19th Annual State of Texas Angler’s Rodeo (STAR) Scheduled to Ride at Dawn, May 24, 2008 The 19th annual State of Texas Anglers Rodeo will begin at dawn, Saturday, May 24 and will run through Monday, Sept. 1 (Labor Day).  Anglers everywhere are anxious to get on the water in pursuit of over $1,000,000 in prizes in Texas’ largest, richest, summer-long saltwater fishing event.  The 2008 CCA Texas/STAR will have the usual outstanding prize line-up for anglers, plus our most generous sponsor offerings still continue to add more value to your CCA Texas Membership and STAR Entry.  Be sure to read carefully because you do not want to miss out on your chance to receive all of the fantastic membership benefits!

SIGN-UP EARLY AND RECEIVE A SPECIAL BONUS FROM ACADEMY SPORTS & OUTDOORS - One more great reason to sign up early!  If you enter between now and May 23rd Academy Sports & Outdoors will mail each "Early Bird" a $10 gift card.  This is a limited time offer, so do it before it’s too late!!!  Please be advised... $10 gift cards will be mailed out approximately the second or third week in June.     

Tilson Homes $1,000 in FREE Upgrades – Every CCA Texas member who purchases a Tilson Home is eligible for a value discount.  Tilson will give you $1,000 off on any upgrade such as ceramic tile, hardwood floors, kitchen cabinetry and more.  See ad in the CCA Texas CURRENTS newsletter for more details or call 1 (888) 540-6705.  

TEXAS FISH & GAME will again offer a “FREE” subscription!  If you enter the 2007 STAR, you qualify to receive a FREE, ONE -YEAR (12 issues) subscription to Texas Fish & Game Magazine. Please be advised your free subscription WILL NOT be sent automatically.  If you wish to take advantage of this offer you must declare on your application form.  If you have questions regarding your past or current subscription, please call (800) 725-1134 or email dhruzek@fishgame.com. 

2008 CCA Texas/STAR Early Bird Drawing Prize List
Deadline to enter is May 23

If the membership benefits aren’t enough for you then the “Early Bird” prizes are sure to get your attention!!!  Don’t forget… everyone who signs up now through May 23rd will automatically be entered into the special Early Bird Drawing.  A total of TWENTY-ONE prizes will be given away.

For those participants age 21 & older, your early-bird registration in the 2008 CCA Texas/STAR Fishing Tournament will automatically enter you for a chance to win the perfect cure for cabin fever.  Last year, through Miller’s retail promotion, one lucky participant won a Shoalwater 21' Cat valued at around $30,000.  Miller’s 2008 CCA Texas/STAR membership drive prize will again get you to your favorite fishing hole in style… see details below.  Spool up and get ready for a great season of fishing!  Don't miss “the boat”…  register today!  Everyone age 20 and under will be automatically entered for the 20 other prizes being offered. 

2008 PRIZE LINE-UP

This year’s contestants have a chance at winning more than 100 prizes including trucks, boats, motors, trailers and college scholarships in the following categories:

Texas Ford Dealers Redfish Division – Last year, the ever-popular Texas Ford Dealers Redfish Division saw a total of NINE tagged redfish caught, but unfortunately only THREE winners that drove off with a truck/boat combo! The Texas Ford Dealers will once again give each of the first five registered STAR participants who catch tagged redfish a brand new truck to call their own.  The first five registered anglers to weigh-in a tagged red will receive a 2008 Ford F-150 “Texas Edition” truck and NEW FOR THIS YEAR!!! with a 22-foot TRITON 22 LTS boat attached.  Each boat-truck package includes a Mercury 150 EFI outboard and a Mc Clain trailer. The next five weighed in will receive the same boat, motor and trailer combos.

REMINDER… For all you anglers looking to win in the Trout Division (8 lb. required minimum), consider this “easy rule-of-thumb”. Since many folks have a tough time “eye-balling” or judging weight, we figure most have a length measurement on their rod. If you catch a trout that measures under 27 inches chances are it won’t make the eight pound minimum weight requirement for the Trout Division. Unless you intend to mount your fish as a personal best, why not think about releasing anything that might not make the cut and give her a chance to "re-seed" the bays with those superior genes? Good Luck!

Offshore Division – Blue water anglers who land the heaviest kingfish, dorado and ling (cobia) will each win a Contender 21 Open Fish rigged with a Mercury 150 Optimax and McClain trailer - a set-up that can handle plenty of deep seas.

In the past twelve years, $3,185,000 in college scholarships has been awarded to fisher-kids across the state. And 2007 continues to offer plenty of reason for everyone to round up their kid(s), a rod and reel and head for the water. 

Columbia Sportswear StarKids Flounder Division – This division gives entrants age 6-10 a chance to win a $50,000 college scholarship for the largest flounder caught throughout the summer.

Fox Sports Southwest StarKids Gafftop Division – This division gives entrants age 6-10 a chance to win a $50,000 college scholarship for the largest gafftop caught throughout the summer.

Houston Community Newspapers StarKids Sheepshead Division – This division gives entrants age 6-10 a chance to win a $50,000 college scholarship for the largest sheepshead caught throughout the summer.

Academy Sports and Outdoors StarTeens Trout Division - This youth scholarship division is open to all New Tide members ages 11-17 and awards a college scholarship for each fisher-teen with the largest trout in the upper, middle and lower coasts. The minimum weight requirement for the trout is six pounds, and all fish weighing less than six pounds should be released back into the water.

Time Warner Cable StarTeens Inshore Division - This youth scholarship division is open to all New Tide members ages 11-17 and awards a college scholarship for each fisher-teen with the largest flounder, gafftop and sheepshead statewide.

But Wait, There’s More…

Runner-Up Prizes - The first through fourth runners-up in all divisions will receive various gift certificates from Academy Sports & Outdoors.

“New Tide” Member Drawing - The “New Tide” Scholarship Drawing will be offered again in 2008 thanks to the Texas Oilman’s Invitational Charity Fishing Tournament.  “NewTide”/STAR participants under the age of 18 are eligible for a bonus drawing that will net one lucky youth a college scholarship even if the participant never wets a line or enters a single fish during the entire tournament.

AGAIN FOR 2008…“YOUNG ANGLERS FISH FREE.  Thanks to generous funding from our youth-minded sponsors, our younger CCA Texas members will again have the opportunity to win giant scholarships to fund their college education for just the price of a $10 CCA Texas “New Tide” Membership. Young anglers under 18 can join the CCA youth group, New Tide, for $10, and their tournament entry fee is “FREE”. Current CCA members pay a $15 STAR registration fee, and non-members must first join CCA Texas by paying a $25 membership fee and then paying the additional $15 to enter the tournament.

Remember, everyone entered in the STAR Tournament is eligible to win all prizes being offered… even the TAGGED REDFISH DIVISION!!! The key to win is you must be a CURRENT member of CCA and registered for this year’s event. Get everyone signed up for the 2008 STAR. You can sign up online right NOW!!!

Same-day instant registration forms, plus complete rules and a list of weigh stations, will be available in mid-March at more than 100 locations statewide, including all participating Academy Sports & Outdoors stores.  Mail-in entry forms are available at participating Texas Ford dealerships and Napa Auto Parts locations throughout the duration of the tournament.

And don’t forget to patronize our sponsors – they truly care about our work.  Remember their names before you buy because they are the lifeblood of this enormous event.  Major sponsors for the 18th annual CCA Texas/STAR Tournament include:

Ford, Texas State Bank, Tilson Home Corporation, Texas Ford Dealers, Mercury Marine, Academy Sports & Outdoors, Columbia Sportswear, NAPA Auto Parts, Whataburger, Nestle Pure Life, Triton Boats, Shoalwater Boats, Contender Boats, Cobia Boats, Texas Fish & Game Magazine, Texas Oilman’s Charity Fishing Tournament, McClain Trailers, LMC Marine and Mt. Houston Marine.

For more information, including a list of weigh-in stations, instant-entry registration locations in your area, weekly leader board update, STAR merchandise available for purchase, go to http://www.ccatexas.org/.

About CCA Texas/STAR
The STAR Tournament is zero-budgeted and serves as a member-recruitment drive for CCA Texas, a non-profit organization of sport fishing enthusiasts and conservationists working to save the natural resources of Texas coastal waters. All proceeds of the STAR Tournament are reinvested back into the event, and the true winners are the people who continue to enjoy a healthy flourishing coastal resource.