2023 CCA Texas STAR Tournament WINNER SPOTLIGHT: Dustin Durbin – Red Tag

Dustin Durbin was the FIFTH CERTIFIED WINNER of the 2023 Texas Ford Dealer’s Red Tag Redfish Division. He drove off with a 2023 Ford F150 XLT Super Cab connected to a Haynie 23’ Bigfoot with a Mercury 150 L Pro XS Optimax and Coastline Trailer.

Angler Report
Tag Color: Red
Surfside Marina
Tag #1524
Date: Tuesday, July 18
Caught: Bastrop Bay

Here’s his STAR Story:

I set out at 5:30 am and arrived at Bastrop Marina, where I noticed a low tide, west wind, and murky water. Normally, these conditions would not bode well for my brother Donald and me. Despite this, we launched the boat and discussed our options for the day. We decided to head towards Bastrop, focusing on redfish while waiting for the tide to come in and the sun to rise. At approximately 6 AM, we anchored our boat and began wading. While crossing a reef that is usually submerged, I had a feeling to fish in a pocket of water next to the reef. With the wind pushing the water into the pocket, it looked like the perfect spot to catch a redfish. After only 20 casts, I was hooked. When I netted the fish, it jumped out, revealing a string of algae. I thought, “This couldn’t be a tagged redfish, could it?” After confirming the tag, I excitedly shouted to my brother, who initially thought I was joking. However, he soon realized the truth and shared in my amazement. What started as a less-than ideal day became a dream come true, especially since we were fishing in an area where we often fished with Geeb Leman. We felt that Geeb was watching over us that morning.

Congratulations, Dustin!