By Jessica Domel
Multimedia Reporter

Texas anglers have an opportunity to win 19 boats, five trucks, four UTVs and $325,000 in college scholarships this summer during the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) of Texas’ annual State of Texas Anglers Rodeo, or STAR Tournament.

The annual tournament runs from Memorial Day to Labor Day all along the Texas Coast.

“It is just a fun event, and obviously our future is predicated on what is our primary mission of CCA Texas, and that is our dedication to the conservation of marine life and really to ensure the future vitality of Texas coastal resources for generations to come,” Bill Kinney, STAR Tournament director, said.

The tournament is a membership drive for the organization.

“We just do it to really promote the Texas coastline and the outstanding resources Texans can call their own in saltwater,” Kinney said in an interview with the Texas Farm Bureau Radio Network.

There are both inshore and offshore divisions in the tournament with prizes for the heaviest sheepshead, kingfish, dorado, ling (cobia), snapper, gafftop and black drum.

“This year, for the first time ever, STAR has introduced a non-tagged slot fish—black drum,” Ryan Towns, assistant tournament director, said. “Our slot is 24 to 28 inches, and once the angler catches that fish, you have to bring it into one of our official weigh stations all up and down the coast. You’ll take the photos of that black drum, turn in your slip to a weigh master, weigh it, and then they’ll send it on to us.”

There are no longer categories for flounder and trout in the tournament.

“The trout because of freeze-related impacts, but the flounder is something that yes, they were impacted negatively by the freeze, but the odd thing about flounder is that unless they have a sustained 12 days with the water temperature at an ambient 62 to 64 degrees, they will not reproduce, and the last three winters that we’ve had have not had that segment of time and temperature together,” Kinney said.

As a result of flounder losses, which also can be seen in other states, CCA Texas raised $400,000 to add a flounder production facility on to the hatchery at Sea Center Texas in Lake Jackson. Those fish will supplement the flounder fishery to improve population numbers.

“Both flounder and trout were species that we were concerned about the future of if we didn’t do something about it,” Kinney said. “Both of those are off the leaderboard for STAR until such time as they recover.”

The tournament also includes two tagged redfish divisions that are catch and release only.

Anglers must clip off the exposed portion of the tag, release the fish and turn the tag in at the nearest weigh station.

“We released 120 tag redfish. Sixty of those are blue tags, (and) 60 of those are red tags,” Kinney said. “In the red tag division, if you’re entered in STAR and a current member of CCA and you catch a red tag, the first five red tags caught by eligible anglers pay off with a brand new 2022 Ford F-150 four door, super cab connected to a Haynie 23-foot boat, 150 horsepower Mercury outboard engine and a Coastline trailer.”

The first five eligible anglers who reel in a redfish with a blue tag may win a 22-foot Mowdy boat with motor and trailer.

Anglers also have a chance to win UTVs, other boats and Academy gift cards.

For kids and teens, college scholarships are available.

”If we don’t get the next generation involved and pass the torch effectively for marine conservation, we’re all going to be fishing dead water 20 years from now. It’s incumbent on us,” Kinney said. “This serves as a great incentive for mom and dad to get these kids out on the piers, on the dock or on the boat with them. All it takes is really one 20-inch redfish for a seven-year-old, and he’s hooked for life.”

This year’s leaderboard, rules and prizes are listed on STARTournament.org.

Anglers must be registered for the tournament and a CCA member before fishing to be eligible to win.