CCA STAR Tournament

[silverking]

For Immediate Release
Florida’s Gulf Coast — How do you turn a redfish into a brand new boat? Catch a CCA Florida STAR tagged redfish and you could win a brand new boat, motor, trailer package! That’s the premise behind the inaugural Coastal Conservation Association Florida State-wide Tournament and Anglers Rodeo (STAR). STAR anglers will compete for a total of nearly $500,000 in prizes and college scholarships during the summer long tournament which runs from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day. Entry fees are just $30 for current CCA members and $60 for non-members, which includes a one year CCA membership. Have an angler age 6 to 17 that would enjoy participating? CCA New Tide members fish the STAR for free for a chance to win a share of up to $100,000 in college scholarships.

STAR Florida is a 108 day long tournament designed to encourage anglers to get out and enjoy more time on the water and to educate the general public about the importance of conservation of Florida’s marine resources. The format encourages anglers of all ages to protect and conserve Florida’s fishery resources for future viability and availability for all recreational anglers. By promoting participation in STAR, CCA Florida will aid in the collection of significant scientific data while providing anglers of all skill levels with the opportunity to participate in a family-friendly angling competition. All STAR participants should develop a heightened appreciation for the challenges facing Florida’s fishery resources and should thereby develop a newfound awareness of the efforts needed to preserve them.

The signature division, STAR tagged redfish, will have Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and CCA Florida officials releasing up to 80 STAR tagged redfish along the west coast of Florida several days prior to the start of the tournament. These specially tagged redfish will be released throughout hundreds of miles of Florida’s gulf coast and bays, from Pensacola to the Everglades National Park.

Terrific prizes can be claimed by STAR participants who catch and bring in the first 6 STAR tagged redfish. The first six tagged redfish winners will claim a brand new boat, motor and trailer package including a Contender 22 Sport, a Pathfinder 2200 TRS and a Hell’s Bay Waterman. All boat packages come complete with Yamaha motors and custom trailers. Donors like Costa Del Mar, Power Pole, Wells Fargo Bank, Papa’s Pilar, Florida Sportsman Magazine, Shimano, Raymarine, Finlandia and LIVETARGET have also made significant donations that will go to support scholarships and other prize categories.

In addition to the tagged redfish division, STAR will also feature Catch & Photo contests in the Open, Ladies, Fly and Kayak divisions with the eligible species being spotted seatrout, snook, cobia and sheepshead. All categories except the Tagged redfish division are catch and photo, allowing all STAR anglers to release fish to be caught again another day. STAR will utilize a state of the art smartphone app and website to allow anglers to submit their catch.

In hopes of luring more young anglers 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 ten winners a college scholarship of $5,000 each.  STAR will offer FREE entry to participants ages 6 to 17 who are current New Tide members. STAR participants, ages 6 thru 17, 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.

Another featured division, unique to Florida STAR, 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. To date there has been little or no catch data provided by recreational anglers or tournament participants to the fisheries management community. The non-tournament species data combined with the tournament species catch data will be extremely instrumental in science-based fisheries management. Therefore the quantity and quality of the catch data provided via the STAR Smart phone application and website will be a benchmark initiative.

STAR will also have a Professional Guides division which offers licensed charter captains the ability to win prizes based on the number of clients they register for the tournament.

Every angler skilled enough to catch a fish has the chance to be a winner. Winners of STAR will not be determined by the length or weight of their catch. To be eligible to win, participating members need only enter a photo of their qualifying catch through STAR’s smartphone app or website.

STAR is not a new concept for CCA. CCA Texas STAR is in its 25th year and in 2013 had over 45,000 angler participants making it the largest saltwater tournament in the country. CCA Louisiana STAR is in its 20th year with over 11,000 angler participants, making STAR the largest saltwater tournament in their state. In 2013, CCA Texas STAR had eleven tagged redfish caught but only six anglers claimed prizes. The others, unfortunately, were not registered for the tournament and therefore could not claim a prize. This year in STAR Louisiana, the first two tagged redfish caught were by anglers who were CCA members but were not registered for STAR and therefore could not claim a prize.

STAR is a not-for-profit entity. There is an entry fee of $30 for CCA members; non-members are $60, which includes membership. Youth 6 to 17 enter FREE, if they are a New Tide member of CCA. New Tide membership is $10.00. Registration for STAR is easy. Visit www.CCAFLSTAR.com to enter.

The first year of STAR will be limited to the West coast of Florida, although anglers throughout Florida are eligible to participate. A stated goal of STAR in future years is to expand to all Florida state waters, including the east coast and the Florida Keys. In doing so, the tournament will eventually include other species in its format (pelagics, for example). Your help is needed to promote and sponsor this CCA initiative. The major focus of STAR is to educate recreational anglers and the general public about the importance of conservation of Florida’s marine resources.

For further information or sponsorship opportunities of the State-wide Tournament and Anglers Rodeo (STAR) please contact: Leiza Fitzgerald, Tournament Director, 352-665-4860, Lfitzgerald@CCAFlorida.org or go to www.CCAFLSTAR.com .

Coastal Conservation Association Florida
Dedicated to Conserving and Protecting Florida’s Marine Resources

[silverking]

Had the press conference today at the Capitol for the CCA STAR Tournament. It's going to be a very exciting event.

Y'all know you'll be fishing anyway, so why not sign up? $30 entry for current CCA members, $60 for non-members, which includes a year membership (along with TIDE magazine and SeaWatch newsletter bi-monthly).

Eighty redfish will be tagged and released and the first six recaptures win a boat, motor and trailer package. Other categories include prizes up to six places and $100,000 in educational scholarships.

Several other Catch, Photo and Release categories, including trout and other species and lots of opportunities for the kids to win.

Tournament runs from Memorial Day Weekend until Labor Day Weekend. Fish when and where you like.

http://www.CCAFLSTAR.com

[silverking]

Only 10 days left until the kick-off of the CCA STAR Tournament. You have to register to win.

Running 108 days--from Memorial Day Weekend until Labor Day--this is the chance to fish for $500,000 in prizes. A total of 80 tagged redfish are being released from Pensacola to the Everglades National Park on the Gulf Coast and the first six recaptured will win a boat, motor and trailer package from Contender, Hells Bay or Pathfinder. Junior anglers (6-17) fish for free for a chance at a college scholarship.

But you have to be registered to win. $30 for entry fee for current CCA members or $60 for non-members, which includes a one-year membership and subscriptions to TIDE magazine and SeaWatch newsletter.

http://www.ccaflstar.com

[FishWithChris]

so what is the actual device? I have not seen it defined, whether descriptive or visually... though I may of missed it completed.

All tournament participants must use the official STAR measuring device when submitting any entry.

[zload]

Wondered about that as well I'm assuming that only applies to the tagged redfish which have to go to an official "location" to be certified if I understood it correctly. The rules and CCA web page are a little less than clear on a number of things for first time participants... maybe a little clearer once the app comes out.

I took the plunge on the assumption that not paying would guarantee I would catch one of the redfish and paying up would guarantee that I wouldn't Not sure my logic is good but its only $30 and supports fishing so why not.

I even tried to add my wife as an associate member for $15 still have not gotten that figured out since it keeps putting my name in the form and telling me I'm already signed up for the Star tournament.

[silverking]

I've got some questions as well guys and will find out after I talk to the tournament director.

Will post up answers asap.

[flatsbroke22]

I had a few questions too and talked to someone on Instagram about it and he was very helpful. The measuring device can only be picked up a certain "verification locations" and the nearest one's around here is SEA HAG MARINA AT KEATON BEACH, JACK’S BOATS AND TRAILERS, INC.,SEA HAG MARINA, and BLUE WATER OUTRIGGERS. These locations are where you have to take a tagged redfish if caught within 24 hrs.

[zload]

They have a Facebook page and this was updated there on 5/11/15:

CCA Florida STAR Tournament All entries must be photographed on the offical STAR measuring device. The measuring devices can be picked up at your nearest verification location after May 15th. See STAR website http://www.ccaflstar.com for complete list of locations.

[silverking]

Just talked to Leiza Fitzgerald, the STAR Tournament Director and she assured me that before fishing starts there would be locations in the Tallahassee/St. Marks area where anglers can pick the verification devices and turn in tagged fish. She is hard at work on that now. As soon as sites are confirmed, I'll post it up here.

The web site registration is the first of its kind (TX and LA STAR entrants register in person at tackle shops/marinas) and it is a little cumbersome. I had to hunt around myself to navigate the pages and register. Glitches are being cataloged so they can be fixed for next year. In the meantime, be patient and it'll go through eventually. Or if you'd like to talk to a real person about a problem, like signing your wife up as an associate member Z-Load, give Mariam a call at the CCA Florida state office: 407-854-7002, Ext. 1

She can help with member numbers, re-setting passwords, etc. And if you're a CCA member in another state like Georgia or Alabama, you can still fish the FL STAR for the $30 entry fee.

Hope this clears up the confusion.

Tight lines and I hope someone around here catches a tagged red, including yours truly.

[zload]

Just got an email that the STAR app is ready to be downloaded.

[flatsbroke22]

Thanks, that was one of my questions. Downloaded. Although it doesn't work!

[rockyg]

I would give them a day or so to work the bugs out of the app. I tried just now and it locked up on me.

[silverking]

Just found out that Cape Harbor Outfitters is an official verification site.

Cape Harbor Outfitters
1690 Raymond Diehl Rd.
Tallahassee, FL 32308
(850) 629-9933
'Like' us on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/CapeHarborTally



App is working now, too, from what I've been told. Haven't had a chance to download it yet.

[flatsbroke22]

Yes it's working now.

[flatsbroke22]

Maybe you(director) can explain this more clearly to me:
"All entries must be electronically submitted using the required tournament protocols, either by a direct upload using STAR’s official smart phone application or by using the tournament’s website, within 24 hours of each catch. Each entry must include a digital photograph of the fish on the official tournament measuring device. The entire fish must be clearly seen with its nose on the zero line, providing visibility of total length. Electronic submission of all tournament entries must also include the tournament division, species, length, time, date, name of angler, and Guide/Captain (if applicable). Each entry can be submitted in only one tournament division or category".

In the open division i guess this means you can only enter one fish per category ie. trout, sheepshead, cobia ect. for the entire tourney. So the first one I catch of each I can enter it since size of fish doesn't matter, the winner will be drawn out of a hat.