Story from CCA STAR
It’s finally official! The 2020 CCA Texas STAR Tournament officially has confirmed two Texas Ford Dealers Tagged Redfish Division winners.
The first winner is Jake Bozeman of Katy, Texas. Jake is a 19-year-old student at Texas A&M Corpus Christi who was taking advantage of the break in classes and spending some time on the water in Corpus Christi when he hooked the fish of a lifetime the evening of June 2. Jake will be taking home a brand new Ford F-150 4×4, 23’ Haynie Bigfoot boat, Mercury motor, and Coastline trailer package valued at nearly $100,000.
After having five tagged redfish caught by unregistered anglers, Jake opened up the flood gates. The next morning after his catch, the Monroe family, from Cypress, Texas was headed for their very first family fishing trip on the bay. Marilyn Monroe, 8, and her brother, 5, were having a great start to the morning catching their first big fish, mom and dad beaming with joy.
After catching a few fish with a little assistance, the guide and Marilyn both told dad that she could handle the next one all by herself. Her guide Sammy Guerrero casted out her line and handed her the rod to go rig up another one. When he turned back around, the soon-to-be third grader was in a battle with another redfish.
After a tense moment with the fish running underneath the boat, Sammy was able to net the fish. When the fish hit the net he saw it, a slime covered tag sticking out of the fish’s back, the thing thousands of Texas anglers dream about. Dad and Sammy waited anxiously as they scraped the slime away from the tag to confirm their suspicion, lucky for Marilyn it was indeed a 2020 tag! Marilyn officially became the second tagged redfish winner on June 9. Since she is under driving age, Texas Ford Dealers will be awarding her a $25,000 scholarship in lieu of the truck. Her family will also receive a 23’ Haynie Bigfoot, Mercury motor and Coastline trailer package in her behalf.
The very next day, a young man was fishing near Baffin Bay on a friend’s bachelor trip party. The group was fishing a shoreline near Baffin Bay trying to add some redfish to their box of trout, while just relaxing.
“We caught a slot red in the first spot, moved after it got slow and worked down the shoreline and after not catching anything in the next spot we were about to pack up and head in when my line started thumping and I reeled in this fighter. Didn’t know what kind of trophy he would turn out to be!”
Once he completes his polygraph in a few days he will be the third confirmed winner and take home a new Ford F-150 4×4, 23’ Haynie Bigfoot boat, Mercury motor, and Coastline trailer package.
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.
Offshore anglers who land the heaviest kingfish, dorado and ling in the Offshore Division will each a Polaris Ranger Crew 570 EPS UVs in Polaris Pursuit Camo with a Big Tex Trailer from Hoffpauir Polaris.
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.
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. Participants ages 6-17 years old in 2020, 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!
For more information, including a list of weigh-in stations, instant-entry registration locations in your area and weekly leader board updates, go to www.startournament.org.
