The $75 entry fee separated a Tampa Bay angler from a $40,000 GMC truck or a $70,000 Contender boat last weekend in the CCA-Florida STAR Tournament as the unregistered angler caught one of the many tagged redfish released around the state prior to the event. Anglers must be registered in advance to earn one of the prizes in the event, a fundraiser for the CCA's conservation events.

The annual event is a promotion for Coastal Conservation Association membership, and has brought thousands of new members into the conservation group over the last several years. A total of up to $500,000 in prizes and scholarships are available.

Fish are caught, tagged and released several days before the 101-day event begins on Memorial Day weekend. Tournament director Leiza Fitzgerald says most reds are caught within a few hundred yards of where they are released, and a list of where the winning fish were caught in previous years is available on the tournament website, www.ccaflstar.com. The tournament continues through Sept. 2. Entry is $40 for anglers who are already CCA members.