Texas boy sets hook on a tagged red
 

Thirteen-year-old Brian Martin of League City, Texas, landed the first tagged redfish of the 2011 CCA Louisiana/Mercury Outboards STAR Tournament, a fish that could have won him a Chevy Silverado pickup truck worth more than $30,000.
Unfortunately for Martin – who was fishing in Calcasieu Lake with his father, Chris Martin, and grandfather, Neal Watkins – the anglers had not registered for the 101-day mega-tournament.

Martin landed the coveted CCA-tagged redfish, one of 50 released off the Louisiana coast, Tuesday morning.

The family fished Big Lake with Captain Mark Huse of Hackberry Charters on June 13 and 14. They were not far from the old jetties working a bank with live shrimp and a popping cork when Martin landed the redfish.

The STAR Tournament lasts from Memorial Day until Labor Day and is one of the longest saltwater fishing tournaments in the country. Started in 1995 as a CCA membership generator, STAR is in its 17th year offering over $500,000 in prizes.
Martin’s grandfather, Neal Watkins, has been a CCA Texas Star member since its creation but never thought about joining Louisiana's event.

“I’m sure they enjoyed a wonderful family day of fishing, but it could have been an even more memorable day had they registered for STAR,” Tournament Director Rad Trascher said. “There are still plenty of tagged redfish to be caught and plenty of time to catch them. We encourage all anglers to register now so they are eligible for one of the many amazing prizes we are giving away.”

In addition to the Chevy Silverado, STAR participants who catch tagged redfish can win a Harley Davidson motorcycle and one of eight 2110 Sport Nautic Star boats with 150hp Mercury Outboards.

Simply by dialing 1-877-4CCASTAR (1-877-422-2782), anyone can enter STAR, anytime from anywhere – whether it happens on the way down to the coast, on the dock or days in advance of a fishing trip. Operators are standing by now to take STAR entries. But all must enter before fishing.

You heard it here first on the Cajun, see link below....

wonder if there are any numbnuts out there who have no clue about the tag and just clean da feesh without question

WOW that sucks

fish barely looks 16 inches...

that sucks though man.. there goes my truck ;(

CCA loves to tag 16-17" reds for STAR

Truck still in play.....nobody registered turned one in yet. But your % went way down as there is now one less tagged red out there.

That thing looks tiny, I wonder if they varied the sizes of the fish they tagged. If not, I'm going to be looking for the rat reds next time I go.

I heard they tag that size for the chance of survival and not breaking a line on a bigger fish.

Just irks the hell outta me that folks that don't enter will kill a tagged red instead of putting it back in play.


The mention of the truck brings up a question. Let's say I am the first to weigh a tagged red and I don't want the truck. Would I be able to choose a boat and leave the truck in play for the next tagged red?

good question.... i would like the harley. always wanted one.

give me the boat to heck with the truck or hd..

The guy last year sold the truck back to the dealership and just took the money.

Its a slap in the face that they even report it and take pictures and all that, when they know they wont get nothing. A few years back they had like 7 caught, not one registered for star.

hunting reds in the am (yak) sooooo we will see.

Man that's a shame that guide should've had them release the thing if no body was registered

x2

They tag the smaller fish because they don't travel far from where they are tagged, differently don't leave the estuary.