You never know which way Lady Luck might look after you enter the CCA Louisiana Statewide Tournament and Anglers Rodeo.

She could smile on you, like she did in August 2017 for Drew Carlin of Erath. On his way to fish for redfish at Marsh Island, Carlin called around midday Aug. 9 and entered the STAR contest at 12:55 p.m. 

At 4:30 p.m., while fishing with his buddy, Jason Breaux of Maurice, Carlin hooked and landed one of the redfish tagged by CCA Louisiana before the start of the 2017 STAR. They were fishing the north shore of Marsh Island between Bayou Michael and Bayou Lucien.

That redfish was worth a 2017 NauticStar 2140 Sport Bay Boat with a 150-h.p. Mercury four-stroke outboard motor, a rig worth $30,000.

With that in mind, you might want to enter the STAR contest that gets underway Saturday and ends Labor Day Monday. It is one of the largest and richest saltwater fishing tournaments in the country, one that spans the entire coast of the Sportsman’s Paradise.

The 24th annual STAR contest features more than 25 divisions for anglers, young and old, male or female, who target inside waters or offshore waters.

For the second year in a row, there will be 100 tagged redfish released along the coast, according to STAR Tournament Director Rad Trascher. In addition to existing prizes in the Tagged Redfish Division, the Louisiana Sportsman Magazine is offering a bonus prize of $10,000 in cash to the first registered angler to catch a tagged redfish and is a subscriber to the Louisiana Sportsman.

“No matter how you are fishing the coast of Louisiana, there are plenty of ways to win. Whether you are fishing from the bank, a kayak, bay boat or even an offshore boat, we have a division for you. And it takes only one cast, so get registered today,” Trascher said Friday. 

There have been a handful of boats and major prizes won by anglers in the Teche Area, mainly in the NauticStar Speckled Trout Division, which offers boat packages in four zones: east, southeast, southwest and west. The heaviest speckled trout in each zone wins a NauticStar, Mercury outboard motor and Mike Gerald’s McClain boat trailer package,

STAR registration is $35. The angler must be a member of CCA Louisiana.

To see a complete list of divisions, weigh stations, sponsors and rules, visit CCASTAR.com.

For more information, call (225) 952-9200.

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Boat safely all of the time is the message being sent out May 19-25 by the state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.

Safe Boating Week is a reminder to be safe, responsible and knowledgeable while on the water. It’s a time to inspect your vessel to make sure all required safety equipment is on board and the vessel is in good working condition.

LDWF Enforcement Division agents will be out in full force during the week to conduct boating safety checks and driving or operating a vessel while intoxicated patrols.

There were 19 boat fatalities in Louisiana in 2017. So far this year, eight people have died in boating accidents. One is too many.

 

DON SHOOPMAN is outdoors editor of The Daily Iberian.