2009 Nationals Rules
DOWNLOAD THE 2009 SPEARFISHING NATIONALS RULES
All fish must be taken in accordance with California Fish and Game Laws. All contestants must posess a valid California fishing license.
Fish Species:
No take (zero) sharks, rays, skates, mola mola, eels, finless fish (eels)
Length:
Minimum length for tournament fish: 14 inches
Species: State Size / Tournament Fish Size:
- California Scorpionfish 10”/14”
- White Seabass 28”/30” ONE WHITE SEA BASS ONLY ALLOWED
- Sheepshead 12”/18” ONE SHEEPSHEAD ONLY ALLOWED
-Yellowtail 24"/24"
- Cabezon 15”/16” LIMIT TWO FISH
- Rockfish 10”/14” (No Retention of Canary, Yelloweye, Cowcod and Bronzespotted) Bocaccio is Limited to Two fish.
- Halibut 22"/23"
- Corbina 12”/14”
- Sargo 12”/14”
- Lingcod 24”/25" LIMIT TWO FISH
- Sand Bass 12”/14”
- Opaleye 12”/14”
- Zebra Perch 12”/14”
- Halfmoon 12”/14”
- Striped Perch 12”/14”
- Ocean Whitefish 12”/14”
- Black Perch 12”/14”
- Lingcod 24”/25”
- Rubberlip Perch 12”/14”
- Pile Perch 12”/14”
- Black Croaker 12”/14”
- Giant Kelpfish 12”/14”
- Calico Bass 12”/14”
- Barracuda 28”/29”
- Bonito 24”/24”
- Topsmelt and Jacksmelt 12”/14”
- Pacific Mackerel 12”/14”
- Kelp Greenling-Rock Greenling 12”/14” Limit TWO FISH
- Surf Perch 12” /14”
- Trigger Fish 12”/14”
- Sanddabs and Soles-- State Regulations /14”
- Tunas & other Pelagic -- State Regulations /14”
• Fish Quantity:
No more than twenty (20) fish total may be weighed in.
Only Three (3) fish per
species may be taken with the exception of White Sea Bass is Limited to ONE
fish and Sheepshead limited to ONE fish.
Cabezon, Lingcod and Kelp-Rock greenling limit TWO fish.
Scoring is 1 (one) point per fish plus 1
(one) point per pound excepting that a single fish’s points may not exceed 21
points (20 lb. plus 1 point for the fish).
• Equipment:
A. Spearguns – all (including polespears) must be loaded using muscle power.
No detonating or power heads may be used. Spearguns must be loaded and
unloaded in the water (including getting into the dive board). Due to limited
visibility, NO free shafts. All shafts must be tethered.
B. A 5 mm wetsuit is recommended.
C. Weight belts and lead will be provided to out of state divers upon request.
D. Required: Each diver must have a Coast Guard approved PFD on the
board/kayak and a dive flag that must be a minimum size of 12 x 12 inches.
If diving with a float a dive flag is required. Minimum size for the float is 10
liters.
E. Optional: mask, snorkel, knife, weight belt, float line, dive light, inflation
type life preserver.
• Paddleboards/Kayaks:
Paddleboards/kayaks or float propulsion shall be powered by manual methods
only. This includes hand paddling, kicking (foot fins) and paddles. No
mechanized or other means of non-manual propulsion is allowed.
• Miscellaneous Rules:
A) There shall be no fish taken in the meet area 30 days prior the competition.
B) There shall be no chumming. Chumming includes willfully breaking up the
bottom and removing or damaging any shellfish or fin fish in order to attract
other fish. No feeding (chumming) of fish in the tournament area 30 days
prior to or during competition.
C) Divers may assist respective team members but may not assist divers of
another team except in cases of emergency. Assisting or receiving assistance
from another diver would include the following: sending signals, lending
equipment and/or resting on another diver’s float. Divers must take their own
fish; no trading or giving of fish to other divers is allowed.
D) No artificial breathing apparatus may be used during the tournament.
E) Violation of any California Fish and Game rules will result in disqualification;
divers must have current California fishing license.
F) No use of alcohol or rough play.
• Diving Areas:
A) The tournament boundaries will be marked by north and south buoys. The
northern tournament boundary is a line from Pacific Coast Hwy to the Deep
Hole. The southern tournament boundary is a line from the life guard tower at
Nicolas Canyon to the south boundary buoy. These buoys are approximately
1.5 miles either north or south from the staging area at the beach in Leo
Carrillo north, Malibu.
GPS land Boundary North: N34 03.244 W118 57.983
GPS Sea Boundary North: N 34 02.896 W118 58.343
GPS land Boundary South: N34 02.558 W 118 55.131
GPS Sea Boundary South: N34 02.226 W118 55.168
B) Competitors must enter and exit the water from the staging area only.
C) Competitors may only leave the diving (meet) area during competition with
permission from a judge – except in an emergency
D) No fish may be taken in the meet area for one month prior to the meet date.
E) No competitor may possess a speargun or polespear in the meet area for one
month prior to the meet date.
F) No competitor’s catch may leave the staging area until s/he has weighed
his/her catch.
G) Buoys will clearly mark the water start and stop line and shall be supervised at
the end of the meet to identify stragglers.
H) Competitors may dive in the meet area up to the day before the competition
when, at 5:00 p.m., they must be out of the tournament area. Divers shall not
re-enter the water in the meet area on the day of the meet prior to its start.
For USOA rules click here
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