Former ShareLunker Program Manager Inducted into National Freshwater
Fishing Hall of Fame

ATHENS—David L. Campbell, a retired employee of Texas Parks and Wildlife
Department (TPWD) and long-time manager of TPWD’s ShareLunker program, has been
notified of his induction into the National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame in
Hayward, Wisconsin, in recognition of his contributions to the sport and
heritage of freshwater fishing.

“It is our honor to inform you of your induction into the Fresh Water Fishing
Hall of Fame for the year 2013,” said Bill Gautsche, Jr.,  chairman of the
awards committee. “It goes without saying this honor recognizes you for your
contribution, dedication and service to the fresh water sportfishing industry.
With this, your pioneering spirit will always be remembered.”

Campbell will be inducted in the Special Recognition category, one of six
categories in the National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame.

TPWD itself has been inducted into the Hall of Fame in the
Organization/Government category. Bob Kemp, former head of TPWD’s fisheries
operations, was enshrined in the Hall of Fame in 1989. Kemp was Campbell’s boss
during the early years of the ShareLunker program.

Campbell worked for TPWD for 46 years, retiring at the end of March 2012. He
was inducted into the Texas Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame in 2011.

Campbell was associated with the ShareLunker program since its beginning. He
picked up the first fish entered into the program in 1986 and most of the more
than 500 entered since.

As manager of the Tyler Fish Hatchery, Campbell was instrumental in the
introduction of Florida largemouth bass into Texas and helped stock fish into
almost every public reservoir in the state.

Through his years of experience of caring for trophy largemouth bass,
Campbell contributed a great deal to the knowledge of how best to care for big
fish and communicated this information to the public through countless
interviews with media from newspapers, magazines, radio and television.

Following is a synopsis of Campbell's career with TPWD.

Campbell started work in 1965 as a fish hatchery assistant at the Lewisville
State Fish Hatchery and worked his way up to Hatchery Manager at the Tyler Fish
Hatchery and later the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center. He raised and stocked
literally millions of fish in Texas waters including black bass, channel
catfish, blue catfish, crappie, striped bass, hybrid striped bass, northern
pike, walleye, peacock bass and several sunfish and forage species.

In 1973 Campbell went to Florida to collect Florida largemouth bass at the
direction of Bob Kemp. The stocking of Florida largemouth bass into Texas public
reservoirs elevated trophy fishing in Texas forever and earned Campbell the
nickname ”Godfather of Big Bass.”

Under Kemp’s direction, Campbell began breeding and stocking pure Florida
bass as an experiment to increase the size of trophy bass in Texas. By the early
eighties, these efforts began to pay off as the 13.5-pound state record that had
existed since 1943 was broken four times in six years. Then in November 1986,
Mark Stevenson caught a 17.67-pound bass he named Ethel from Lake Fork. That
fish shattered all previous records, garnered nationwide media coverage, and
changed fishing in Texas forever.

With Ethel the ShareLunker program was born, and catch-and-release
conservation became a way of life for trophy bass anglers. Since that time,
there have been more than 500 entries into the ShareLunker program, and
Campbell’s research and insight into trophy bass have not only given TPWD the
largest collection of data on big bass in the world, but have earned him the
respect and admiration of anglers and outdoor writers alike.

In addition, Ethel proved to be a fish that changed the world of bass
fishing. After Campbell nursed the fish back to health, she was put on display
at Bass Pro Shops in Springfield, Missouri, where she pulled millions of
visitors into the store. Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris credited Ethel
with much of the success of the business, saying that she was the best thing
that ever happened to Bass Pro in terms of getting people into the store. In
recognition of that contribution, Morris donated $650,000 for the construction
of the Richard M. Hart and Johnny Morris Conservation Center at the Texas
Freshwater Fisheries Center, which was built largely to house the ShareLunker
program.

Timeline of Campbell’s Career with TPWD

1965--Employed by TPWD at the Lewisville State Fish Hatchery

1968--Transferred to Tyler Fish Hatchery

1973--Promoted to manager of the Tyler Fish Hatchery

1973--Traveled to Florida to bring back Florida largemouth bass for rearing
and experimental stocking

1986--Picked up ShareLunker No. 1

1989--Held workshops in Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana teaching how to
culture Florida bass

1995--Texas Black Bass Unlimited, President's Conservationist Award

1996--Transferred to Ed Cox, Jr., Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens
as hatchery manager and ShareLunker program coordinator

1999--Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Employee Recognition Award,
Special Achievements

2005--Office of the Governor of Texas, Certificate of Appreciation for 40
years of public service

2010--Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, 45-year Service Award

2011—Inducted into the Texas Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame

2012—Retired with 46 years of service

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