What’s New in the 2009 STAR Tournament
STAR Tournament Rules Reflect Conservation of Fishing Future
STAR is highly sensitive to the rules and regulations of Texas Parks and Wildlife as well as many other issues affecting our coastal fisheries. In accordance with that awareness, STAR wants you to be informed that in our Offshore Divisions and Speckled Trout Divisions (both adult and teen), there are minumum weights in the tournament rules. This year (2009) we have also instituted a new minimum length (18″) for flounder in both the Adult Inshore Founder division and in the STAR Kids and STAR Teens Flounder divisions. CCA Texas STAR encourages you to be aware of all applicable Texas Parks & Wildlife rules and regulations as well as STAR Tournament Rules. You must follow both to be eligible to win: It is our hope that you consider releasing any fish that don’t make the minimums. A tape on your rod can make a big difference. Thanks!
The minimum length for flounder will now be 18″ according to revised Rule 8. Fish eligible to be entered into the Tournament are tagged Redfish, Speckled Trout, Flounder, Sheepshead, Gafftop, King Mackerel, Dolphin (Dorado) and Ling (Cobia). Minimum entry lengths: Flounder must be a minimum of 18”. Minimum entry weights: Speckled Trout must meet an eight pound minimum for entry in the Lower, Middle, and Upper Coast, 30 pounds for King Mackerel, 20 pounds for Dolphin (Dorado), 50 pounds for Ling (Cobia) and Texas legal sizes for other fish. All winning fish (except tagged red drum) shall be determined by weight. In the event of a tie, the fish that was weighed in first shall be declared the winner. If weigh-in times are identical, the person who registered for the Tournament first shall be declared the winner.
Attention Trout Anglers - “Good Rule of Thumb”
After going back three years and researching ALL Trout (upper, middle and lower coasts) entered for STAR that weighed between eight and nine pounds for the Trout Division and six to seven pounds for the StarTeens Trout Division, we have come up with following average lengths: Trout Division - 29 7/8inches and StarTeens Trout Division - 27 5/8 inches.
According to Texas Parks & Wildlife’s experience, in the last ten years covering thousands of fish from year-round sampling efforts, a trout weighing an even eight pounds averaged 28 1/3 inches. By the same data, a trout weighing six pounds even averaged 25 7/8 inches long.
Since many folks have a tough time “eye-balling” or judging weight, we figure most have a length measurement on their rod. Those who are unsure about whether a trout they caught is large enough to qualify, consider this “easy rule-of-thumb.” 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, and a trout measuring under 25 inches probably won’t meet the six pound minimum weight requirement for the StarTeens Trout Division. Please seriously consider releasing fish below these minimums, as we want these “big girls” in the gene pool, “reseeding” our bays!
Additional Rule Changes
Other changes to be aware of are:
Rule 1. Only members in good standing of the Coastal Conservation Association Texas (CCA TX), the Coastal Conservation Association, or its youth organization, New Tide, and who are at least six (6) years old during 2009 or older, during the entrant’s participation in the Tournament and, who register for the Tournament are eligible and licensed to participate. A New Tide member must be at least 6 years old in 2009 in order to be eligible to enter the STAR tournament. The New Tide member must sign-up for the current year STAR tournament. Entry fee is “FREE”, but will not be automatically included with a New Tide membership unless indicated.
An additional change comes in the wording of rule 6:
FISHING METHOD: 6. All fish entered into competition for prizes must have been hooked and caught by the contestant on rod, hook, and line. Casting the bait and netting the fish by another person is permitted.
Important to Remember
New Tide Members Who Fish STAR
Kids ages 6 through 17 who are current members of CCA Texas are eligible to fish the STAR Tournament for free! Very Important information: There MUST be a declaration that the child wishes to enter into the STAR Tournament. It is not done automatically. If the child is not a current member, they can join CCA Texas for an annual membership fee of $10.00 and then declare that they wish to enter the 2009 STAR Tournament at no charge. To place the child in the proper STAR Scholarship Division, we must have the date of birth on every New Tide entry. At the end of the tournament there is a drawing for a $20,000 scholarship, generously funded by NRG Energy, for all New Tide Entrants who are not top winners. They can win this scholarship without even wetting a line!
New Tide Members Who are Seventeen
Teens who are 17 when they enter the tournament are eligible throughout, so if the New Tide Member is 17 when they enter and turns 18 during the tournament, they are still eligible to win in the New Tide Scholarship Division. However, please be aware that according to Texas Parks & Wildlife Rules you must have a fishing license for persons 17 and over and the license number is required on our Official STAR Weigh-In Form. Please don’t let a disqualification happen because of an age change during this transition window of the tournament!
Did You Know?
New Tide Members Who Catch a Tagged Redfish Are Winners
If a New Tide Member, who has entered STAR catches a tagged redfish, they are eligible to win in that division. New Tide Members, in the top five of the Redfish Division and who are under the age of 16, on the day of the awards ceremony, will win (in lieu of the truck) a College Scholarship, generously provided by the Texas Ford Dealers, plus the boat prize package!
The angler is ultimately responsible for making sure that his/her weigh-in form gets turned in to the STAR Tournament Office!
If you don’t see yours or your child’s name on the leaderboard and you think it should be there, check with the weigh-in station to make sure they have faxed or mailed in your Official STAR Tournament weigh-in form. You can also call (800-626-4222) or fax (281-953-6687) the STAR Tournament office, and make sure that your weigh-in form gets to the office. Always keep your copy!
