Most divisions still ‘wide open,’ tournament director says
The CCA Louisiana Statewide Tournament and Angler’s Rodeo wraps up on Labor Day, and it looks like it will be a fight to the finish across most divisions.
Tournament Director Rad Trascher said with the exception of the Red Snapper Division, which is closed, everything else is pretty much still up for grabs with about 30 days to go.
“It’s wide open. You’ve got 44 redfish still swimming,” Trascher said. “The trout across the board are certainly some very big fish, but still beatable. I don’t think anything is locked up yet.”
Fifty tagged redfish were released in coastal waters before the tournament started on May 25. Up to six more tagged redfish can be caught before Labor Day, with each of those registered anglers receiving a 2110 Nautic Star with a 150-horsepower Mercury motor.
Plus, each angler catching the heaviest speckled trout in the four coastal divisions (East, Southeast, Southwest and West) will win an 1810 RG Nautic Star with a 90-horsepower Mercury motor.
“Everyone is anticipating Venice and Lake Ponchartrain to turn on,” Trascher said. “I never would have guessed the East doesn’t have a fish over seven pounds right now.”
The offshore division, featuring Mangrove Snapper, Cobia and Dorado, are also still very competitive. The 2013 winner in each of these categories will receive a $5,000 offshore tackle package.
An especially good opportunity to win big exists in the Trout/Flounder Youth Division, where each entrant who enters a qualifying fish will go into a random drawing for a new boat.
“Before the kids go back to school, get them registered and enter a fish,” he said. “Right now, I’ve got less than one hundred kids registered per division. So if you turn in a trout or flounder over 14 inches, your child has better than 1 in 100 odds to win a boat, motor and trailer.”
The tournament, which offers more than $500,000 in prizes, ends at 5 p.m. on Monday, September 2. Only fish caught and tendered at an official weigh station by that time will be eligible for tournament prize consideration.
For a complete look at the current Star Tournament leaderboard, click here. For more information, or to enter the tournament, visit CCASTAR.com.
