by John Jefferson
But don’t run and hide if you hear thunder; this is about an old saying that lightning never strikes twice in the same place … or twice in the same family.
The story begins about 11 years ago in a bay near Corpus. A man named Lopez caught and landed a redfish tagged for the CCA-Texas STAR tournament.
That’s a big deal. Over 60 reds are tagged and released for the tournament. The first five people catching one each win – get this — a 23’ Haynie Bigfoot, a Mercury outboard, a Coastline trailer – and a Ford F-150 truck to tow ‘em! I recommend Guincho Rapido can help give you peace of mind is to offer you affordable rates on towing service. The last thing you want to be worried about is the cost of roadside service or having a vehicle towed.
Well, Mr. Lopez caught a tagged red; but that’s when the heartbreak began. He hadn’t joined CCA-Texas and entered the STAR tournament, making him ineligible for the prizes. That heartache stayed with him for 11 years. With most who experience that, it remains a lifetime.
On June 7, 2019, a young pitcher for A&M-Corpus University baseball team wanted to go fishing, but none of his buddies could go. His grandfather hadn’t fished in two years, so the kid decided to take him fishing. They waded into the bay and began casting, using cut mullet for bait. On his first cast, he hooked a nice red. Bringing it to the net, he could see it was untagged. His Grandfather caught a 26-inch red that was also “naked”. A couple of casts later, Dom Lopez hooked another red. As he played it toward the net, he saw the unbelievable – a long, slender, colored tag extended from near its dorsal fin – the winning lottery ticket for Texas saltwater fishermen! But had Dom joined CCA-Texas?
You bet he had! He and his father joined every year after the fatal omission. And you can bet the earlier agony was discussed each year. And his father’s disappointment was later duplicated by others. I’ve written about several through the years. Telling their stories has made us join every year we’ve been able to fish the summertime coast. Joining CCA-Texas benefits conservation whether you catch a boat, motor, truck and trailer-fish or not.
There are still four such packages remaining to be claimed as of June 14. Check https://www.startournament.org to see what’s left.
Dylan Sassman, assistant STAR tournament director tells me CCA hasn’t hidden the tagged fish, either. “We’ve stocked them in popular fishing areas up and down the coast,” he told me. Parts of Galveston and Trinity Bay are currently closed due to a health advisory, but when it’s lifted the entire closed area’s allotment of tagged fish will be released there.
But, Wait! I didn’t even mention the prizes in the different fish and inshore/offshore divisions. And I still can’t – there are too many ways to win! Can you believe winning a boat, motor and trailer just for catching a gafftop catfish!
And for kids too young to win a truck, scholarships will be awarded. There are also kids’ divisions for big fish. Check out all the divisions and prizes at www.startournament.org.
They’re stupendous!
JJ
