tagged redfish
Facebook: CCA Texas STAR Tournament

Texas Teen Catches Tagged Fish, Wins New Truck, Boat

This 19-year-old truly caught the fish of a lifetime.

Dom Lopez, 19, struck gold when he caught the first tagged redfish of the 2019 STAR Tournament last week. Not only did he win the tournament, but he also went home with a new Ford truck a new fishing boat.

The Coastal Conservation Association of Texas, which hosts the contest every year, posted a photo of the Lopez and his tournament-winning catch, as well as the story of how he caught it.

Ironically, his father had actually caught a tagged redfish a few years ago, but wasn't eligible for the prizes because he wasn't a CCA member.

"It was an accomplishment of a lifetime my father and I have talked about for years and finally I did it," Lopez told CCA.

Lopez, a baseball player at Texas A&M Corpus Christi, was wading with his grandpa went he and the fish connected.

"As I'm fighting the redfish I see the tag, and when I saw that tag my whole body just went numb and I slowly netted the fish," Lopez says.

"We have to go home," he told his grandfather, who was confused until Lopez showed him the tagged fish, which led to a wave of yelling and hugging.

Once they submitted the fish, Lopez was required to pass a lie detector test to prove the authenticity of his catch, which he passed with flying colors.

Though the competition runs from May 25 all the way through Sept. 2, Lopez went home with his Ford F-150 and his 23-foot Haynie Bigfoot boat (equipped with a Mercury outboard and a trailer) in only June.

So, what is the Texas angler going to do for the rest of the year?

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