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The CCA Louisiana Statewide Tournament and Angler’s Rodeo (STAR), presented by Chevron, begins its 29th year of competition on Saturday, May 27. It is one of the largest and richest saltwater fishing tournaments in the country, offering over $750,000 in prizes. The tournament spans the entire Louisiana coast and is open to all types of anglers. If you fish saltwater, STAR has something for you!
“STAR continues to grow and evolve to make it better each year,” said Rad Trascher, CCA’s Executive Vice President. “This year is no different, we have added new prizes for Kayak and Yellowfin Tuna, and most importantly we have hired a new STAR Tournament Director that will be 100% focused on the tournament. Sam Hopper has incredibly strong fishing ties to Hackberry and will take over the reins of STAR around the beginning of the tournament.”
Hopper, a native of Monroe, has been a Regional Director for CCA Louisiana for almost three years. He has been a STAR entrant since he was a little boy and brings a new prospective and passion to the tournament.
“This is truly a dream job for me,” Hopper said. “I can’t wait to get started and I am blessed to be able to take over this position with Rad still in the office to help along the way.”
After over a decade of service as the Director of Development and STAR Tournament Director, Trascher will assume the new role of Executive Vice President which will oversee STAR but also focus on bringing new sponsors to the organization. He will also focus his efforts on building more conservation projects.
As well as the changes at the helm, the CCA Louisiana STAR has made improved changes in prizes in the Kayak and Yellowfin divisions. The four winners of the Kayak Division will receive a soon to be revealed model kayak from new sponsor, Bonafide, valued at $2,300. CCA will unveil the product this summer when Bonafide reveals it to the world.
The Yellowfin Division returns for the second year also with a new prize. The angler with the heaviest Yellowfin Tuna will win a brand new fully rigged golf cart from Interstate Batteries of Acadiana.
STAR’s signature division, Tagged Redfish, will once again tag 100 redfish with red tags along the coast. The first STAR entrant to catch a tagged redfish wins a new Chevy Silverado sponsored by the Super Chevy Dealers of Acadiana, Baton Rouge and New Orleans. The second registered angler to catch a tagged redfish wins an RV, courtesy of Bent’s RV. The third angler wins a wrapped 195 XTS NauticStar bay boat and Mercury Outboard courtesy of Michelob Ultra. If this prize isn’t claimed by an angler, Michelob Ultra is going to give it away to one of our lucky participants by random drawing.
With many other boat packages up for grabs in the “red” tagged redfish division, the blue tagged redfish will be in the waters as well. Anyone who catches one with a blue tag will get a year’s worth of beer from Michelob Ultra.
Probably the most competitive division in the over 25 divisions of STAR is the Speckled Trout Division, sponsored by NauticStar and Mercury. STAR anglers have a chance to win four beautiful boat packages, one in four zones: east, southeast, southwest and west. Second and third place finishers in each zone take home $5,000 and $2,500 tackle packages.
Don’t forget about the Hancock Whitney Offshore Divisions. In addition to the Yellowfin Tuna Division, the angler with the heaviest Mangrove Snapper (sponsored by Otto Candies LLC), Lemonfish (sponsored by K2 Coolers), and Red Snapper (sponsored by Hancock Whitney Bank) will each win a $5,000 tackle package.
Still the easiest way to win is to enter your kids and grandkids into the Youth Division sponsored by Academy Sports + Outdoors. Kids, 17 and under, fish the tournament for free with their current CCA membership. They can register a speckled trout or Sheepshead, at participating weigh stations or e-mail a picture to CCA, to be entered into a drawing for one of four 14’ boat, motor and trailer packages donated by Redmond Marine and Mercury Outboards. They are also eligible for all the adult divisions as well.
You must be a CCA member to participate in STAR and the entry fee is only $35. To register as well as see a complete list of divisions, weigh stations, sponsors and rules, visit CCASTAR.com.
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