Anglers Take to the Waters of Lake Calcasieu at Louisiana Saltwater Series Tournament

Anglers from the Louisiana Gulf Coast and surrounding regions will take to the waters of Lake Calcasieu on April 20 as the Louisiana Saltwater Series presented by Shimano and PowerPro hosts its second redfish tournament of 2013.

The event, which will operate out of Calcasieu Point Landing in Lake Charles, will begin Saturday morning, with onsite tournament registration from 4:45 to 6:15 a.m. and the captain’s meeting to follow at 6:15 a.m.

From its humble beginnings, the Louisiana Saltwater Series has grown into one of the most popular saltwater fishing series in the state.  The tournament has reached yet another milestone by quickly surpassing the number of tournament entrants from any previous year.

Cash and prizes await the winners of each tournament, with 100 percent payout, as well as a shot at the coveted overall Team of the Year award.

For complete information, including rules, regulations and online registration go to www.lasaltwaterseries.com. Online registration will close Thursday, April 18 at noon.   A $20 fee for all onsite tournament registrants will be incurred per team.

A youth division is also available for no additional cost to introduce our young anglers to the sport of fishing and to teach the catch-and-release approach to conservation.  Youth division participants compete against one another in the youth division, and all youth anglers will be recognized.

The remaining 2013 redfish tournament schedule is as follows:

• May 4 SeaWay Marina, Lafitte;
• June 8 Port Fourchon Marina, Port Fourchon;
• June 29 Sweetwater Marina, Delacroix;
• August 10 The Delta Marina, Empire and
• Championship, October 18 and 19 Venice Marina, Venice.

Louisiana Saltwater Series events are made possible through the sponsorship and continued support of the fishing industry’s most respected brands: Shimano, PowerPro, Daybrook Fisheries, Plaquemines Parish, Mercury Marine, Standard Mapping, Faux Pas Prints, Marsh & Bayou, Swamp Swatter, Frabill, Stick It Anchor Pins and YETI Coolers.
Also, Standard Mapping will again offer a $500 contingency prize to the first place team if they currently have a Lowrance HD-S unit installed in their boat with at least one Standard Mapping E-Card.

The Louisiana Saltwater Series is hosted in conjunction with the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Foundation.  The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Foundation was formed to provide a means for individuals and corporations to become partners with the Department and Commission in the challenge of conserving Louisiana’s wildlife and fish resources.

Louisiana Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries – Enforcement Division(LDWF) is the fish & game regulatory agency of Louisiana. It has jurisdictionanywhere in the state, and in state territorial waters. The agency enforces both state and federal laws dealing with hunting, fishing, and boating safety. The agency also enforces criminal laws in rural areas including DWI enforcement both on highways and waterways. Most of the Department’s Wildlife Agents also carry Federal law enforcement commissions issued from the United States Department of the Interior - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and United States Department of Commerce - U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). These federal commissions allow these state officers to enforce federal migratory waterfowl laws and federal marine fisheries laws in state and federal waters off the coast of Louisiana. Besides their traditional role as a “game warden”, Louisiana Wildlife Enforcement Agents also have a number of other responsibilities, including conducting board of health inspections on some portions of the state’s commercial fishing industry. Agents are trained in and conduct numerous search and rescue operations, both in remote land areas and on the state’s waterways. Agents ensure that hunters, anglers, boaters, dealers, breeders, farmers, and transporters are in compliance with regulations governing equipment, quotas, licenses, and registrations. Agents also assist other State departments and law enforcement agencies in the coordination of educational and professional endeavors, as well as national and state emergency alerts by the Federal Office of Emergency Preparedness. In addition, agents perform search and rescue missions alone or in conjunction with other local, state, and federal agencies.