CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The CCA Texas State of Texas Angler's Rodeo Tournament kicked off May 25 and already one lucky fisherman has reeled in the catch of a lifetime.
The STAR Tournament spans the entire Texas Gulf Coast, bringing anglers out to the water in search of a prize catch -- a tagged redfish can win you thousands of dollars in scholarships or even a boat and truck combo.
For fisherman Dominik Lopez, 19, that prize catch came last Friday.
Lopez and his family have been members of the CCA since he was a child. He said when he was eight years old his father caught a tagged redfish but was not a member, so he could not collect on the truck and boat package that comes with the catch. Ever since then they have been members of CCA and have participated in the STAR Tournament in hopes of winning the boat.
This past Friday Lopez decided to take his grandfather out for some wade fishing. After just a couple of casts, Lopez spotted something he had been hoping to see for years -- the fish at the end of his line was tagged.
Lopez walked over to grandpa and told him it was time to go.
"He said, 'Why, we just got here?'" Lopez said, "and I showed him the fish. He shouted and gave me a big hug."
When an angler catches a tagged redfish in the STAR Tournament, they must complete a lie detector test to verify the catch. Lopez passed his test Tuesday morning, making him the proud winner of the boat and truck combo that he and his father had been hoping for all these years.
"It was an accomplishment of a lifetime," Lopez said. "My father and I have talked about it for years, and I finally did it."
For more information on the STAR Tournament, click here.
