Fisherman Sets Lake Record at Fort Phantom Hill

ABILENE, TX — Abilene’s Travis McCollough reeled in a 14.35-pound largemouth bass at Fort Phantom Hill Reservoir on Feb. 5, setting a new waterbody record at the lake just north of Abilene.

McCollough’s catch was a Legacy Class ShareLunker, a distinction reserved for fish weighing 13 pounds or more. Four Legacy Class ShareLunkers have been caught in Texas so far this year, with the others coming from Toledo Bend, O.H. Ivie and Alan Henry.

The bass caught by McCollough was only the second-ever Legacy Class ShareLunker pulled from Fort Phantom Hill, joining the 13.33–pounder hooked by Haskell’s Eric Lewis on March 3, 2024.

McCollough said he was on the lake at 11:30 a.m. and fished in an area that he was familiar with. He had spent about two-and-a-half hours on the water before landing his fish of a lifetime.

“I’m a child of God and a Christian and I said, ‘Jesus, you need to give me a bite so I can go home with something to go on for the tournament that I have to fish Saturday at a different lake,’ and 10 minutes later I caught that fish,” said McCollough. “When I saw the fish, I knew it was over 10 pounds, and I just played her until she wore out. I didn’t use a net, and the fish laid up sideways, and I said, ‘This thing is huge.’”

During the first three months of each Toyota ShareLunker season (Jan. 1-March 31), anglers who reel in a Legacy Class largemouth bass have the option of loaning it to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for captive spawning at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens. Its offspring will then be reared and stocked back into public lakes throughout the state, continuing to build and sustain the legacy of bigger, better bass for current and future generations of Texas anglers.

There are also ShareLunker categories for 8 pounds (or 24 inches) and 10 pounds that allow anglers to participate in the program.

All confirmed ShareLunker participants will receive a Catch Kit corresponding to their fish's weight class. Each Catch Kit includes an achievement decal, merchandise and other giveaways. Plus, everyone who enters will be included in a grand prize drawing to win a $5,000 shopping spree and other prizes. Anglers who donate their bass 13 pounds or larger for spawning entered in an additional drawing to win a $5,000 shopping spree, VIP access to the Toyota ShareLunker Annual Awards event and other prizes. 

For more information, visit the Toyota ShareLunker page here.