Calling it “Stripes, Spots and Dots” to cover all three fish involved, the Mississippi CCA will hold its first fundraising tournament of the year Feb. 7 as part of the Biloxi Boat and RV Show at the Coast Coliseum.
“The stripes are sheepshead, the spots are speckled trout and the dots are redfish,” said Johnny Marquez, executive director of the state chapter of the Coastal Conservation Association, a private organization representing the sport fishing community. “We have a guaranteed prize purse and a lot of nice door prizes, like a charter trip and tackle packages, you can win just by entering.”
Marquez said the event is limited to CCA members, but that non-members who sign up will get a 50 percent discount on the $30 annual membership.
“That’s an incentive to join CCA and help us work for sport fishing,” he said. “The entry fee is $35 if you enter by Monday (Feb. 2), and then it goes to $40. New members would simply add $15 to that.”
There are four prize categories, for both the regular and youth divisions — biggest sheepshead, biggest slot redfist (18-30 inches), biggest speckled trout and then heaviest stringer for one sheepshead, one slot red and one speck. The biggest stringer earns the top prize of $2,500. The other divisions each pay $1,000 for first, $500 for second and $250 for third. The children’s division will give tackle packages for prizes.
Marquez said the easiest way to enter is online at the organizations new website at www.cca.ms, but that several coastal tackle shops and marinas are accepting applications and payments — Bay Marina in Bay St. Louis, The Tackle Box in both Gulfport and Long Beach, Sports Unlimited in Gulfport, Gorenflo’s in Biloxi and Cedar Swamp and Mary Walker Marina in Pascagoula.
A captain’s meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Friday, Feb. 6 at the Golden Nugget Casino, and the weigh-in will be staged from 4-6 p.m. at the Boat Show at the Coliseum on Saturday.
For more information, visit www.cca.ms.
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