CCA Florida STAR presented by Yamaha boasts amazing prizes, is the largest family-friendly saltwater fishing competition in Florida, and begins Saturday of Memorial Day weekend. Anglers across Florida have been participating and winning in CCA Florida STAR for the past 9 years. To date, STAR has awarded over 3.4 million dollars in prizes with $900,000 of that being in college scholarships and non-angling participants have gathered over 9,000 five-gallon buckets of garbage.
The 2024 CCA Florida STAR presented by Yamaha boasts a New Format, More species and Bigger prizes. STAR is the largest family-friendly saltwater fishing competition in Florida
2024 STAR offers 100-days of family-friendly angling competition with $500,000 in prizes in 8 divisions, including tagged redfish & dolphin, inshore, and offshore as well as kayak, conservation and trash divisions and runs from May 25th to September 2nd.
Here are some expert tips that can help you and your family win big prizes this summer.
Register for CCA Florida STAR 2024
Anglers must be members in good standing of Coastal Conservation Association, its youth organization, New Tide and registered for the 2024 State-wide Tournament Anglers Rodeo before landing their catch in order to be eligible to win.
This is important because every year we get calls from anglers who have caught a Tagged fish for the STAR Tagged Redfish division but were not a CCA member and had not registered for the STAR competition. Rather than winning a boat, they got a T-Shirt.
Don't be that angler.
When the prizes are drawn, your CCA Membership is verified to be valid and current at the time of your catch.
Click here to Register for STAR
Be aware of the divisions, species and size requirements
CCA Florida STAR 2024 has 8 divisions including non-tagged inshore and offshore divisions, Kayak and Youth Scholarship with species like - Redfish, Trout, Snook, Flounder, Tarpon, Grouper, Kingfish, Sailfish and Mahi-Mahi to name a few. Each division has its own set of sponsors, prizes, eligibility criteria as well as species which will be listed on the official STAR measuring device and found in the app or website. Don’t forget the ALTA Equipment SUPER STAR Tagged Redfish. Catch that fish to win $50,000 cash from ALTA Equipment company.
Here are all the divisions you can fish in. Click on each division for details.
- Tagged Redfish Division presented by T H Marine
- Tigress Outriggers & Gear Tagged Dolphin Division
- Carolina Skiff Inshore Division presented by Minn Kota
- Engel Cooler Offshore Division presented by AFTCO
- Youth Scholarship Division presented by Realtree Fishing
- Native Watercraft Kayak Division presented by Bull Bay Rods
- Costa Kick Plastic Trash Division presented by Papa’s Pilar
- The Power Pole Conservation Division presented by Humminbird
- Barnes & Thornburg LLP Youth Honorable mention
Some fish may or may not have a minimum size requirement depending on the species and division.
Click here to view eligible species
Familiarize yourself with the rules
The Competition will begin at the posted sunrise on Saturday, May 25, 2024 and end at posted sunset on Monday, September 2, 2024. Like all fishing competitions, CCA Florida STAR also has rules that need to be followed by anglers while catching and logging fish.
For example, Fish entered into the competition for prizes must be submitted on or with the 2024 Official STAR measuring device in the photo. All participants and winners must be a CCA member and registered for the competition before landing their catch.
The entry must have been caught and landed or gathered by the registered participant. Another one is that All fish that are entered into the competition for prizes must have been hooked and caught by the contestant on rod, reel, hook, and line.
Another important one is that each catch entry can be submitted in only one competition division.
Some rules are specific to the age. For Example, A New Tide member must be at least 6 years old the day before making an entry in the tournament and must be no more than seventeen (17) years old as of May 25 2024 in order to be eligible to win in the STAR Scholarship Youth Division
Make sure you are familiar with all the rules for the division and species you are fishing in.
Know where the tagged fish are released
All coastal counties of Florida have on average four (4) tagged redfish that have been released in areas where anglers are known to catch redfish. A total of 160 Tagged Redfish will be released.
The Florida Keys will have 20 dolphin/Mahi Mahi tagged and released during May in order for those fish to migrate up the east and the west coast of Florida.
This year’s STAR tag is RED. Printed on the tag is the year and a special number beginning with FL followed by CCA Florida STAR and the phone number 844-387-STAR (7827).
Where can you have the best opportunity to catch one of these prize-winning tagged redfish? Try Citrus and Charlotte Counties they are STAR Destination Counties with double the tagged redfish, with 8 in each county!
Remember, to be eligible to win the participant must be a CCA member and registered for STAR before catching the fish. Each STAR-tagged redfish and the first STAR-Tigress tagged dolphin must be reported by phone call within two hours of landing, the fish with the tag still attached must be digitally photographed on the 2024 Official STAR measuring device and electronically submitted within 24 hours of the call to STAR.
Get the Official measuring tape
Each entry must include a digital photograph of the fish on or with the Official 2024 STAR measuring device, except for entries in the Trash Division where multiple buckets can be included in one picture
Measuring devices are not purchased for the competition. Simply walk into any of your local participating distribution locations and they will give you one complimentary. West Marine stores are the preferred distribution locations. All measuring devices will be in the stores by May 18th.
To know where you can find a measuring device in your area, click on the button below:
Find measuring device near you
Register your Family members
CCA Florida STAR is Florida's largest family-friendly (all ages and experience levels) fishing competition with 100 days of fishing!
No other fishing tournament in Florida has the ability to engage anglers of all ages and experience levels and includes non-anglers who can participate and win simply by catching any fish and collecting trash and debris.
The Inshore and Offshore divisions have 12 winning places and provide for 3 catch entries per day from the list of eligble species and winners are determined by a random drawing of all photo entries of fish on the Official STAR measuring device, it is not the biggest fish that wins, a format that encourages participants of all ages to protect and conserve Florida’s fisheries for future generations.
To date, STAR has awarded over 3.4 million dollars in prizes with $900,000 of that being in college scholarships and non-angling participants have gathered over 10,000 five-gallon buckets of garbage.
Log more fish - Log every fish
Since Most divisions are determined by a random drawing of all catch photo entries on the Official STAR measuring device, it is NOT the biggest fish that wins.
The more fish you enter, the more opportunities you have to compete for the prizes. Many anglers log all the fish they catch during the summer.
In past years, anglers have won great prizes in CCA Florida STAR Competition with just one fish! Sooo.... make sure you are logging every fish - no matter how big or small!
Remember, each entry can be submitted in only one competition division. 3 entries per day per Inshore and Offshore Divisions. The Youth Scholarship and Kayak Divisions have only one entry per day from the list of Inshore and Offshore species and the Conservation and Trash division have unlimited daily entries. For The Power Conservation Division anglers should enter their additional inshore and offshore species caught or any fish that does not meet the length requirements.
Click here to Register for STAR
Use the right equipment
You should familiarize yourself with what equipment to use for which division. Using the wrong equipment could get your catch disqualified.
For example, in the Kayak Division the kayak or paddle craft must be recognizable in the photo. All fish entered into the competition for prizes must have been hooked and caught by the contestant on rod, reel, hook, and line. Fish caught on artificial, live baits, or dead natural baits are eligible. There are no line test restrictions in the tournament.
Make sure you are familiar with all the rules for the division and species you are fishing in.
Click the picture the right way
Each entry must include a digital photograph of the fish on or with the Official 2024 STAR measuring device, except for multiple entries in the Trash Division
The entire fish must be clearly seen with its nose on the zero line, providing visibility of total length, except for Tarpon and fish being submitted in the Power Pole Conservation Division. These fish can be left in the water and only need to have the 2024 measuring device in the photo.
For the Costa Kick Plastic Trash Division, there must be at least a full five-gallon bucket of trash with the Official 2024 STAR measuring device in the photo and there may be more than one bucket in the photo and more than one submission per day.
Electronic submission of all competition entries must also include the competition division, species, length, time, date and name of angler. Each catch entry can be submitted in only one competition division.
Make sure you are familiar with all the rules for the division you are fishing in.
Conservation counts
The Power-Pole Conservation Division is an important aspect of STAR. This Division plays a vital role in helping FWC and other fisheries management groups gather recreational catch data.
All species of fish caught by STAR entrants are eligible for entry in the Conservation Division. The winners of the Conservation Division will be determined by a random drawing of all entries in the division.
The STAR Committee emphasizes the importance of following all FWC regulations regarding the handling of all species. Undersized trout, redfish and snook and other gamefish should also try to be photographed with STAR measuring device in the photo NOT with the fish on the device. In addition, please try and capture the photo in the water using the official STAR measuring device.
All fish entries in the Conservation Division are required to be photographed on or with the 2024 official STAR Measuring Device.
In the Power Pole Conservation Division presented by Humminbird anglers may submit more than one entry per competition day, use this division to win more prizes.
Click here to learn about Conservation division
Even Trash can win you prizes
To date, non-angling participants have gathered over 10,000 five-gallon buckets of garbage in the Costa Kick Plastic Trash Division presented by Papa’s Pilar. 2024 STAR Participants who gather trash while on the water and submit a photo entry of a full 5-gallon bucket full of trash or multiple buckets with the Official 2024 STAR measuring device in their entry are eligible.
For the Trash Division there may be more than one submission per day - so log your trash entries and win prizes.
Click here to learn about Trash division
Know about community service hours
Do you know every 5-gallon bucket equates to 30 mins of community service hours for a youth participant?
Encourage youth around you to participate in Costa Kick Plastic Trash division to receive 30 minutes of community service hours for each five-gallon bucket of garbage they collect.
