BTT Plate No Longer Avaiable?

Zika said:

Naw, CCA Florida isn't doing anything these days, other than stocking programs around the state, oyster reef construction, fund acoustic trout stock studies in IRL, artificial reef deployments, trash/plastic/crab trap cleanups, clam bed replenishment, real representation on state water quality issues, lobbying at the state and national levels, advocating at FWC, SE Atlantic and Gulf Councils on behalf of recreational anglers and keeping the no-fishing zones in check.


Not every group needs to toot their horns to be effective and get meaningful results.

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Damn
I had not heard about any of that. They need to spend some time reaching out. I used to get letters in the mail. See displays at local retailers and expos. I can’t remember the last time I seen any of that. Party cause I rarely go to shows. Hell I haven’t even seen an add on any kind of social media. And I follow a lot of people. Do they have any adds on here? You need to toot your horn in their business. Especially when you are actually doing something other than constantly tooting your horn.

edit:just did a search on here. And only found one other post about CCA this year. And it was about redfish in LA. Then went back a few months into last year and found a few. But it seemed to be mixed reviews on most of those. Seems to be an issue with them or their PR department. If they are doing all this great stuff get it out and let the people know. Because apparently I’m not the only one that feels like they are slipping. And that may be the wrong feeling 👍🏻

I am a CCA life member. I even interviewed for an RD position back in the day. I was very involved with CCA Polk for many years until I moved to the Apollo Beach area in 2010 and I kind of drifted away from it. For the record, I presented the license plate idea to Brian Gorski back in 2007-2008 and was told it would never happen....LOL. My wife got me the life membership for my 40th birthday in 2015 and then we got her one the next year after we made a sizeable donation from RedFly #10. We would attend the banquet in Bartow every year we could. While living in Polk County in the early 2000's I was on the Polk Chapter board and they were an extended family...and still are. I remember when banquet tickets were like $55-60 a person or $100 for a couple. Not anymore. It has become too expensive to go to banquets, the ICC or even the life member outing as a life member. You would think they would cut life members who spent $1000 a break on going to these events. I know it costs money to fight the battles they need to fight, but I haven't seen too many battles. What I have seen is CCA becoming a t-shirt and banquet kind of social club. Which is all well and good to raise money. However, I also see a lot of copy and paste from other organizations on to their social media outlets when there are issues. Their focus is fisheries management, stocking and habitat restoration which I think they have done a great job with. But with water quality issues being at the forefront, they just don't have the push that CFCW and the Waterkeeper organizations do. All I see from CCA are raffles for boats, golf carts and clay shooting events, CCA STAR....along with the banquets. I still think CCA-FL does great things and is a great organization, maybe I'm wrong, but I really think their optics need to change to show members that fights are really being fought at the level they were when it was FCA and they got the gill nets out of the waters. Also....you have 1000's of members around the state of FL.....we all get Tide Magazine....there needs to a state or region-specific issue of Tide because the whole magazine is Texas based. I'm willing to bet, most FL members flip through it, then trash it. I know I do. It boils down to their optics need to improve. That orange redfish sticker on your truck needs to mean what it used to back in the day.

Just to respond to @Shadowcast's comments...

First off, thank you and your wife for joining CCA as life members. I am one myself and I was also the communications director during the FCA net ban campaign. While the organization was initially focused on fisheries management issues (rightly so) and that is still its core mission, the organization has transitioned to address habitat and water quality issues in recent years. Maybe they should publicize those efforts to the public more strongly. But sea grass/mangrove plantings, oyster reef construction and artificial reefs offshore are directly improving the coastal environment and habitat. CCA Florida also has a full-time Habitat Director who attends the countless scoping meetings/hearings around the state addressing water issues and solutions in the IRL, Everglades, chemical spills, Apalachicola water dispersement, etc. The money raised from the redfish license plate goes directly to habitat efforts (and thanks again for planting that seed years ago). Advocacy staffers and lobbyists work behind the scenes on every bill working through the state legislature that impacts coastal water issues and sport-fishing.

Like any non-profit, there is always something else that can be done. But supporting those efforts and paying staff requires funds. The statewide STAR tournament, which gets underway this weekend, is another way to grow membership for a greater voice on the state and national levels, plus educate the public about C&R, trash clean-up and encourage junior anglers to pursue higher education for the next generation of conservationists.

I contributed Florida-centric articles to TIDE for many years. There is a state news section in every issue and members also receive the Florida Sea Watch newsletter with specific Florida projects, news and chapter activities.

I applaud any group that is sincerely trying to improve our coastal fisheries and marine environment. And that is why I am proud to be a Life Member of CCA and will be leaving some of my estate to the organization when I'm gone. CCA has--and continues--to make a difference.