Yamaha Marine Group announced today its official sponsorship of the Coastal Conservation Association’s (CCA) Florida State-wide Tournament and Angler’s Rodeo (STAR), Florida’s largest fishing tournament. Yamaha is the presenting sponsor of the CCA Florida STAR .
“We are very pleased to have Yamaha join STAR as our exclusive motor sponsor,” said Brian Gorski, CCA Florida Executive Director. “For some time now, Yamaha has been leading the way with advocacy initiatives that will help to address the challenges facing coastal fisheries. Thanks to Yamaha’s support, we can leverage the tournament to help all STAR participants develop a heightened appreciation for these challenges in Florida’s coastal waters.”
Florida STAR is a Catch & Photo tournament designed to educate the general public about the importance of conservation of Florida’s marine resources. The format encourages sportsmen and sportswomen of all ages to protect and conserve Florida’s fishery resources for future viability and availability for all recreational anglers. It is one of the most angler inclusive tournaments in the state of Florida and provides all anglers an opportunity to participate. 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.
“Yamaha’s sponsorship of Florida STAR further underscores our commitment to the conservation of U.S. coastal waterways and also expands our saltwater tournament support efforts,” said Dale Barnes, Yamaha Marine Group Marketing Division Manager. “This tournament is unique as it really opens the field to all saltwater anglers while simultaneously working to collect scientific data that can help to rewrite the legislation currently governing our coastal waters.”
The CCA Florida STAR tournament kicks off Saturday, May 23, 2015, Memorial Day weekend, and ends at 5 p.m., September 7, 2015, Labor Day offering participants a total of 108 fishing days. With nearly $500,000 in prizes and scholarships, STAR anticipates recruiting over 4,500 participants, who will each have an opportunity to win, making it Florida’s largest saltwater fishing tournament.
Eighty specially tagged redfish are the main attraction in the inaugural CCA Florida STAR tournament. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and CCA Florida officials will release 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. For participants, catching one of these redfish could result in winning a boat/motor/trailer package or a new truck.
For more information about the CCA Florida STAR tournament series, Yamaha Marine Group or to register, please visit www.ccaflstar.com
By: Andrea Gillespie, Coastal Conservation Association Florida
