The Coming Blue Storm - Spear Wars!

[SpearMax]

I have been playing it close to the vest for a while now as the ducks were placed in a row, but today is the day. I have announced the coming "Blue Storm" at the South Florida Freedivers Club Meeting and on now here Spearboard.com. Here is the flyer image that summarizes the events.

[SpearMax]

“Spear Wars” is about the spirit of competition in the rapidly growing sport of Spearfishing. Like the famously successful "Bass Masters" freshwater bass fishing tournaments, the television show "Spear Wars" will cover spearfishing tournaments around the country as well as both freedive and scuba spearfishing activity.

The “Spear Wars Blue Storm Tournament series” will have raw excitement, danger, competition and sex appeal while also helping preserve ocean resources by helping fishery scientists. Contestants will compete against each other for prizes and trophies as they now do in the "Spearboard Open" tournament which is the largest such aggregate scoring contest in the world.

The three tournaments for 2008 are in these locations with these dates below.

First up is the SBO which is in the same place as always on the west coast of Florida. We will be doing most of the same things as in the past years including a great fund-raiser for the Fishing Rights Alliance (FRA) plus we will introduce some innovative new features.

Then, we move to the east coast of Florida to a wonderful venue that has a cool waterfront restaurant and a nice meeting hall at the popular diving marina in Riviera Beach.

Lastly, we cap it off at the amazing Marina del Mar complex of three resorts in Key Largo. The Marina del Mar hotel is owned by the same company that owns the adjacent Holiday Inn and Ramada Inn. The Coconuts Restaurant on the water is the center point of the Keys Blue Storm Open event. There are lots of touristy things to do and see there at that location which is in relatively easy driving distance for all traditional SBO contestants.

SBO Blue Storm Classic

Thursday, May 15 - Captains' Meeting
Saturday, May 17 - Shooting Day
Sunday, May 18 - Weigh-in, BBQ and Expo

Rain Dates: None

Registration begins NOW!

LOCATION :

Rotary Pavilion, New Port Richey, Florida


Palm Beach Blue Storm Open

Thursday, July 24 - Captains' Meeting
Saturday, July 26 - Shooting Day
Sunday, July 27 - Weigh-in, BBQ and Expo

Rain Dates: August 9-10

Registration begins May 18

LOCATION:

Riviera Beach Marina
Tiki Waterfront Sea Grill
and Newcomb Hall
200 E 13th St
Riviera Beach, FL 33404
561-845-5532


Keys Blue Storm Open

Thursday, September 4 - Captains' Meeting
Saturday, September 6 - Shooting Day
Sunday, September 7 - Weigh-in, BBQ and Expo

Rain Dates: October 4-5

Registration begins July 27

LOCATION:

Marina del Mar Resort
Coconuts Restaurant & Lounge
528 Caribbean Dr
Key Largo, FL 33037
305-453-9794

[SpearMax]

Go to www.SpearWars.com for further information.

Please note that the Spearwars website is incomplete in some areas like the sponsor list. We will update those items quickly. You can expect a greater level and number of sponsors than last year. For example, Divers Direct has doubled their level of sponsorship over last year's level! Much more news on sponsors and the $100,000 in prizes will be coming soon.

[SpearMax]

The speech at the south Florida Freedivers meeting in miami was a lot of fun. They loved the idea for this big tournament series. Here is the T-shirt artwork for the entire 2008 tournament series.

I hope to see you there!

Go to www.SpearWars.com for further information.

[Shark Tales]

Looks awesome Tony! Count Shark Tales Team in for all three tournaments. Sounds like loads of fun.

[kmoose]

Holy crap Tony!............Yeah, I'm definately in for at least one.

[SpearMax]

Looks awesome Tony! Count Shark Tales Team in for all three tournaments. Sounds like loads of fun.

Holy crap Tony!............Yeah, I'm definately in for at least one.

Thanks John and Kenny!

Having the participation of top shooters like you guys is wonderful! :notworthy

I was just this morning met with the CEO and COO of the monster outdoor sporting goods chain Gander Mountain. They are in as big sponsors too. :toast:

If anyone is interested, there are almost 500 fun photos from last year's 2007 Spearboard Open (half of which have never before been seen publically) right here at this website:

Go to www.SpearWars.com for 2007 SBO photos

The photos remind me why it is so important for many of us on Spearboard to get together at least once a year. The SBO is a very family-friendly event which enables putting faces with screen names and simply having a great time. Tony

[ScottZeagle]

Tony -

Tell us more about "Spear Wars", please...the television show,, I mean.

Who will be in it, where will it be filmed, what channel will carry it, etc.

Sounds mighty interesting!

[SpearMax]

Tony -

Tell us more about "Spear Wars", please...the television show,, I mean.

Who will be in it, where will it be filmed, what channel will carry it, etc.

Sounds mighty interesting!


Glad you like the idea Scott!

I will be e-mailing you some information today.

I have owned a television and video production company for over 20 years and shot lots of award-winning documentaries, TV commercials, corporate videos, etc.

The idea for the televised spearfishing tournament series was hatched over two years ago. The CEO of Divers Direct suggested it to me and I was further encouraged by the CEO and COO of Gander Mountain way back then.

Around that same time, I met Dan Bowen who was the top line producer of the Bass Masters Classic event in Orlando which is owned by ESPN. I pitched the show idea to Dan Bowen over two years ago and stayed in touch with him.

This year Dan left ESPN/ABC Sports (Walt Disney Company) on positive terms and formed his own media company. He is the executive producer of Spear Wars. Dan is in discussion with two major networks to carry the show. He prefers to not announce the distribution arrangements yet. Suffice it to say, they are top network players. Dan has amazing personal access and respect from many TV exectives in the industry. He loves the Spear Wars TV concept and has made many positive refinements to the program's development.

TV crews going to follow certain teams as they compete in the tournament series. We are still in the team selection process so I would like to hold off saying who they are. You will know some if not all of them.

Thanks for your support, Tony

PS - Here is Dan Bowen's bio:

After graduating from USC’s Film & Television School in 1988, Dan Bowen became VP of Production for 2-time Golden Globe and 7-time Emmy Award-winning Actor/Producer, Ed Asner. Ed’s small, yet hugely passionate and creative production company afforded Bowen fertile ground to create, develop and produce a wide array of diverse concepts in both film and television. From there, Dan moved on to Consult, Produce and/or Executive Produce for ABC, NBC, CBS, ESPN, MTV, VH-1, FOX, Cablevision/Rainbow Media, Mozark Productions, Sony Music Entertainment, MSG Network, The Golf Channel, HBO and more.

Just prior to forming Bowen Media, Dan enjoyed a successful and diverse 10-year career with the Walt Disney Company (ABC and ESPN). There, he joined forces with a team of elite producers and journalists to produce the critically acclaimed 60+ hour documentary series, SportsCentury. Thereafter, Dan created, launched and oversaw numerous series for EOE (ESPN Original Entertainment), ESPN Classic, ABC Sports, ESPN’s Outdoor Adventure Channel, Live Remote Events and Studio Shows. Dan was promoted from Producer, to Sr. Producer, to Coordinating Producer, then soon after to Sr. Coordinating Producer/Executive Producer.

[ScottZeagle]

I'll tell you what, Tony....you have bitten off another huge chuck of work, but if it all pans out, it should be pretty cool!

Good luck!

[westpalmspearo]

you know were in

[westpalmspearo]

will it still be the same format of shooting anywhere or is it gonna be local to where the weigh in is?

[SpearMax]

I'll tell you what, Tony....you have bitten off another huge chuck of work, but if it all pans out, it should be pretty cool!

Good luck!


Life is short Scott. I believe in going for the gusto now, not later. If it works, then great, if not, at least we tried. I truly love this sport and want to preserve and enhance it in whatever way I can. My motivation has never been about money or glory or self interest. The more positive image we project about this sport, the more likely our great, great grandchildren and beyond will be able to enjoy it as we do now. Tony

[SaltyDawg08]

Count Salty Dawg Scuba in this with a team

[SpearMax]

will it still be the same format of shooting anywhere or is it gonna be local to where the weigh in is?

Patrick, the same rules will be used everywhere. That means you can shoot anywhere you can drive (not fly) the catch in to the weigh-in locations, except no shooting the Bahamas. By the way, we will also be instituting polygraph testing as several hook & line tournaments now do. The choices of the venues was made to facilitate the driving. For example, that is why Key Largo was chosen and not further south.

Check out the SBO rules right here to get some more ideas how it will work:

http://www.spearboardopen.com/2008rules.htm

[HeadHunter]

Tony, Red Snapper in the Federal waters of the Gulf don't open this year until the first of June. In previous years they've always been open for the SBO tournament. And regardless of what the NMFS seems to think, you can't shoot AR's in state waters in this area because they aren't there. I believe they're open in tha Atlantic for the tournament though. How are you planning on addressing this for the SBO?

Thanks Dan

[jerry1000]

looks like fun tony .cant wait ....


will you have any shirts to buy before the dates?

[SpearMax]

Tony, Red Snapper in the Federal waters of the Gulf don't open this year until the first of June. In previous years they've always been open for the SBO tournament. And regardless of what the NMFS seems to think, you can't shoot AR's in state waters in this area because they aren't there. I believe they're open in tha Atlantic for the tournament though. How are you planning on addressing this for the SBO?

Thanks Dan

Very good point Dan. More and more of this sort of thing will probably happen as different restrictions apply in various areas. Keeping the playing field level is good goal. Perhaps we should exclude Red Snappers for just the SBO this year. The other two Blue Storm tournaments could have them in. We have been considering double points for sheephead and may do that.

[mjphawk]

There really are two ways of looking at it though. We have virtually no chance of getting Red Snapper here in South Florida because they just aren't here. Getting a 10+ Hog or a limit of grouper is rare as well. But I choose to hunt here. Its my backyard and I will take the bad with the good.

On the other hand I do remember someone from the Carolinas who shot a queen trigger and was refused from weighing it in because he had to shoot to the standard of local rules. Might be necessary to consult with FWC to see if they are ok with Red Snapper at the tournament, since there is little way to verify the location in which is was caught.

Just a thought, I don't care either way. Dan's going to kick my ass either way.

[100days-a-year]

Sucks about the snapper,but.

No big hogs in Jax at all and few anyway yet most of the Jax guys even newbs were competitive last year:toast:.I shot in the shallow Gulf and nearly filled my card out with less than #50:loser:.

Very few AJs much less big ones in the Keys and hogs run short unless you are @ 200' deep or 90 miles west.

The La guys as well as the Miss,'Bama and Panhandle guys get almost no hogs as well.

Even tho the double points sheephead rule would help me I still prefer the tourney as done previously.

Weather could be good only in one area yet doable in others,what then.Let's just roll the dice,obey the rulz and have a good time.:thumps:

[Lazy Bones]

I like the idea of several different sites. It will be nice to have a Palm Beach weigh in and that should increase local participation.:beer:

A couple of questions:

1) Since the "SBO" is the grandaddy of the three, how do you see the prizes being divided up? Do you expect a pretty similar distribution or will that be sponsor specific or biased towards the biggest turnout? Just curious. If I enter the tourney, it won't be prize-centric as I wouldn't expect it to matter much in my case.

2) Why no Bahamas? How is that fundamentally different than boats running to the Middle grounds or Tortugas? You could even say that anyone headed to the Bahamas would be handicapped by the regs (slings/no scuba/60#s of fish.)

Again, the series idea is definitley ambitious and I look forward to seeing it play out.:thumps:

[SpearMax]

There really are two ways of looking at it though. We have virtually no chance of getting Red Snapper here in South Florida because they just aren't here. Getting a 10+ Hog or a limit of grouper is rare as well. But I choose to hunt here. Its my backyard and I will take the bad with the good.

Even tho the double points sheephead rule would help me I still prefer the tourney as done previously.

I like the idea of several different sites. It will be nice to have a Palm Beach weigh in and that should increase local participation.:beer:

Excellent points fellas! All your great input will be considered. The local angle is working really well, even better than I thought. We are picking up lots of local contestants and sponsors in all three Blue Storm locations that see the competitive fun and value of being in a very large tournament series. I was in Florida Freedivers store Saturday and in the space of 30 minutes garnered several contestants and a brand new Blue Storm sponsor who was visiting Mike's store.The original design and current format of the SBO aggregate tournament rules is brilliant in many ways. This format is what enables launching a tournament series that can be spread out over time and space while letting everyone hunt wherever they like. The carrying forward of aggregate scoring points from the first tourney to the second and third determines a Grand Champion and runner ups who will get special prizes and trophies. We are still sorting through the allocation of prizes issues mentioned above. Suffice it to say.............This is gonna be fun!

[N2Fixx]

Just loving all of the new tournaments and the idea for the new show. Looking forward to my first SBO; keep 'em coming!

[Johnoly]

.... Might be necessary to consult with FWC to see if they are ok with Red Snapper at the tournament, since there is little way to verify the location in which is was caught.


Very Good point. Someone holds up a huge Red Snapper at the SBO and it winds up on the front page of the Tampa Tribune. Readers will go ballistic, no matter where it came from.



.... It will be nice to have a Palm Beach weigh in and that should increase local participation....


Just a clarification. The Spearboard Open has it's weigh-in at New Port Richey, not a 2nd weigh-in site at Palm Beach that same day.

The Palm Beach Blue Storm Open is a different tournament.

[rjnjupiter]

I volunteer the Emerald Team to handle the sex appeal part. With wild and Crazy guys like Ocean Ed, Profishanddive and Island Pressure, we are sure to draw the interest of any and all. Good Luck Tony, we are in and congratulations on your decision to take on this monster. Where do we sign up to sponsor? How can I best support your efforts?

[SpearMax]

I volunteer the Emerald Team to handle the sex appeal part. With wild and Crazy guys like Ocean Ed, Profishanddive and Island Pressure, we are sure to draw the interest of any and all. Good Luck Tony, we are in and congratulations on your decision to take on this monster. Where do we sign up to sponsor? How can I best support your efforts?

Randy, you sign up here at this link.

www.spearboardopen.com

The response to the tournament series has been very positive.

Should be good! Tony

[Petra]

Tony, it looks like you've gone above and beyond! Thinking outside the box, for sure!

Looking forward to competing against so many fine hunters!

[KeysKid]

Wow those T-shirt designs are awesome. Sounds like fun, I'm in.

[IRONHEAD]

sounds very exciting, I am glad to see there are a few new venues to compete in.

[keezdiver]

"Very good point Dan. More and more of this sort of thing will probably happen as different restrictions apply in various areas. Keeping the playing field level is good goal. Perhaps we should exclude Red Snappers for just the SBO this year. The other two Blue Storm tournaments could have them in. We have been considering double points for sheephead and may do that."

BS...don't exclude shit....and don't do the double points.

what's open is open, what's available is available.

we don't have red snapper in the keys...and you're hard pressed to find other snapper over 10lbs.

we don't have any sheepshead....why the hell do guys on the gulf coast get bonus points for them?

everyone has some limiting factor when it comes to the rules and where they plan to hunt. so massaging the rules for the benefit of the guys hunting the gulf and tampa bay is CRAP.


i was excited when i heard ARS was closed for the SBO. that means i wasn't gonna have to compete against stringers 20-30lb snapper. meaning it will be more equal opportunity to find a big mutton, cubera or mango.

conversely i was PISSED when i heard tony may do double points for sheepshead.....and for what reason? so that guys with smaller boats who couldn't get way offshore to the MGs could still get good points around their docks and shallow rockpiles?
well great...than make any hogfish under 5lbs worth double points too...or all snapper under 5lbs...

[jfjf]

"Very good point Dan. More and more of this sort of thing will probably happen as different restrictions apply in various areas. Keeping the playing field level is good goal. Perhaps we should exclude Red Snappers for just the SBO this year. The other two Blue Storm tournaments could have them in. We have been considering double points for sheephead and may do that."

BS...don't exclude shit....and don't do the double points.

what's open is open, what's available is available.

we don't have red snapper in the keys...and you're hard pressed to find other snapper over 10lbs.

we don't have any sheepshead....why the hell do guys on the gulf coast get bonus points for them?

everyone has some limiting factor when it comes to the rules and where they plan to hunt. so massaging the rules for the benefit of the guys hunting the gulf and tampa bay is CRAP.


i was excited when i heard ARS was closed for the SBO. that means i wasn't gonna have to compete against stringers 20-30lb snapper. meaning it will be more equal opportunity to find a big mutton, cubera or mango.

conversely i was PISSED when i heard tony may do double points for sheepshead.....and for what reason? so that guys with smaller boats who couldn't get way offshore to the MGs could still get good points around their docks and shallow rockpiles?
well great...than make any hogfish under 5lbs worth double points too...or all snapper under 5lbs...

Damn...... :eek::eek: I heard a rumor, now it is just a rumor, that if you can attach a stringer to your nipple ring(s) at the bottom (and provide video taped documentation of this fact) any fish brought the surface with a hand's free technique.. will be awarded TRIPLE points!

[Spearo Agnew]

Sounds great !
But it doesn't go far enough.
Just encouraging every retard to pick up a spear, is small potatoes.

I'd rather see a Manatee hunt reality show.
The extinction of a species would make awesome tv, especially the last show of season 3 where the last manatee is killed.
Who wouldn't watch that ?

Nah, even that's not grand enough. I know, "Kill Everything TV "
The show where everything is killed (for fun of course), then we can watch our very own demise !
The last viewer is the winner !

Stewardship of the planet ? What a stupid notion...

[SpearMax]

everyone has some limiting factor when it comes to the rules and where they plan to hunt. so massaging the rules for the benefit of the guys hunting the gulf and tampa bay is CRAP.

i was excited when i heard ARS was closed for the SBO. that means i wasn't gonna have to compete against stringers 20-30lb snapper. meaning it will be more equal opportunity to find a big mutton, cubera or mango.

conversely i was PISSED when i heard tony may do double points for sheepshead.....and for what reason? so that guys with smaller boats who couldn't get way offshore to the MGs could still get good points around their docks and shallow rockpiles?
well great...than make any hogfish under 5lbs worth double points too...or all snapper under 5lbs...


Good points Jeff. No final decisions have been made yet. Your input is valuable. Many people are opining. For example, I was talking with Chris Hudgens this morning and he feels there should be no adjustment for red snapper. Thus, we are "weighing" everyone's input.

[keezdiver]

"if you can attach a stringer to your nipple ring(s) at the bottom (and provide video taped documentation of this fact) any fish brought the surface with a hand's free technique.. will be awarded TRIPLE points!"

:lol:

see now that's what i'm talkin about!!!

what if i tie a float line to my nipple...and go out to shoot some AJs in the ass?
:cool:

all in good fun guys...all in good fun.

[SpearMax]

Sounds great !
But it doesn't go far enough.
Just encouraging every retard to pick up a spear, is small potatoes.

I'd rather see a Manatee hunt reality show.
The extinction of a species would make awesome tv, especially the last show of season 3 where the last manatee is killed.
Who wouldn't watch that ?

Nah, even that's not grand enough. I know, "Kill Everything TV "
The show where everything is killed (for fun of course), then we can watch our very own demise !
The last viewer is the winner !

Stewardship of the planet ? What a stupid notion...

I guess you do not know how the SBO, SPO and many other tournaments around the country have worked with fish scientists and help collect valuable data on gags, hogs and other species. How many tournaments have you speared in? Just curious.

[anchorman]

We are considering a team for the open in NPR. Mostly because it is close and we are lazy guys when it comes to leaving Pinellas county. NPR is close enough to get us thinking about it. So Team Dumbass may make a showing this year.


On the TV show aspect. First......great idea because I love spearfishing. Second.....do you think this will bring more yahoos to the sport? I mean once they started building bikes on the Discovery channel it seemed that everyone and their brother started building bikes. Now could a show on spearfishing bring the same thing to our sport? More boats out on the water? More yahoos on our reefs fighting for the same fish? I just worry about loosing some of the population due to yahoos in the water shooting anything they come across.

I try not to shoot female hogfish, if they are big then I have put a spear in them once or twice. But for the most part they are safe from me. I try my best to only take the alpha males. That comes from experience and trying to "perserve" my reefs for years to come. I only shoot at grouper that are well over the size limit, again that is experience. 20" and 24" look pretty close underwater, even closer to a rookie. Now a bunch of guys that get into the sport because it "looks cool" or "they do this on TV" may damage what I try so hard to keep.

I am not trying to start a debate I am just concerned that a TV show could have a negative impact on the sport.

[Gradyman]

Tony, great job!! Never mind the "Agnews", those types would rather we go back to cave man days ...and even then they'd be against campfire pollution.

Anyway, no weddings thus far for May 17th, so I might get to shoot a spear, not just a camera, for the SBO. I'll start working on a team & booking my timeshare for the Key Largo event.

[Gradyman]

I am not trying to start a debate I am just concerned that a TV show could have a negative impact on the sport.


I agree, maybe some kind of "responsible way" to spearfish needs to be addressed & reinforced on the show! Even the teams being videoed would be responsible to stress this.

As far as the rules, my 2 cents, leave them as they are...our hogfish are rare. Dan, you know I love you guys, but along with a few snapper, this was your monster last year!

[keezdiver]

anchorman

i'm not convinced it was so much "more people building bikes" (although to some extent it was)....as it became more main-stream to see them.

custom bikes are the hip thing to do now...both building them and riding them.

harleys aren't for ugly, hairy, beer chugging, trouble causing, overweight bikers...its classy now....even sexy women are riding them.

the TV show could bring more people into the sport. which isn't really a bad thing. and everyone has to contend with the same laws. even experienced shooters get undersized fish sometimes.

and as far as getting more people on the water....they're already there. just cause someone wants to spear doens't mean they're gonna go buy a $50K boat and spend $4 a gallon on fuel.

its not like you're gonna have an influx of 1,000,000 spearos because of a TV show.

[anchorman]

I hope you are right Keez. Only time will tell. Anytime TV gets involved things happen.

Funny thing happened two weeks ago, we pull up to one of our honey holes way offshore. Me and Certz hit the bottom and get to work. When we flipped off the boat there was nobody in site, when we came back up there were 3 boats within 100 yards of us...........we were 30+ miles offshore. It wasn't like that last year. Sure they were H/L guys but in time other divers are going to show up...........they always show up.

I like our spots and we worked hard to get them......hours of trolling around in nomans land....eyes glued to the lowrance looking for profiles. Now some charter guy sees a dive flag up and steals the numbers. Next time we hit the hole...........4 charters sitting on it. More guys spearing means more charters on the water looking for good bottom. That is my only concern when it comes to a TV show.

[keezdiver]

shit that happens every day in the keys.

i've watched boat swerve a 1/4 mile out of their way to buzz a dive boat...just to snag the numbers.

[Spearo Agnew]

Spearmax,
You always make good points, & it's obvious you're a conservationist.
I've never been in a tournament. I don't think they promote responsible behavior (much less respect for life).

Anchorman makes an excellent point.
If the show takes off, there will definitely be more traffic, probably more charters, & definitely yahoos.
How many of them will shoot wisely or stay away from females ?(a very smart thing to do).

My whole family are hunters, & in our crowd, all were conservationists, so I know many serious hunters have a responsible mindset, wether philanthropic or not.
Unfortunately, things are not as they were when our parents hunted.
I could go on here, but to cut to the chase, what do you think would happen to the fish population here if there was a 5 year ban on all fishing ?
If you agree it would increase dramatically, then you are confronted with the question of selfishness vs. preservation.

[Chad Carney]

The 2nd SBO in 2004 was the big change year for a spearfishing tournament in Florida. In the 1st SBO in 2003 101 registered, followed by 217 in 2004. Scott McPherson took a bold stand by adopting a multi-day format with a Sunday weigh-in, an optional Capt's meeting, a best boat award and double sheepshead points.

Here's a quote from Spearboard founder Scott McPherson later that year: "About the multi-day format, in retrospect I loved it! I wanted to achieve a safer, less rushed day of diving for the shooters. Some guys charter a boat for tournaments, and it's tough to justify the expense when you point the bow towards port at 2:00 PM. The optional Capt's meeting allowed people from out-of-state to enter this tournament. It would have been asking too much for someone to drive down from North Carolina on a Friday night, return up there to dive, and then drive fish down on Sunday. Also the top two spearfishermen were on a slow boat that could not make a one day tournament, as were many others. Some people said "Won't that cause cheating?" Bottom line if people are going to cheat, they are going to cheat. Tournaments are on an honor system, so frankly, it didn't bother me a bit to have a non-mandatory Capt's meeting. The new "Best Boat" category was well received and it rewarded the captain(s) who make such a big difference in the results. The average of the weight per boat worked as I hoped because a small boat beat out a higher scoring big boat with more than twice the number of divers. As for the double point sheepshead rule, we'll have to review that. I'm not sure that it had much of an impact on the final outcome."

Interestingly all of his changes are still part of the current SBO except the double sheepshead rule which was scrapped the next year.
The SBO has grown tremendously ever since.

If I'm not mistaken 2004 was also the last year for 3 fish per category. The grouper category was a point of contention being that east coast divers were only allowed 2. The 2 fish per category, except AJ/cobia, turned out to also have a better ecological appearance.


I know another major area of contention is red snapper and unfortunately detailed records of the tournament results are probably tough to locate. Everyone remembers the # of large red snapper from the 2006 SBO brought in by the Hell Divers and 3 of them placed in the top 20, (9th, 15th & 17th), but Gulf diver Dan MacMahon won conclusively with only 19.2 out of 40 snapper points and 24.4 out of 40 hogfish points.
In 2005 Sheri Daye won with 2 cubera snappers for about 39 points. In 2007 Dan won again with the huge cubera shown earlier in this thread, and I can't remember his second snapper.

Red snapper being off limits in the gulf may or may not be a substantial contributor to the winners, but it clearly doesn't sit well with many Gulf divers knowing that elsewhere, where it is legal, that red snapper would be allowed... sort of like the 2 vs. 3 grouper regs back in 2004.

Sure there are many places where some species of fish are not resident... but that's not something that is regulated.

In my opinion, I see less harm in taking red snapper off the table than leaving them on.

Chad

[Swimsuit]

i definitely am looking forward to how this tournament series works out. Hopefully, i'll be able to shoot all 3.

just a quick note on shooting the alpha male hogs as opposed to the females. i haven't worked out the science totally on it, but in this species, it may be better to just take one of the females. especially during spawning season. taking the one male from the harem during spawning season can stop the entire harem from reproducing because it takes months for one of the females to become male & take over the harem. so in theory, all of the females in the harem cannot reproduce if you take that alpha male (0 reproductive output), but if you take one of the smaller females (the larger ones have exponentially higher egg production) the rest of the harem can still reproduce. in my little mind, i think this is probably the most conservative way to approach spearing hoggies (my fav!)

[mash]

I will say this about the TV show thing if I had never seen a show on TV with guys doing blue water mai hunting I would have never become interested in the sport. I am 33 and fished a lot have been going to the beach my whole life in NJ, DE,MD,VA and had never seen anyone spearfishing . Least not that I know of. I had seen some dive flags around just never paid any attention. I am and avid hunter as well and love outdoor sports so the show may catch a few guys attention like me but the sport is growing period I would wager. As it gets bigger more and more people come into contact with it grows. Just look at the hey I am a new guy posts here and you can see that. Do I think a hit show will make it grow exponential most likely not. The sport does take some money, time and experience to get into and have success. I doubt it will appeal to the non athletic type fisher man other than a cool show to watch. Much nicer to drive the truck out on the sand set up a few poles a grill and crack a cold one. There comment would be"man that looks like allot of work why not get a rod".

You will always have a percentage of donkey's involved in any sport. In most the responsible people that care passionately keep them in line or outweigh the bad.

In FL I am sure lots of people see guys out spearing and think it might be fun and pick it up hence it grows. As more guys up here start getting in the water drag friends out with them it will grow with or with out a hot TV show.

For example there were allot less people whitewater kayaking when I started paddling and now the river is packed every weekend. Is that TV shows and clips of guys like EJ running sick water falls or guys taking friends out to enjoy a pastime they are passionate about. Could be the fact that there are several schools on the local river where there was non before but is that demand grew so the schools grew up to support it.

I would venture a guess some of the old time guys think the best fishing spots are pack compared to back in the day. I know the jetties look allot more pack to me than when I was a kid but my memory seems to have faded with all those beers.

Ok I am rambling and will stop.

[Rinaldo]

I'm in. Gotta make sure Michelle can make it out for this as well.

[IRONHEAD]

Anyway, no weddings thus far for May 17th, so I might get to shoot a spear, not just a camera, for the SBO. I'll start working on a team & booking my timeshare for the Key Largo event.
:thumps: keep me in mind, I might be able to swing it too. ;)

[pirate_diver]

A tourny in Key Largo...sounds GREAT. Can't make the first two but key largo should be more than doable.

Tony - Was planning for this part of the reason for the trips to Key Largo? Regardless, you plan on coming back down this way anytime soon?

[SpearMax]

I agree, maybe some kind of "responsible way" to spearfish needs to be addressed & reinforced on the show! Even the teams being videoed would be responsible to stress this.

Spearmax,
You always make good points, & it's obvious you're a conservationist.
I've never been in a tournament. I don't think they promote responsible behavior (much less respect for life).

Wow! It really is so great to see such intelligent and friendly debate on these issues. There are many interesting points of view above in the thread, but I just picked these two above to empasize one aspect. I think the time may be right to introduce some sort of "code of conduct" or whatever label works regarding "responsible spearfishing" and perhaps maybe we could try it on this tournament series and TV show. If it works, maybe it will catch on elsewhere in the sport. Just my two cents, Tony

[Bottom Dweller]

i definitely am looking forward to how this tournament series works out. Hopefully, i'll be able to shoot all 3.

just a quick note on shooting the alpha male hogs as opposed to the females. i haven't worked out the science totally on it, but in this species, it may be better to just take one of the females. especially during spawning season. taking the one male from the harem during spawning season can stop the entire harem from reproducing because it takes months for one of the females to become male & take over the harem. so in theory, all of the females in the harem cannot reproduce if you take that alpha male (0 reproductive output), but if you take one of the smaller females (the larger ones have exponentially higher egg production) the rest of the harem can still reproduce. in my little mind, i think this is probably the most conservative way to approach spearing hoggies (my fav!)

Hey Jess, I promise that there is more than one "Alpha Male" hog on each spot, especially in the middle grounds. It is truely amazing how many hog fish are never seen due to where they spend their time. Not at all doubting your theory, if there was only one large male to breed with.

Scott

[dive4bugz]

Team Dumpster Diver is a go!!

[anchorman]

i definitely am looking forward to how this tournament series works out. Hopefully, i'll be able to shoot all 3.

just a quick note on shooting the alpha male hogs as opposed to the females. i haven't worked out the science totally on it, but in this species, it may be better to just take one of the females. especially during spawning season. taking the one male from the harem during spawning season can stop the entire harem from reproducing because it takes months for one of the females to become male & take over the harem. so in theory, all of the females in the harem cannot reproduce if you take that alpha male (0 reproductive output), but if you take one of the smaller females (the larger ones have exponentially higher egg production) the rest of the harem can still reproduce. in my little mind, i think this is probably the most conservative way to approach spearing hoggies (my fav!)


Noted.......I guess I never thought of it that way. Well after the spring is over I will make you a promise.....I am going to pop some fems. I just hate to shoot the preggo ones. Nothing worse than cleaning a hog and finding a belly full of eggs. Its happened.....I am pretty sure its happened to all of us.

[Swimsuit]

Hey Jess, I promise that there is more than one "Alpha Male" hog on each spot, especially in the middle grounds. It is truely amazing how many hog fish are never seen due to where they spend their time. Not at all doubting your theory, if there was only one large male to breed with.

Scott

good point scott. i should have mentioned that in my previous post. thanks for bringing it up. if there is another male around, females could break their harem and move to join a different one. in the papers i've read, i haven't come across where they have determined scientifically that females will for sure join another harem, but that's the suspected outcome when there are other males/harems present. (i haven't read all the papers out there so i won't presume to know everything) so i guess think twice about shooting the males if there's only one male around;)

[StabbinBoy]

A reality tv show???

I better get to work on nailing down that Speedo enorsement

[HeadHunter]

Tony, I'd leave them in. No reason to penalize other areas just because they're off limits in the Gulf. Hard to have a set of rules thats 100% fair to every area, but yours are pretty darn close.

[Charlestondivin]

In regards to the Red snapper rule.

Is this a Tampa gulf tournament or the spearboard "OPEN" Spearboard is made up of people all over and the spirit of the tournament was for everyone to compete. For the rig divers red snaps help offset their lack of hogfish. I wouldn't doubt for a minute you would lose their participation with that rule change.

By that logic we need to exclude hogs, The rigs and Jax can't get them. The keys don't have sheepshead, should we exclude those too? You could go on and on till we have a 30 way tie for first place with 20 points for Aj. Everyone has those :D

As far as the law is concerned that can be headed off by contacting the game wardens ahead of time. The game laws are obeyed and it could be proven.

[Chad Carney]

In regards to the Red snapper rule.

For the rig divers red snaps help offset their lack of hogfish. I wouldn't doubt for a minute you would lose their participation with that rule change.


Hey Rob,

You must have misunderstood... rig divers (or any Gulf of Mexico divers) will not be able to shoot red snapper in the SBO... not until June 1st. Because of the new regulation... that's why the HDR is one weekend later this year. (It's a shame because the new regulation is unnecessary. There are more red snapper than ever!)

So taking them out would have the opposite affect, perhaps more closely leveling the field for the northern Gulf divers. They already don't have hogs... gags and Warsaw grouper are there, but not in abundance. They have the edge on big sheepshead & triggers, and their mangroves are 12+ lbs too.

I'm fine with it either way.

Dan's right about "Hard to have a set of rules thats 100% fair to every area, but yours are pretty darn close."

Chad

[Charlestondivin]

Hey Rob,

You must have misunderstood... rig divers (or any Gulf of Mexico divers) will not be able to shoot red snapper in the SBO... not until June 1st. Because of the new regulation...

Dan's right about "Hard to have a set of rules thats 100% fair to every area, but yours are pretty darn close."

Chad


I misunderstood, I stand corrected.

"Hard to have a set of rules thats 100% fair to every area, but yours are pretty darn close." :beer::beer:

[Chad Carney]

No foul Rob. Hope to see you in NPR, and good luck!

I hope many of the rig divers come down too.

Tournaments and rodeos are tough on long distance shooters. I've done my share... 5 rodeos from AL to TX and 2 in Key West, but I love the diversity of spearfishing!

Chad

[SpearMax]

Tony, I'd leave them in. No reason to penalize other areas just because they're off limits in the Gulf. Hard to have a set of rules thats 100% fair to every area, but yours are pretty darn close.

So taking them out would have the opposite affect, perhaps more closely leveling the field for the northern Gulf divers. They already don't have hogs... gags and Warsaw grouper are there, but not in abundance. They have the edge on big sheepshead & triggers, and their mangroves are 12+ lbs too.

I'm fine with it either way.

Dan's right about "Hard to have a set of rules thats 100% fair to every area, but yours are pretty darn close."

This snapper subject has a diversity of opinions. Maybe we should step back a little and also consider the bigger picture of aggregate point scoring possibilities over three tournaments. Red snapper will not be an issue in the other two Blue Storm Tournaments for SBO shooters that choose to shoot all three in a play for the "Grand Championship" of the tournament series.

Just because a Gulf shooter starts out at a percieved disadvantage in the 2008 SBO and possibly rank lower, does not mean they can not catch up later in the overall rankings. That is when the true competitive spirit will emerge and the race will be at full throttle. However, on the other side of the coin, we should have the flexibility to adjust the rules when needed to the current regulatory situation as has been done historically per Chad's review of past SBOs.

The hunting strategies of shooters must also be flexible and make adjustments to the situation. Placing high in the SBO rankings is all about strategy (as well as plain luck). This is not a "big fish" tourney, although big fish do get trophies.

On another note, it was good talking to you yesterday Rob. So, your team may know where there is another one of these over 20 pounds? :eek:

Hmm............. ;)

[rigdvr]

sounds a little like the stuff they are already filming in LA leading up to the HDR.......

[HeadHunter]

Red Snapper are legal in the Gulf for the tournament, as long as they're taken in State waters (9nm), 16 inch minimum, limit 2. See myfwc.com for any questions.

[Chad Carney]

That's true Dan.

I shot a fair sized red snapper out of Destin back in 2002, but I don't remember if we were beyond 9 miles out.
Maybe Panama City to Pensacola could produce a few but that's probably about it for the Gulf Coast of FL.

I know red snapper are not legal in LA State waters until June 1st, but I could not find the red snapper regs for MS & AL state waters.

Everybody,

Here's the link for the 2008 SBO Rules and Registration:

Yesterday was the last day for changes to the rules so red snapper are in where legal and sheepshead are scored like any other fish.

http://www.spearboardopen.com/rules.htm

Chad

[groupergrabber]

:yup:selective spearfishing is way safer for marine life for their is no accidentle loss of life.for example if I was fishing with a pole and reeled a undersize fish from the deep most likly fish is dead anyway:wtf:,or net fishermen fishing has plenty of buy catch not to mention just carelesly dragging a net all over not only catching large % of fish that they cant keep,how many wrecks have you been to that are wrapped with fishing line? that you could get tangled in or get stuck in prop and ruin lower seals.IN SHORT ; My speargun leaves none of these damaging things behind,just allows me to pinpoint exactly what I want to put on my dinnertable and letting everything else to fight another day, while enjoying are underwater paradise wrapped in fishinglinesorry if I nagged for to long Just venting.:rant: and Thankyou for listening.:moon::moon::moon: