Where Texas Hunting and Fishing Competitions Come to Life
The 2026 CCA Texas STAR Tournament is already deep enough into the calendar for anglers to feel the summer rhythm, but not far enough along for the biggest storylines to be settled. ABC13 reported on July 4, 2026, that the tournament was five weeks in and still had plenty of major prizes available. That timing is exactly why STAR works so well on the Texas coast. It is not a … Read the rest
Southeast Texas high school fishing is becoming a serious development pathway for young anglers, not just a weekend activity with rods and boat ramps. The Southeast Texas High School Fishing Association has announced its 2026-27 season schedule after finishing the 2025-26 campaign in May, with seven total events beginning November 21 at Toledo Bend and ending with a two-day championship May 1-2 at Sam Rayburn. For Texas Sportsmen readers, the … Read the rest
The Sargent Trout And Redfish Tournament works because it is built around the way Texas coastal fishing actually happens: early launches, familiar bay water, local sponsors, amateur anglers, weigh-in pressure, and a community gathering point at the end of the day. The Sargent Area Chamber of Commerce lists the 17th annual S.T.A.R.T. Fishing Tournament for Saturday, June 13, 2026, on the Matagorda Bay complex, with tournament hours from 6:00 a.m. … Read the rest
Texas anglers are used to thinking about catch-and-release as an ethic. The Gulf-wide disCARD study asks them to think about it as data, too. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is partnering with Mississippi State University and the other Gulf state agencies on a new reef fish discard project that relies on anglers filling out hybrid catch cards and submitting trip information after offshore fishing. For Texas saltwater anglers, the … Read the rest
Texas’ 2026 federal red snapper season opened earlier than many coastal anglers expected. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department announced that the private recreational angler season in federal waters would open May 22 instead of the typical June 1 start, giving offshore crews a longer runway that includes Memorial Day weekend. For Texas coastal anglers, that date change affects more than the first legal snapper run. It changes how families … Read the rest
The 2026 CCA Texas STAR Tournament is not built like a normal fishing weekend. Running from May 23 through September 7, the event stretches across more than 100 days and the entire Texas coastline, which turns it into a summer-long test of preparation, patience, travel planning, and coastal knowledge. For Texas anglers, that scale matters as much as the prize list. It changes how families plan trips, how teams decide … Read the rest
The 2026 CCA Texas STAR Tournament has always been more than a summer fishing contest. It is part coastal tradition, part conservation campaign, part family event, and part redfish treasure hunt stretching across the entire Texas shoreline.
But this year, one rule change carries more weight than it might seem at first glance.
For the 2026 tournament, tagged redfish divisions now emphasize a clear process: catch the fish, clip the … Read the rest
Memorial Day weekend has long stood as the symbolic gateway to the Texas summer boating season. Across the state, thousands of anglers clean out their livewells, hitch up their trailers, and head down to the coast to chase schooling redfish through the backlakes and shallow flats. Yet, as the 2026 holiday weekend arrives, the atmosphere at Texas boat ramps is defined by an escalating sense of biosecurity urgency. The Texas … Read the rest
For generations, the narrative surrounding oyster reef restoration along the Texas Gulf Coast was confined to the realm of ecology. Environmental groups talked about water filtration, marine biologists monitored larval settlement, and state agencies focused on resource longevity. While those conservation tenets remain undeniably crucial, a profound shift has occurred on the water. In 2026, oyster reef restoration has officially broken out of its ecological silo to become one of … Read the rest
The structural integrity of the Texas coast is undergoing a quiet, well-funded transformation that has very little to do with legislative gridlock and everything to do with private capital. For decades, standard fisheries management focused on bag limits, length restrictions, and seasonal closures to keep redfish populations healthy. While those regulatory levers remain vital, the conversation on the water has shifted toward a more foundational reality: you cannot have a … Read the rest