The Captain’s Meeting will serve a couple of different purposes:
1. A last minute Q&A regarding rules will be done, starting at 7:00PM; and
2. Late registrations can be handled at this time for those who have not pre-registered.

The Tournament will be held starting Saturday, May 17, 2008. Participants can start shooting upon sufficient light, and shoot all day until there is no longer sufficient light. In other words, there is no need to rush. You have a full day to get your diving drops and/or to enjoy the full benefit of what you may have paid for a charter boat.

Participants agree and promise that only fish shot on Saturday, May 17, 2008, will be presented for weigh-in.

The Weigh-in, Awards Ceremony & Expo will be on Sunday, May 18, 2008, at the Rotary Community Pavilion. This large Pavilion is on S.R. 52 in Pasco County, less than a mile from the Veterans Expressway (Suncoast Parkway). It is the same great location we had last year. This location next to an interstate highway makes travel to the weigh-in and prize ceremony convenient from all directions.

The fish weigh-in will be from 9:30AM to 11:30AM. That means you can be in line anytime within that time frame. You may NOT use Sunday morning to dive for more fish. If you are not in line by 11:30AM, your fish will not be weighed and you will be disqualified. This rule is strictly enforced. If you make it to line at 11:31AM or after, you will be disqualified. The committee will tabulate winners from 11:30AM to 2:00PM, during which time participants and their guest may enjoy free beverages (beer, soda, bottled water), a fully catered BBQ meal, and chat with exhibitors.

FORMAT
This is an aggregate style fish tournament. As such, points are awarded for each fish turned in. One point or partial point is given for each pound or partial pound of the fish’s weight. For example, a 3.4 pound hogfish would be worth 3.4 points. Fish must be gutted. Do not weigh fish that you have shot with a powerhead.

There will be a maximum of 20 points given per fish in every category. Points from all categories will then be added for your final point total (i.e., your “aggregate score”).

After you have weighed your fish, you will be presented with a slip that you must sign, acknowledging that you accept the weights as stated on the slip. If you dispute your weight total, it must be done while at the weigh-in table. If you dispute someone else’s fish, you must do so at the time they weigh-in.

If ANY fish that you turn in is harvested on SCUBA, then you are not eligible to compete for the First Place Freediver Trophy.

FREEDIVING TROPHY
As mentioned above, there is a trophy for the First Place Freediver. This trophy shall be awarded to the freediver with the highest aggregate score of a freediver. Apart from the trophy, the winner shall take his turn at the prize table in accordance with his/her aggregate score, along with the SCUBA divers. In order to compete for this trophy, two things must happened:

1. You must circle or check “freediver” on the registration form, and

2. You must commit to freediving for the tournament, with no fish shot on SCUBA.

Apart from competition for the freediving trophy, freedivers shall compete based on the same rules and general format for the rest of the tournament, and shall take their turn at the prize table based on their overall aggregate score.

CATEGORIES

The maximum number of fish that a contestant can potentially enter is nine (9).

* Note: Other species of legal Grouper, Snapper and Jack may be weighed, as well. They must of course be legal to harvest in federal and state waters. Other species might include Black Grouper, Yellowfin Grouper, Cubera Snapper, Dog Snapper, Mutton Snapper, Yellow Jack, Almaco Jack,.etc.

Note: measurement of fish will be based on the current measurement to fork or overall as required by the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission no matter where the fish was harvested.

PRIZES AND TROPHIES
As stated, this is an aggregate tournament. There will be a prize table, and updates as to the value of said table will be available at both Spearboard.com and SpearboardOpen.com. A person’s turn at the prize table will be determined solely by aggregate score total. All persons who weigh a fish will get a turn at the prize table. Winning a trophy will not yield an earlier turn at the prize table.

There will be a total of ten (10) Trophies up for grabs:

1. 2008 Spearboard Open Winner 2. 2008 Spearboard Open First Place Freediver 3. Largest Grouper
4. Largest Snapper 5. Largest Hogfish/Flounder 6. Largest Trigger/Sheepshead
7. Largest Amberjack or Cobia 8. Best Aggregate for Female Diver 9. Best Aggregate for Junior Diver
10. Best Boat

The 2008 Spearboard Open Winner (best overall aggregate score), shall be awarded his or her trophy, and have first pick at the prize table. The 2008 Spearboard Open First Place Freediver shall be awarded his or her trophy, and go to the prize table in accordance with his/her aggregate score. All “Largest Fish” trophy winners will be awarded their trophy, plus take their turn at the prize table as dictated by their aggregate total. The Best Aggregate Female and Junior will get a trophy, and take their turn at the prize table as dictated by their aggregate score.

METHODS OF HARVEST
Fish presented for weigh-in may NOT be powerheaded. Fish may be harvested either Freediving, or with use of SCUBA. In order to be eligible, the person weighing the fish must have speared and brought or sent the fish to the surface, without the assistance of another diver.

JUNIORS
Juniors between the ages of 12 – 17 years of age shall be permitted to participate, however, the following rules apply:
1. The legal waiver form must be signed by the junior’s parent or legal guardian;
2. If parents/guardians are entrusting their child to dive on the vessel of a third person, he/she will ensure that proper paperwork has been executed and delivered to third party to enable him/her to consent for medical treatment for junior;
3. Juniors shall take their turn at the prize table based on their aggregate score, just like adults. As stated, the highest junior aggregate score also gets a trophy.

LADIES
Ladies will also have their prize table rotation determined by the overall aggregate score, in the same pool with men and juniors. There shall also be a trophy for the female diver with the highest aggregate score.

BEST BOAT
The 2008 Spearboard Open will include a “Best Boat” award. In the interest of making this fair, a three person boat should be on equal footing with a six person boat. Consequently, the winner will be determined by the boat with the highest diver average aggregate score, based on the top three individual scores on each boat.

See the following examples to further explain the best boat rules:

1. Boat One has only two shooters on their vessel. Boat One is not eligible to participate in the best boat competition, because there must be at least three registered contestants on the boat to compete for best boat.

2. Boat Two has three shooters. Their aggregate total is 240. All shooters will be counted on Boat Two, because the top three shooters are counted, and 240 is their score.

3. Boat Three has six shooters. The top three shooters on that boat had the following scores: 90, 85, and 80. Their aggregated score is 255. The other three shooters are not counted, as only the top three are used to compute aggregate score.

Please fill in the NAME of the boat you will be on, which is located on the registration form. We cannot be responsible for a correct boat score if you do not name the boat you are on.

MYSTERY TICKETS
Everyone who weighs a fish, even just a single fish, will get a single mystery ticket. After the first 20 persons go to the prize table, mystery tickets will be called intermittently. If your number is called, you go to the prize table at that time. This will not affect your regular turn to the table based on your aggregate score, making it possible to go to the prize table twice.

CATERED BBQ AND BEVERAGES
One of the things that makes the Spearboard Tournament such a great value is that we include a fully catered meal and beverages for all participants. Pit Boss BBQ, a Pasco County institution since the early 1980s, will again cook for us their outstanding BBQ.

You may bring family members (i.e., spouse/kids) and friends who did not participate or register in the tournament. The cost of BBQ and beverages to non-contestants is $12 per person.

Beverage is defined as water, soda and other non-alcoholic beverages that might be available. Beer is also available, and is free, but is in no way associated with registration or meal tickets. Beer is available for free to any adults age 21 or over, with no consideration necessary.

After the Captain’s Meeting, there will only be a limited amount of meal tickets left for purchase. For this reason, we reserve the right to turn non ticket holders away on the date of the event. If you did not get an event ticket for a friend or family member by the end of the Captain’s Meeting, do not assume that additional tickets will be available on the day of the weigh-in/prize ceremony.

The BBQ will take place after the weigh-in and start between 12:30PM and 1:00PM.

REGISTRATION

1. Pre-registration is $85.00. (Note – T-shirts are an extra cost and provide raffle prize entry)

2. Late registration will be $95.00. Registrations not received by SpearboardOpen by May 14th, 2008 are late. Late registration can be accomplished at the Captain’s Meeting on May 15, 2008, WingHouse of Tampa, 8001 W. Hillsborough Ave. Tampa, FL 33615, 813-806-9464.

3. T-Shirts/Raffle/Extra Meal Tickets: There will be a place on the Registration Form to order T-Shirts (which enters you in the Prize Raffle), and extra meal tickets for family and children.

4. Address and Fax: Enterprise Publications, P.O. Box 14067, North Palm Beach, FL 33408 Fax: 561-844-8190

GEOGRAPHICAL ISSUES

Given that this format is unique due to the weigh-in on the day after the shooting, there may be questions about hunting boundaries. In short, if you can drive your fish and be in the weigh-in line by the designated time, you can hunt in the Atlantic or Gulf, whether in Florida or out of Florida. You may not hunt in the Bahamas or any other foreign country. The Bahamas includes the various surrounding banks considered Bahamian Territory. You may not have someone fly your fish in from anywhere. Geographically diverse hunting locations will enable more Spearboard members to be involved.

DISQUALIFICATION AND PROTEST
We will have a protest committee available. It will be comprised of the lead weighmaster, the event owner, and a third person chosen by the event owner. Protests must be filed at the time fish are weighed (yours or someone else’s). We reserve the right to disqualify individuals for suspect fish, unsportsmanlike conduct, or disruption. If you have a dispute, we will do everything possible to address it. We just ask for courtesy, and your participation in this event means that you will accept the committee’s majority decision in a respectful manner, without further recourse. Persons not in line by the designated time will be disqualified, and this will be strictly enforced, especially in light of how liberal the weigh-in time is. “In line” means that you, or a member from your boat, are presently in line with your fish.

WEIGH-IN PROCEDURE
In order to weigh your fish, your cooler must be inside the gated area surrounding the weigh-in scales area no later than 11:30 AM. At 11:30 AM, the gate will be closed and the weighmasters notified of the last person in line. If your cooler is still in your truck at that time, you will be disqualified regardless of when you arrived. This rule will be strictly enforced.

We will have a lot of fish to weigh, and your cooperation is vital. After you arrive in the weigh-in area, please observe the following:

1. All fish must be gutted. This should be done before arriving at the tournament site. Ungutted fish will not be weighed.

2. Please make sure that your fish meet the minimum size for the tournament. Fish may shrink after they are harvested, and tournament size limits may be greater than the minimum size limits in the area where your fish were shot. Measuring devices are available for your use BEFORE you present the fish to the weighmaster. The line assistants will not measure or approve your fish for you. All fish must qualify using OUR measuring device. Please refer to the tournament rules for minimum sizes.

3. You may weigh only 2 grouper, 2 snapper, 2 hogfish/flounder, 2 triggerfish/sheepshead and 1 jack/cobia.

4. Please make sure that your fish are presented by category in the following order: grouper, snapper, hogfish/flounder, triggerfish/sheepshead and jack/cobia.

5. You must select your two largest and heaviest fish in each category. The weighmaster will not and cannot assist you with this decision. It is not necessary to present your largest fish in a category first.

6. There is no need to remove zip ties from your fish.

7. Be ready when it is your turn. If your fish do not meet ALL of the above requirements at the time that they are presented to the weighmaster, you will be asked to go to the back of the line.

8. After your fish are weighed, please sign your receipt and THEN retrieve your fish as quickly as possible to keep the lines moving.

If you have any questions, please ask one of the line assistants. Thank you for your cooperation!

NOTICE
Persons under the age of 21 are absolutely prohibited from drinking alcoholic beverages. If an underage person is seen drinking, they will be immediately disqualified from the tournament, and be banned from any future Spearboard Open.

The location of the weigh-in is at a wooded pavilion site. Hazards associated with this location might include potholes, wild animals, spearfishing prizes (such as spears, etc.). Persons bringing children agree to supervise them and ensure that they are staying free of hazards, and otherwise are properly supervised.

NO PETS ARE ALLOWED

PHOTOGRAPHY RELEASE

I hereby grant for me and any attending dependents to Enterprise Publications/Productions permission to use the likeness in a photograph or video recording in any and all of its publications, including websites and television productions, without monetary or other consideration. I agree that these materials will become the property of Enterprise.