West Marine sponsors CCA Florida STAR Tournament

CCA Florida STAR Competition gets families out on the water just in time for summer © ccaflstar.com

Kicking off July 1, the 2020 CCA Florida STAR competition presented by Yamaha offers an excuse for everyone to get out on the water.

Anglers of all ages and skill levels will have the opportunity to brush off their fishing skills for this unique "catch-photo-release" fishing tournament. Anglers can win cash and prizes by sending in photos of both iHeart Radio Tagged fish and non-tagged fish along with the Official West Marine STAR Measuring Device, available at West Marine stores throughout Florida.

The CCA Florida STAR fishing tournament is a competition that focuses on conservation. STAR's smartphone app promotes the proper handling of all species and eliminates the requirement to harvest or capture and transport fish. There are 17 divisions and 12 species included in the event and most winners are determined by a random drawing of catch entries made. Registration is $40 for CCA Florida members and $75 for nonmembers, which includes STAR entry fee and CCA Florida membership.

Youth anglers (ages 6-17) can register for free with their current ($10) CCA Florida New Tide membership and are eligible for prizes in the tagged fish divisions as well as the Youth Scholarship Division, Conservation Division and the Trash Division.

"As an organization focused on outfitting, educating and inspiring boaters, we are thrilled to be contributing to this tournament again in 2020," said Erik Rimblas, regional vice president for West Marine. "Now more than ever we believe families and individual anglers will benefit from their experiences out on the water. The STAR tournament is the perfect way to get new and seasoned anglers of all ages interested in fishing and conservation."

Interested anglers can pick up their measuring device and a guide for getting started starting June 19 at West Marine stores throughout Florida. To find a list of locations, visit the CCA Florida STAR website.

"Over the last several year's CCA Florida STAR and West Marine have partnered to help engage more people in the sport of fishing and conservation through the CCA Florida STAR competition," said Leiza Fitzgerald, CCA Florida STAR director. "Since we launched STAR in Florida, we've seen anglers catch more, release more, support the recovery of our state's marine resources and walk away with new boats and amazing new gear at the same time. We've awarded anglers with over $1 million in prizes, including $500,000 in scholarships to youth anglers across the state and we could not have done it without the support of a great partner like West Marine."

Register now by visiting ccaflstar.com or call 844-387-7827. Early registrants can win special prizes from Engel Coolers and more. To see a full list of available prizes, visit ccaflstar.com/star-prizes.

CCA was created in 1977 and now has chapters all along the Gulf Coast and Florida. The organization is dedicated to conserving and enhancing marine resources and coastal environments throughout Florida and ensuring anglers' access to those resources.