You may be wondering how our release program compares to others. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has a 3 percent annual recapture rate on their tagged fish, meaning only 3 out of 100 fish will be caught in a year’s time. But they are not trying to get them caught right now. In short, we want these CCA STAR tags to be caught within 100 days. The CCA Texas STAR tournament supports a much higher recapture rate of 15 to 20 percent quarterly. Last year, a total of 37 tagged fish were caught. We do everything we can to achieve our goal of having these tagged redfish caught!
So far this year, high winds have been a big enemy for anglers to get out there but the next half of STAR could be “lights out” if the wind finally lays down. Now that you have a better idea of how many are out there and generally where they are released, here’s my personal advice on how to go about catching them.
I encourage you to put yourself into the mind of these redfish. For example, ask yourself these types of questions: What do they like? What kind of structure holds these fish? Is there bait nearby? Am I throwing what they like? Is my spot blown-out from the wind and, if so, where else might I fish today? All these factors play a huge role in targeting redfish.
When I am fishing, my eyes are constantly scanning the water for any little detail or advantage I can gain. Keep your head on a swivel. Whether it is a mullet jumping or birds on the water, nature provides a lot of clues to locate redfish. I find I have the most success when I lay out a game plan for myself and stick to it.
Ryan Towns, Assistant Director-CCA Texas STAR Tournament
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