The Coastal Conservation Association Florida is putting on a heck of a fishing tournament in 2015. With nearly $500,000 in prizes lined up, the inaugural CCA Florida State-wide Tournament and Anglers Rodeo (STAR) will kick-off at sunrise on Saturday, May 23 (Memorial Day weekend) and end at 5 p.m. on Sept. 7 (Labor Day).
The STAR attraction in this 108-day event will be 80 specially tagged redfish to be released along the west coast of Florida several days prior to the tournament. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and CCA Florida officials will release tagged redfish over hundreds of miles of Florida’s gulf coast and bays, from Pensacola to the Everglades National Park. This Signature Division competition will award a new 2015 pickup truck to the first tagged redfish entered. The next five winners will each claim a boat, motor and trailer package.
In addition to the tagged redfish division, STAR will feature Open, Ladies, Youth, Fly, Kayak and Professional Guides divisions, with the eligible species being spotted seatrout, snook, cobia and sheepshead. Tournament participants who win first place in the Open division species categories will each take home a boat, motor and trailer package or an all-terrain vehicle. Winners of each category or division except for the tagged redfish will be determined by a drawing from all confirmed entries.
Another featured division is the Conservation Division. This division is designed to reward anglers who provide the most catch data on all fish caught and released, no matter what species or size, while fishing in the STAR tournament. The non-tournament species data combined with the tournament species catch data will be extremely instrumental in science-based fisheries management.
In hopes of luring more youth to the sport of fishing, STAR offers a Scholarship Division with prizes valued at $100,000. The Youth Scholarship Division will provide two winners a $25,000 college scholarship each and an additional 10 winners a college scholarship of $5,000 each. STAR participants, ages 6 through 18, who enter a spotted seatrout, snook, cobia, sheepshead, ladyfish or jack crevalle in the Scholarship Division will be eligible for the drawing of the winners in that division.
CCA Florida anticipates that STAR will be Florida’s largest saltwater fishing tournament. More than 4,500 anglers are expected to participate, and each will have an opportunity to win. STAR Florida is a catch-and-photo tournament designed to educate the general public about the importance of conservation of Florida’s marine resources. By promoting participation in STAR, CCA Florida will aid in the collection of scientific data while providing anglers the opportunity to participate in a family friendly angling competition.
To be eligible to win, a registered participant who is a CCA current member need only enter a photo of their species category or division catch via STAR’s smartphone app or upload to website. For more information and to find out how to enter Florida’s largest saltwater tournament, see http://www.ccaflstar.com/.