Wayne Toups, an experienced angler from Delcambre, Louisiana, transformed an ordinary day on the water into a lucky windfall when he caught a redfish with a special blue tag during the CCA Louisiana STAR Tournament. The fish, which he caught near Redfish Point, was just the beginning of an exciting surprise. The blue tag, which he initially almost missed, unlocked a prize: a year-long supply of Michelob ULTRA beer, amounting to one case each week.
The tournament's rules are clear for anyone who catches a tagged fish. Anglers must first remove the tag from the fish, then release it if it meets the size requirements, and finally bring the tag to an official weigh station for confirmation. Toups, who had caught a 17-inch redfish, followed the rules step by step. After releasing the fish, he brought the tag to Don's Boat Landing in Erath, where it was verified by tournament officials. The process ensured his win was legitimate.
Toups Eyes Bigger Prizes
Although he's already won a significant prize, Toups isn’t stopping there. He has already collected two yellow tags, which earned him T-shirts, and now his sights are set higher. His ultimate goal is to catch a red-tagged fish, which would reward him with a boat or even a truck. With the tournament running through Labor Day, there's still time for anglers, including Toups, to chase bigger catches and bigger rewards.
The CCA Louisiana STAR Tournament offers participants a chance to win a variety of prizes by catching tagged fish in any part of Louisiana’s coastal waters. From clothing items to motor vehicles, the prizes vary, creating excitement for all who take part. For Toups, the tournament is not just a chance to fish but a chance to win big, and he's determined to keep casting his line in pursuit of that red tag.
Toups shared his experience with a laugh, recalling how he almost missed the blue tag at first. Hot weather and slow fishing had made it easy to overlook the tag. But his decision to look more closely made all the difference. “I almost tossed it out,” he said, “but I decided to take another look, and that’s when I realized I had won something good.”