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Thread: Spearfishing at the Seaway

  1. #16

    Re: Spearfishing at the Seaway

    Quote Originally Posted by iank
    I know that spearfishing is not aloud in the seaway but what is the go for the sand pumping jetty side as when I was down there today I spotted one bloke coming out of the water on the sand pumping jetty side of the south wall with a spear gun, then on the way back to the car saw another bloke heading out on the south wall with a spear gun. I thought it could be a bit dangerous as there is so many people especially kids swimming and playing around that area.
    Cheers Ian
    For those of you that don't know, I get right into spearing alot - more so than fishing at the moment. I take it pretty seriously and I'm into free dive training in the dive pool as well. I spearfish the outside of the south wall as well as free dive (not spearing) on the inside both along the wall, along the two pipes and anywhere else in there that looks interesting. I have never speared on the inside of the seaway, and only free dive in there for practice and to enjoy the array of life it has to offer. Personally I support the ban of spearing in there because without it, the abundance of life that is there would cease to exist in a very short period of time.

    As for people swimming and kids etc, spearing is only possible on the outside of the walls in the best conditions the weather has to offer. 10-15 kts even makes it too rough as the waves break in a diagonal direction (NW) against the wall, creating tough currents and reducing visibility substantially. When the weather is kind enough to allow spearing on the outside of the walls (5-10kts), visibility there is quite good. I speared the outside of the south wall last week and had a good 10-12m visibility (at least). Given that the range on most guns is less than 5m, owing to both the power of the weapon and restriction of the shooting line that connects the spear to the weapon, the chances of someone being shot are comparable to a big fat zero. Furthermore, people simple do not swim around the wall - they swim in the first 20m of the shoreline which is inaccessible to spearing due to foam and wash reducing visibility. Be assured, you have no chance of being accidentally speared.

    Quote Originally Posted by 4x4frog
    [quote author=R0b link=1146913116/0#4 date=1146921200]... As for the rules as to where you can spearfish.....it always was that it was illeagel anywhere form the inside of a river mouth upstream....any bays etc I assume would be outside the prohibited zone then?
    Incorrect. The Fisheries Regulation 1995 stipulates precise boundaries where spear fishing is and is not permitted. To clarify, the rules for the Seaway are that spear fishing is permitted outside an imaginary line drawn from the outermost tip of the south wall, to the outermost tip of the north wall. Inside this line is prohibited. As for other locations, unless the area is listed in the Fisheries Regulation 1995 or an associated amendment notice (or is listed as a protected environmental zone), spear fishing is permitted regardless of signs that local citizens or local council take upon themselves to erect.

    Quote Originally Posted by jim_bream
    ... Last time I was at the Seaway (Good Friday am) there were spearfisherman on BOTH sides of the wall. B*st*rds were weaving in and out of everyones lines. Only one stopped to unsnag my Rapala, kudos to him tho..
    Question. You want to fish from the wall. Spear fishermen want to spear along the wall. Where is there an order that makes you a higher priority? Unless the spear fisherman is spearing illegally (e.g. in a prohibited zone), he has equal rights to utilise the environment as you do. Spear fishing as a sport has enough collective ignorance from antagonist groups to contend with without having to deal with the likes of ill-informed individual fishermen as well. On numerous occasions I've swum down and un-snagged peoples' lines when I have realised that they're snagged. Although, I do choose to ignore the plight of some individuals fishing through illegal means (those who know the types that frequent the Seaway know who I'm talking about) and happily collect their gear when they bust off.

    Many a time myself and good spear fishing mates of mine have had to deal with personal insults and abuse in public (usually at the Seaway) from people who seem to have a personal vendetta against spear fishermen. People seem to have the ideology (plucked from the bandwagon as it rolled through their town) that spear fishing decimates environments and spear fishermen are of the rape and pillage mentality. Incorrect. Underwater, we see and choose what we take. There is no risk of shooting, killing, injuring or damaging undersize or protected species - and on that note, I’ve never shot an undersized or protected fish in my life. Can that be said about line fishing?


    Benno

  2. #17

    Re: Spearfishing at the Seaway

    Maria,
    Thanks for the in depth reply, have nothing against spearo's ( have done it myself years ago when younger and fitter) but where this bloke came out of the water with a loaded speargun, was only meters from some kids playing in the water, plus I only wanted to know if it was legal or not to spear there.
    Cheers Ian

  3. #18

    Re: Spearfishing at the Seaway

    Maria,

    I was fishing off the end of the north wall and probably saw you and your mate spearing outside there. Looked like a nice haul of largish fish you had in your bags and made us think we should invest in a spear gun. While you were there the boat next to us hooked up a shark, up anchored and took off after it.

    My question is do you think it is a bit risky floating around in the water with a bag of dead or dying fish beside you in a known area for big Noahs?

  4. #19

    Re: Spearfishing at the Seaway

    Would warn everone with kids and themselfs be extremely carefull in those waters in particular from dusk til dawn we pull big sharks from there.

    Happy fishing all
    Manis

  5. #20

    Re: Spearfishing at the Seaway

    Maxwell - I don’t spear the north wall as it’s a hassle to get to and the rewards aren’t all that great. I don’t carry a fish bag. Any fish I spear are strung on a fish stringer which is suspended to a Ronstan float that is towed along 30m behind me with a floatline connecting it to the handle of my gun. In the event that a shark does take interest in the fish, there’s 30m between it and me and any resistance or shock felt against the floatline will indicate something is having a go back there. Sharks are part of the environment, just like wankers are part of the environment in which we drive cars in every day. They are always in a little part of the back of your mind, but for the most part they don’t worry me. As long as people are sensible in their actions and mindful of them, I don’t see them as posing a great threat.

  6. #21

    Re: Spearfishing at the Seaway

    i was spearfishing yesterday you can spear in the outsides of the rock wall. i picked up some tuna at the front of the wall and i sore a guy pick up a medium size gt there is some good sweetlip and snapper down there also....

  7. #22

    Re: Spearfishing at the Seaway

    Well said Benno,

    I've given up arguing with ill-informed people as they ill only drag you down to their level.

    I've been a spearo since 14 and remained active for some 20 years after. I would like to get back into it except I'm out of condition and don't have the lung capacity to go deep, nevertheless shallow. I think 10ft now at low tide would be pushing it for me at my age (50).

    Abalone cannot be touched these days due to closure from an alleged abalone gut disease and now one can only take 2 per person per day instead of 20 to make a good meal (not worth the hassle)....would like to get a cray or two, but don't have a boat.

    If anyone has a social club that has events send me a pm.

    Peter

  8. #23

    Re: Spearfishing at the Seaway

    Quote Iank - "but where this bloke came out of the water with a loaded speargun"

    Iank - any spearo who exits the water with his gun still loaded is a fool at best, full stop.
    I've been spearfishing for 38 years, first thing I learned and first thing I taught my son, never load your gun on land, never return to land with your gun loaded.
    Lethal weapon, plain and simple.
    IMHO, you were quite right to be concerned, damn shame some other spearo has pointed out the obvious to him yet.
    Cheers.

  9. #24

    Re: Spearfishing at the Seaway

    Quote Originally Posted by nigelr View Post
    Quote Iank - "but where this bloke came out of the water with a loaded speargun"

    Iank - any spearo who exits the water with his gun still loaded is a fool at best, full stop.
    I've been spearfishing for 38 years, first thing I learned and first thing I taught my son, never load your gun on land, never return to land with your gun loaded.
    Lethal weapon, plain and simple.
    IMHO, you were quite right to be concerned, damn shame some other spearo has pointed out the obvious to him yet.
    Cheers.
    I agree and relate to what you said.

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