East Texas angler catches same fish a second time, two years later

Ross Gomez, of Post, caught a 14.78 pound bass during the 2025 Toyota ShareLunker collection season on Feb. 12, 2025 while fishing at Lake Alan Henry.

ATHENS, Texas — An East Texas angler caught the same fish twice in two years, according to Texas Parks and Wildlife.

Ross Gomez, of Post, caught a 14.78 pound bass during the 2025 Toyota ShareLunker collection season on Feb. 12, 2025 while fishing at Lake Alan Henry. After submitting it to TPWD, he found that it was the same fish he caught nearly two years earlier, on Feb. 10, 2023.

“I was actually standing in the same exact spot on the dock that I caught the first fish,” said Gomez. “I had a little paddletail swim shad type bait and said you know what, I’m just going to toss this thing and let it sink deep. I threw it three or four times and she hit the bait. I figured it was something good and when she started taking line, I knew it was a big fish. I had a five-foot pole with a small reel and eight-pound test line, and the pressure was mounting so I started adjusting the drag. I just kept working her and eventually she tired out and I was able to bring her up.”

The first time Gomez caught the fated fish, which was submitted as ShareLunker 674, he wasn’t even targeting largemouth bass, nor did he know about the Toyota ShareLunker program. Another angler in the boat had him weigh the wish and submit it into the program.

ShareLunker 674 hasn’t spent the last two years doing nothing. Between the first and second time Gomez caught her, she grew from  13.22 pounds to 14.78, a whole 1.56 pounds heavier, and spawned 33,649 fingerlings on its first trip to the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center.

Original News Source