My $70,000 Redfish

[Pferox]

This happened a couple of years ago, but wanted to share.......

CCA is an organization which does a lot of positive things in regards to fishing along the Gulf Coast, they are quite big along the Texas Coast.  As a matter of fact, the Academys around here sell merchandise with their label on them.  To me they seem a little higher than comparable gear, but I am pretty sure that is the amount per item going to the cause.

Every year from the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend to Labor day they have a state wide coastal tournament with various prizes, largest species of fish, a kids category, and others.

The big one is the redfish tournament which runs all summer long, if you are lucky enough to catch one of the first two tagged fish for the year, you win a Truck, Boat, Trailer, and other goodies, worth, at the time about $70,000.  The catch is that you have to be a member of CCA, buy into the Tournament, and take a lie detector test, which because money was tight I haven't been able to do.

So I take the Friday before Labor Day off and Robert and I hit the Galveston Fishing Pier.  The Reds were thick, as were the black drum, and every fishing indicator, report was telling us it was a go, we were stoked.

Man we were at a catch fest, bull drum, rats, slots, eater whiting, croaker, you name it, it was a very productive day for us.  We were catching, measuring and tossing into the cooler or back into the Gulf so fast that we didn't stop for pictures.  I had actually caught my first limit of reds in a long time so decided to take a few pictures when there were was a lull in the action.

There is a little Old Korean lady named Kim who fishes and practically lives on the pier, almost like the pier's mascot or something. She was quite interested in what we caught so she inspected every fish I held up to the phone for a picture.  Suddenly in her broken English she starts yelling and running up and down the pier something about me having a tag, drawing a crowd, heck even the shark people came down from the end of the pier to see what was going on.  I thought that I had something done something wrong, or was being bitten by something at first.  After she calmed down I figured out that I had caught the first tagged fish of the year.  Too bad it was a day early, and too bad I'm not vested into the whole thing yet.

I felt kind of guilty about it and tried to release it, but it had been in the cooler too long.  It was a legal keeper, but still somebody who invested in the Tourney should have a chance at it.  The pier got wind of the news, and had me come into the office to take a picture and post it on their Facebook site.  As you can well guess I became public enemy number one for a while without even typing a word.  I finally got a chance to plead my case, but was still hated by some members for quite long time.

I told Robert that since this was a once in a lifetime fish, I shouldn't bother with CCA membership or the Tournament, since I'll never catch another one.  But to be honest, it is a good cause and if I am ever able to afford it will participate in probably the only tournament I will ever fish.

Sunday we invited Robert over and had the most expensive redfish dinner any of us have ever enjoyed.  And for some reason that fish tasted extra good.

[Smallie_Stalker]

That is one expensive meal. Good thing you didn't have to leave a tip. 

[Donald Garner]

Jim,

Whets there to say    Thanks for sharing the pic with us. 

[CraigP83]

That's a great story, thanks for sharing

[Mike Cork]

Wow... What a shame.... Like me in tournaments - so close yet so far

[Bigwrench]

That was a Great Story ! Thanks for sharing the pictures and memory with us .