BFBASS FACTS
Records • Data Methodology

How the Texas Giant Bass Data Hub Fits Together

The strongest Bass Facts records opportunity is not another list of big fish. It is a linked reference system connecting TPWD’s Top 50, ShareLunker catch events and confirmed individual giant bass.

Bass Facts Editorial Reviewed September 2026
How the data layers connect

Texas bass records become much more useful when Bass Facts separates three things: a ranking table, a catch-event archive and confirmed individual-fish identities.

One fish can appear in more than one Texas bass dataset Bass Facts keeps rankings, catch events and individual fish as separate concepts — then links them when the source supports it. DATASET A Texas Top 50 A current TPWD ranking of the 50 heaviest listed Texas largemouth. 50 rows Ranking rows are catch records. The same fish can appear twice if it was caught again at qualifying weight. DATASET B ShareLunker archive Thousands of catch events with Catch ID, class, angler, date, weight, length, waterbody and photo fields. Catch events A row is not proof of a unique fish. Class rules changed across 40 seasons. BASS FACTS LAYER Individual fish entities Multiple catch records connect to one fish only when TPWD explicitly confirms a recapture or same-fish identity. 4 modeled Each fish can carry multiple dates, anglers, weights and ranking appearances. The linking rule is intentionally conservative. Similar weight + same lake + nearby dates can flag a candidate. It cannot establish identity. Public “same fish” relationships require explicit TPWD confirmation.
The same data model used on the ShareLunker explainer becomes the organizing logic for the full Texas Giant Bass Data Hub.

1. Texas Top 50 = ranking layer

The Texas Giant Bass Data Hub contains all 50 TPWD Top-50 rows in a structured, filterable table. The current headline findings include 25 Lake Fork entries, seven O.H. Ivie entries and a median listed weight of 16.06 pounds.

Lake Fork

25 of the current 50 listed fish—half the table—come from Lake Fork.

O.H. Ivie

Seven current Top-50 rows come from O.H. Ivie, making it the dominant modern cluster.

2020s

Nine catches in the current Top 50 occurred in 2020 or later.

2. ShareLunker = catch-event layer

ShareLunker is much larger than the Top 50 because its archive records qualifying catches across multiple classes and eras. Bass Facts preserves official Catch IDs and the class context in effect at the time of each record.

3. Confirmed recaptures = individual-fish layer

When TPWD identifies two or more catches as the same fish, Bass Facts creates a durable fish entity and connects all confirmed catches underneath it. That makes the resource more than a republished table.

Important example: the Strength/Belveal O.H. Ivie fish appears twice in the current Texas Top 50. A ranking-only database sees two rows. The individual-fish layer recognizes one confirmed bass with two qualifying catches.

What this unlocks later

Lake profiles

Top-50 fish, ShareLunker totals, known recaptures, largest fish by era and TPWD lake information in one page.

Fish profiles

One stable fish page with every confirmed catch, weight change, time between catches and source trail.

Era comparisons

Lake Fork vs. O.H. Ivie becomes a real data feature rather than an impressionistic “which lake is better?” article.

Data stories

Repeat anglers, giant-bass survival, biggest ShareLunker years and trophy-production shifts can be generated from the underlying records.

Underlying Texas program sources

TPWD — ShareLunker 40th-season program update
TPWD — 2026 Legacy collection-season recap
TPWD — official Texas freshwater record table

The data model keeps agency ranking data, ShareLunker catch events and confirmed same-fish recaptures separate so metrics are not double-counted.

Related Bass Facts

Texas Giant Bass Data Hub Known individual giant bass in Texas Texas ShareLunker Program