Louisiana Fisherman Catches Special Redfish and Wins Free Beer for a Year

A South Louisiana angler turned a routine trip into a standout prize after catching a specially tagged redfish during the 2026 CCA Louisiana STAR Tournament. Wayne Toups, from Delcambre, reeled in what first looked like a standard redfish while fishing in Vermilion Bay—until he noticed a blue tag used for a select prize tier. Tournament officials say the blue tag made him an instant winner of a year’s worth of beer: a case of Michelob Ultra every week for 12 months. Toups initially thought the tag was one of the usual yellow ones that typically award shirts, but the color confirmed the higher-value category. The tournament spans nearly Louisiana’s entire coastline and is scheduled to wrap up around Labor Day, with more than $750,000 in prizes across boats, trucks, RVs, and gear.