CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Preparations for the State of Texas Angler’s Rodeo (STAR) Tournament are finishing up Friday as the popular event kicks off Saturday at 6 a.m.!
Tagged redfish are being released Friday morning for the tournament that spans the entire Texas coast.
"It's all about getting people out on the water, and educating them about our resource, and really helping them appreciate our resource with a chance to win some great prizes along the way," Cody Roesener, President of the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA), Corpus Christi Chapter, said.
More than $1 million in prizes is up for grabs, including five 2023 Ford F150 “Texas Edition” XLT Super Cab trucks connected to a Haynie 23 Bigfoot boat with a Mercury 150 L Pro XS Optimax and Coastline Trailer.
To win the top prize, an angler must be one of the first five to catch, tag, clip, and release a red-tagged redfish. The tag then must be turned in at an official CCA Texas STAR Weigh Station, and all winners are subject to certification. If the angler is under the age of 16 on awards ceremony day, they will instead receive a $25,000 scholarship.
Fish that are eligible for prizes are tagged red and blue. Check out the list of prizes for all winners on the CCA website.
Anglers must be a member of the CCA to win prizes. The tournament runs until Labor Day.
Last year, Marco Rocha of Austin was the first certified winner of the 2022 Texas Ford Dealer's RED-Tagged Redfish Division. Rocha caught the tagged fish near the Lydia Ann Lighthouse in Aransas Pass on Saturday, June 4.