ONLY ONE grand prize is left in the 2018 CCA Texas STAR Fishing Tournament after Daniel Mullenix of Lake Jackson reeled in one of the 57 remaining tagged redfish. Mullenix had his catch confirmed at Roy’s Bait and Tackle in Corpus Christi and then passed a polygraph, putting him in position to be front and center at the awards ceremony in October.
Mullenix’s catch makes him the winner of a 2018 F150 Ford Texas Edition XLT Super Cab connected to a Haynie 23 Bigfoot with a Mercury 150 L Pro XS Optimax and Coastline Trailer.
Houstonian Michael Varnado was the third confirmed winner, having made his catch and having it officially confirmed at Marburger’s Sporting Goods in Seabrook.
Larry Holman of Highlands was the first to catch a tagged redfish, doing so on May 26. Holman was followed by Sam Lack of Bellaire, who reeled in his tagged redfish on May 28. However, Lack was underage and ineligible to receive a grand prize but will receive a $25,000 scholarship.
Once the final tagged redfish is caught and confirmed, the next five winners will receive a Haynie 23 Bigfoot with a Mercury 150 L Pro XS Optimax and Coastline Trailer.
Two local youths are in front of the pack in the Starteens Scholarship Trout Division. Buck Warren of Galveston leads the Upper Coast with a 6-pound, 12-oz. speckled trout and is followed by Santa Fe’s Payton Bailey, who caught a 6-pound, 6-oz. speckled trout. Both had their catches confirmed at GYB Bait and Tackle in Galveston.
Jarrod Recknor of Santa Fe is the fourth runner up in the Starteens Scholarship Inshore Division, as he caught a 3-pound, 3-oz. flounder that was officially weighed in at Surfside Marina in Surfside Beach.
The annual tournament is still ongoing and will conclude on Labor Day.
