“Speck”tacular Forecast for Saturday’s Louisiana Saltwater Series Trout Tournament
OutdoorHub 05.02.12
Speckled trout anglers, get your rods ready, on May 5 the Louisiana Saltwater Series is headed to The Dock/Dockside Bait and Tackle in Slidell for its second annual trout tournament. With a perfect weather forecast and excellent fishing conditions, it’s expected to be a great day out on the water.
The entry fee is only $100 per team, and there is a 100% payout, plus loads of prizes. Teams may consist of one, two, three or four members. For teams consisting of three or more members, only two of the members may be 16 or older.
At 6 a.m., anglers will venture out to cast lines and reel in the big ones. Because speckled trout can be challenging to keep alive, participants are allowed to bring in their fish beginning at 8 a.m., when the scales open. They’ll have until 3 p.m. to make their way back to shore and weigh in. The aim is for the Department to tag as many fish as possible, so anglers are encouraged to bring in call of their catch (within limit), but can only designate two fish as their weigh fish.
Hosted by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, the series was created to promote the Louisiana Cooperative Marine Sport Fish Tagging Program and catch-and-release saltwater angling. The program provides an avenue for anglers with an interest in conservation to assist in collecting scientific information about the movements and biology of tagged fish by tagging targeted species of marine gamefish.
Last year at the inaugural tournament, 78 speckled trout were tagged and released back in to the wild.
Online registration for the tournament will close on Thursday at noon, but those interested in participating can register at The Dock from 4 to 5:30 a.m., the morning of the event. A $20 fee for all onsite tournament registrants will be incurred per team. Only cash and checks will be accepted for onsite registrants.
For complete information, including rules, regulations and registration go to www.lasaltwaterseries.com. The Louisiana Saltwater Series will host a second trout tournament on October 20 in New Orleans at SeaBrook Harbor.
