SABINE PASS — Sixty redfish were tagged and released Friday all along the Texas Gulf Coast in preparation for one of Texas' most anticipated fishing tournaments of the year.
The Coastal Conservation Association of Texas' 29th Annual State of Texas Anglers' Rodeo, also known as the STAR fishing tournament will begin this weekend.
In 2017 the tournament drew more than 50,000 fishermen to the coast of Texas in what the CCA describes as one of the largest saltwater fishing tournaments in teh world accord tot a release from the CCA.
The tournament beings at sunrise on Saturday, May 26, 2018 and ends at 5 p.m. on Labor Day, September 3, 2018, according to the release.
From the Coastal Conservation Association...
Sixty specially tagged redfish are being prepped as the STAR-ring attraction in the 29th Annual CCA Texas State of Texas Anglers' Rodeo (STAR) sponsored by the Texas Ford Dealers, Tilson Home Corporation and Capital Farm Credit. The tournament is scheduled to kick-off the Saturday before Memorial Day at sunrise, five days from now! CCA Texas STAR officials will release 60 redfish ranging from 20 ½ to 25 ½ inches in length later this week. These tagged redfish will be released throughout 600 miles of Texas coastal waters, from Sabine Lake to South Padre Island.
The STAR fishing tournament drew over 50,000 participants to the Texas coast in 2017, making it one of the world's largest saltwater fishing tournaments. This year's event begins at sunrise on Saturday, May 26 and ends on Labor Day, September 3 at 5p.m.
Keeper-sized prizes can be claimed by STAR anglers who bring in the first 10 tagged redfish. The first five winners will drive home in a 2018 Ford F-150 "Texas Edition" pulling a brand new 23' Haynie BigFoot boat rigged with a Mercury 150L Pro XS OptiMax motor and Coastline trailer. The next five tagged redfish winners will each claim a 23' Haynie BigFoot boat with a Mercury 150L Pro XS OptiMax motor and Coastline trailers.
Last year nineteen tagged redfish were caught, but only nine anglers claimed prizes. The others, unfortunately, were not registered for the CCA Texas STAR.
Other fish can net big rewards in the tournament. STAR contestants who catch the largest speckled trout in the north, central and southern regions of the Texas Coast will each take home the legendary Mowdy 22 V, powered with an Evinrude E-TEC G2 motor and Coastline trailer. STAR blue water anglers who land the heaviest kingfish, dorado and ling (cobia) in the Offshore Division will each win the awesome Polaris Ranger Crew 570 EPS UVs in Polaris Pursuit Camo each with a Big Tex 35sa Trailer. In the Inshore Division the Shoalwater 19' Cat boat, Mercury 115 ELPT 4S motor and McClain trailer will also be given to the anglers for netting the biggest flounder, gafftop and sheepshead.
In hopes of luring more youth to the sport of fishing, the STAR Scholarship Divisions offer a total of ten college scholarships in $25,000 and $50,000 increments. STAR participants, ages 6-10, who catch the largest flounder, sheepshead or gafftop will each be awarded a $50,000 college scholarship. Participants, 11-17 years of age, who catch the largest flounder, sheepshead or gafftop, as well as, the largest speckled trout in each of the three Texas Coast regions (upper, middle and lower) will each be awarded a $25,000 college scholarship. In addition to these nine scholarship offerings participants ages 6-17 years old in 2018, are eligible for a bonus drawing that will net one lucky youth a $25,000 college scholarship even if the participant never wets a line or enters a single fish during the entire tournament!
As a reminder, anglers under 18 years are eligible to win the scholarships and all other prizes (truck/boat packages and boat packages) offered by CCA Texas STAR tournament.
Major sponsors for the 29th Annual CCA Texas/STAR Tournament include Texas Ford Dealers, Tilson Home Corporation, Capital Farm Credit, Academy Sports + Outdoors, Whataburger, LP Building Products, Shiner Bock, KTRK-abc13, Mercury Marine, Haynie Boats, Mowdy Boats, Dargel Boats, Shoalwater Boats, Hoffpauir Polaris, Texas Fish & Game Magazine, Coastline Trailers, McClain Trailers, Chris's Marine, MustangCAT Costa, and Evinrude.
Visit http://www.joincca.org/star to get signed up today. For more information, including a list of weigh-in stations, instant-entry registration locations in your area and weekly leader board updates, go to http://www.startournament.org.
CCA Texas is a nonprofit organization of sportfishing enthusiasts and conservationist working to save the natural resources of Texas coastal waters. CCA Texas' Web page can be found at http://www.ccatexas.org.