The CCA Texas Star Tournament is underway, and I got an exclusive look Friday morning at how the competition gets started with a redfish stocking run in Corpus Christi Bay.
Director of Operations of the CCA Texas Star Tournament Ryan Towns worked alongside Texas Parks and Wildlife to load tagged redfish from trailer to boat before releasing them in the bay. Towns also took me out on his boat to the release site near Red Dot Pier.
Towns explained what anglers need to do if they catch one of the tagged fish.
"You gotta catch the fish, clip the tag, and then release it and turn the tag in within 24hours. You have to be a CCA member and have your registration for the star tournament in order to be eligible to win," Towns said.
The release site at Red Dot Pier means anglers don't need to be on a boat to compete— a point Towns emphasized, saying the tournament is for everyone.
The first 5 anglers to catch a red-tagged redfish are in line for a major prize.
"The 1st 5 anglers that catch one of these, clip the tag and release it are going to a brand new F-150 XLT Super Crew cab that's the four-door connected to a 23 ft Haney Amigo and a 150 horsepower Mercury motor and Coastline trailer package," Towns said.
Beyond the trucks and boats, the tournament also gives away more than $375,000 in college scholarships for kids.
"This is life altering money that can change the life path of these kids, and you don't have to use the scholarship for a traditional four year college. You can use it for technical, vocational, or training programs," Towns said.
Corpus Christi fishing guide Jacob Goodwin knows firsthand what winning can mean. In 2020, he caught a tagged red fish near the King Ranch Shoreline and walked away with a brand new truck and boat.
"Biggest blessing of my life, you know, and during COVID it was strange times. Um, uh,I wasn't working at the time and just prayed a lot and went fishing, and that blessing,uh, helped me and my family out tremendously," Goodwin said.
For Goodwin, the win meant more than the prize itself.
"Besides the money and you know, winning a truck and boat, I got a picture of us as a family with my son holding that red fish, and it's a story he'll remember for the rest of his life," Goodwin said.
The tournament runs through Labor Day.
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