday’s catch was a personal best for Sorrells and topped his previous record of nine pounds-eight ounces, caught on Lake Fork when he was eight years old. He is a senior at Highland Park High School, and he is one of only twelve anglers nationwide to be named on the 2024 Bassmaster's All-American Fishing Team.

During the first three months of the season (Jan. 1 through March 31), anglers who reel in a 13-plus pound bass can loan it to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for the ShareLunker selective breeding and stocking program. These anglers can call the ShareLunker hotline at (903) 681-0550 to report their catch 24/7 through March 31, 2025.

Anglers must weigh their potential Legacy Class fish on a certified scale. A list of official weigh stations can be found on the ShareLunker Official Weigh and Holding Stations website.

Anglers that catch and loan 13-plus pound lunkers earn Legacy Class status, receive a catch kit filled with merchandise, a 13lb+ Legacy decal for their vehicle or boat, VIP access to the Toyota ShareLunker Annual Awards event, a high-quality replica mount of their fish from Lake Fork Taxidermy, ShareLunker branded apparel provided by AFTCO, and Bass University will provide a swag pack and annual subscription.

Anglers also receive entries into two separate drawings – a Legacy Class Drawing and the year-end Grand Prize Drawing. Both drawings will award the winner a $5,000 Bass Pro Shops shopping spree.

Once a lunker is reeled in, anglers need to enter the catch data on the Toyota ShareLunker mobile app – available for free from the Apple App Store and Google Play – or at TexasSharelunker.com.