Rules

2021 Florida Spearfishing Tournament Rules

  • Start/End Dates: Tournament Starts March 1st, 2021, ending on December 5th, 2021.
  • $90 Registration Fee - Shooters Package includes:
    • FL Spearfishing Tape Measure
    • FL Spearfishing Hat (Subsidized by Speared Gear)
    • FL Spearfishing Shirt (Subsidized by Speared Gear)
    • Neritic Diving Gloves
    • Saltwater Syndicate Hat
    • Woodroze Face Shield/Buff
    • CMOR Maps Koozie
  • The award ceremony will take place in January, Time and location TBD

 

  To enter a fish in any category you must:

  • All submissions must be submitted onto the Facebook group and the website no later than 7 days after the fish is harvested.
  • You must spear and land your fish with a witness to the catch.
  • Commercially speared fish are allowed. However, only fish that are also open to the recreational diver in the area where fish are being harvested can be entered. For example, if Gag Grouper is closed for the recreational diver, a commercial Gag Grouper cannot be entered until the season opens in the area the fish is harvested.
  • All fisheries laws and regulations must be complied with for the area the fish are captured. Breach of any fisheries laws and regulations, or suspected breach, will be sufficient ground for disqualification.
  • Only fish landed in Florida may be entered. Fish cannot be entered from Bahamian waters. This means the boat must leave from a dock in Florida, and you must return to a dock in Florida.
  • Take multiple photos or videos of the fish that clearly shows the length of the fish. Take many photos and videos from numerous angles to help protect yourself and your entry in the event of an official length/measurement dispute/challenge.
  • All measurements must start at the fork of the tail, with the tape measure pulled tight across the body to the nose. There must be hands, dive weights, clips or some mechanism holding the tape measure tight from the tail to the nose of the fish, not allowing for any wrinkles or “dripping” of tape measure. Photos must be taken from directly above the fish. Videos should start at the tail and finish over the mouth, with the entire measurement of the fish in frame showing the requirements during a measure. ALL FISH MOUTHS MUST BE RESTING. Hogfish cannot be measured with a protruding snout. Large groupers must show a sufficient effort to close gill plates and mouth to avoid length extension during measurements. (We understand that rigimortis takes place when properly iced)
  • Fish are measured to the closest quarter inch (round down to avoid conflict) and must beat previous fish by at least a quarter inch to overtake its spot on the leader board.
  • The head must be completely connected to the body. If the “throat” is disconnected as a result of spearing, the head must be placed back in line with the body. If there is a disconnect visible in the submitted photos, the admins will review and determine if a penalty is to be assessed.
  • -Dishonest or improper measurements will result in an administration vote for measurement correction in addition to additional corrective action leading up to permanent expulsion from the tournament.
  • To officially submit your entry you must use the online form under the submissions tab on the flspearfishing.com website and follow instructions to submit. You must also share your catch on the facebook.com/groups/FloridaSpearfishingTournament/ page including all of the information used to submit on the website (date, witness, species, length, order number, and division).
  • Participants can enter fish in both Freedive and SCUBA categories.
  • Participants can only win one category in each division. If a participant shoots the largest fish in multiple categories, the participant must choose which category they win.

 

TEAM CALCUTTA

  • Team Calcutta: Two-person team, with team points being an AVERAGE of the two shooters aggregate length of target species. The entry cost for the team is 200$ per team. The top 5 leaderboard from 2020 will not be allowed to team up with each other.
  • Team Calcutta cash payouts for the Top 5 Teams in both Freedive and SCUBA divisions with payout dependent on number of people entered.
  • Team Calcutta Payout Structure: 1st Place (40%), 2nd Place (20%), 3rd Place (10%), 4th Place (5%), 5th Place (5%), House Takes 20%.

 

Rules for the top dog:

  • 1) Participant with the longest length of fish at the end of the year will be crowned Florida Spearfishing's TOP DOG. However, the most species outweighs total length. Example: A participant with an overall length of 120 inches is in the lead with 4 different species of fish. Someone can take the lead with a smaller overall length, but 5 species. The participant with the most species will always win. If there are multiple participants who have submitted all species, the winner will be based on the total length!
  • 2) Post pictures the same way you would for any other category, on the website and the Facebook group.
  • 3) Participant with the longest total length of fish is the winner.
  • 4) Only one fish from each species will count toward an individuals Top Dog total length.
  • 5) Rules for the TOP DOG category are the same as regular entries. There will be a separate TOP DOG for Freedive AND SCUBA for the open, Women's and Junior Categories!