The Starting Spot Daily Bass Headlines: ShareLunker Giants, Frog Debate, and Best Tournament Finishes Ever

Bass fishing is in a wide range of phases across the United States, with everything from pre-spawn fish up north to post-spawn into early summer conditions down south. But in any case, the whole country is primed for bass fishing.

In case you didn’t know, these Starting Spot Daily Bass Fishing Headlines are the perfect way to start your day with some of the top bass fishing articles on the internet. You'll get the headlines plus a little taste along with my two cents. As always, these go great with a hot cup of coffee.

Another Banner Year for the Texas ShareLunker Program

by Bob McNally -Wired2Fish

Per reporting by Bob McNally on Wired2Fish.com: The state’s groundbreaking stocking program has proven successful beyond even the most optimistic predictions. It has clearly demonstrated that big bass produce more big bass. Moreover, the program confirms that modern fisheries management can improve both the size and abundance of bass through sensible, careful oversight.

“The 2025 collection season was another standout year for the Toyota ShareLunker program, and it’s all thanks to the dedication and passion of ShareLunker anglers,” said Natalie Goldstrohm, Toyota ShareLunker program coordinator. “With new lakes joining the Legacy Class ranks, and returning favorites like O.H. Ivie continuing to impress, it’s clear that lunker bass fishing in Texas is thriving. Every ShareLunker catch helps TPWD advance bass genetics, fisheries management and angler recognition across the state.”

I have been fortunate enough to fish several legendary Texas bass lakes over the years. The ShareLunker program and the amazing success they’ve demonstrated has always been somewhere on my mind every time I’ve set the hook. While I haven’t swung on anything over 10 pounds myself, I know it could happen at any time in Texas. In the 2025 January to March ShareLunker season, anglers caught and registered 14 “Legacy Class” (13 pounds or more) bass from nine different Texas public lakes, including a 27.75 inch, 16.39 pound monster caught by angler Cullie Beveal on O.H.Ivie Lake. The ShareLunker program’s effectiveness is difficult to deny!

The DeBAIT: Walking vs. Popping Frog

by Christopher Decker -Bassmaster

Per reporting by Christopher Decker on bassmaster.com: Who doesn’t love a good frog bite? The hollow-bodied frog has become one of the favorite topwater baits in the tacklebox for many anglers, especially those who live on grass lakes. The DeBAIT isn’t to throw a frog, but to decide which type of frog to throw — a walking frog or a popping frog.

John Cox and Drew Cook keep a frog on deck most times of the year, but each has a strong preference on which type of frog works best. Who’s right? You decide.

Who doesn’t love a good frog bite, indeed!? The hollow-bodied frog was one of the first artificial presentations I really got into when I started focusing on catching bass on lures. I assume I’m not alone. But for me, it’s not really a debate. A walking frog and a popping frog can work equally well. It really comes down to the density of the cover the bass are living under and the fish’s general mood. A popping frog shines when there are openings in the cover and just plain doesn’t work on top of a heavy matt—the cupped face hangs up in the dense weeds and kind of plows rather than pops. Then again, a walking frog can also be very effective when walking over sparse cover and openings. I choose both!

Counting Down the Top 10 Finishes in Bass Pro Tour History

by Mitchell Forde -Major League Fishing

The last time the full Bass Pro Tour field took the water, at O’Reilly Auto Parts Stage 4 Presented by OPTIMA Batteries, the Championship Round showdown between Jake Lawrence and Jacob Wheeler on Nickajack Lake delivered an instant classic. Trailing by 6 ounces in the final minute, Lawrence boat-flipped a 5-pound, 9-ounce largemouth with about 12 seconds left before lines out to claim his first Bass Pro Tour win. 

The thrilling final minutes provided the latest example of the drama created by SCORETRACKER®, the BPT’s live scoreboard. But was it the best ending in the six-and-a-half-year history of the tour? We set out to rank the Top 10 most exciting Bass Pro Tour endings. The criteria, of course, were subjective, but we focused on the ending specifically and sought to rank the most exciting events rather than the most impactful. Here’s the list in reverse order.

The truth is, the Bass Pro Tour’s unique format lends itself to the possibility of close, exciting finishes by design. So, coming up with 10 memorable, close finishes ends up being fairly easy. And that’s cool! Who doesn’t enjoy watching any sporting event with an exciting finish where you never know who will win until the last possible second? And of course the recent dramatic finish at Nickajack between Lawrence and Wheeler is likely what spawned this article. Spoiler Alert: Declaring that event as the number one most exciting finish in BPT history is a solid call that will be tough to beat. But again, this format creates some exciting finishes. We’ll see how long it stands.

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