In some contexts, 14 pounds may not seem like a lot of weight. But when it comes to competitive bass fishing, the hefty 14.34 pounder caught by Jay Calvert and his son Shane was more than enough to celebrate. The duo competed in the Outlaw Outdoors fishing tournament at Sam Rayburn Reservoir this past weekend.

“We got a little silly after we got her in the net for sure,” said Jay. “It was pretty exciting. I mean I’ll never forget it. But our main concern once we got a good look at her was getting her in the net because those fish go where they want to.”

Calvert says ShareLunkers have to be either 24 inches long or over 13 pounds. The name describes fish brought into the Texas Parks and Wildlife ShareLunker program. The fish are taken in the spawning season to a specific breeding program. The spawns are raised until they are fingerlings and they’re then released into Texas lakes. For Jay, it was less about the fish and more about sharing the experience with his son.

“I teared up a couple times that day dealing with him and realizing what we were able to see together and then I actually put a call in to my other son who is a little older than Shane and got emotional again just seeing his reaction,” said Jay.

Jay and Shane are experienced fishermen in their own rights, and each say they enjoy the humbling experience of fishing the Rayburn Reservoir. The tough days make it all the more worthwhile when you have the father and son moment of the year.

“It’s just something that you never think will actually happen to you,” said Shane. “I mean everyone always talks about catching the double digit bass and then we actually did it and I got to do it with my dad. It was one of the most memorable experiences I’ve had.”

Written By: Sevrin Lavenstein for KTRE Nacogdoches, Texas