spearfishing woody head

[NothingPersonal]

Hello,

Has anyone done any spearing south of Woody head on the Back Beach? I know the little Woody Head bay is closed to spearfishing but while camping there around Christmas I thought I would have a go by walking around the headland to the south and trying off the rock ledges on the northern part of Back Beach.

Exclusion zone.
Spearfishing-Exlcusion-Zone.jpg

[mattooty]

There's some big jew holes around those ledges if you walk SE out of the park. The biggest problem you'll encounter is National Parks Rangers trying to tell you not to do it at all. We got hit up one day and the bloke was carrying on about how you can't have spearguns in National Parks and all this other rigmarole. I think it's their way of, if they can't control the sea, they'll control what you can have around it.
Just wrap it in a towel when you're walking around, noone gives a rats except the rangers.
Good luck. Just remember to get right in close.

[NothingPersonal]

Thanks Mattooty, great advice. Will be attaching my new shark shield on this trip as well since I'll only be one 'bay' south of 'Shark Bay' at Woody Head.

Thanks for the ranger advice: I'll take a laminated 'close zone' map, the 'last 20m of beach' ruling and wrap up the gun in a bag for the walk around the headland. We are camping very close to the south track at Woody so I will pick my time to avoid the rangers with a bit of rat cunning.

Thanks again. I will report back after xmas to everyone.

There's some big jew holes around those ledges if you walk SE out of the park. The biggest problem you'll encounter is National Parks Rangers trying to tell you not to do it at all. We got hit up one day and the bloke was carrying on about how you can't have spearguns in National Parks and all this other rigmarole. I think it's their way of, if they can't control the sea, they'll control what you can have around it.
Just wrap it in a towel when you're walking around, noone gives a rats except the rangers.
Good luck. Just remember to get right in close.

[murf]

yep no spear guns in National Parks but you can be below the high tide mark and your right

have fun

[nigelr]

Keep the rubber slings out of your gun and keep the shafts seperate, they seem to be pulling this 'Loaded' stunt quite a lot so don't give them any amo.
Don't forget the 'in possession' rules, and be very wary of being 'politically correct' if you get my drift. Not everybody understands modern spearfishing ethics............particularly any 'latte-sippers' that may happen to present............
Cheers and best wishes.

[NothingPersonal]

Thanks for the tips nigelr. I got a hold of the NSW regulations and in 2009 the regs were amended to say that you 'can' have an unloaded speargun in a national park 'unless the park management plan forbids it or there is signage at the park forbidding it'. Woody's management plan forbids spearguns and there are signs at the entrance to the camp ground so i am snookered if I am to be within the law. Seems a hand spear is ok in the NSW National Park regs regardless of management plans or signage. The 2009 changes seem to me to be exactly as mattooty suggested: control the land around the water and you effectively ban the activities in the water without having to outright ban the activity. The fishing party in NSW needs to get this sorted with the friendlier Conservative government NSW has now I reckon. They seem to have the balance of power at the moment in NSW upper house. All we need is to change the reg saying that an unloaded speargun is ok in the a national park regardless of signage and management plans and all will be sweat.

Anyway I am glad I asked on the forum as it has caused me to delve into this a lot deeper than I otherwise would have.

[Blane11]

As the others have said, keep the shaft out of the trigger mech, keep it covered and don't get agressive when approached by a ranger. I've had them try to pull this stunt on several occassions.

Keep your cool, explain that you know the rules and you are operating within them. You'll be fine.

We've even been spoken to at Lennox after swimming through the sanctuary zone to get to the bommies just outside it. Some 'locals' (not all) call the authorities as soon as they see a speargun. When we got back in, he had a quick chat to us and basically said we were fine as long as we weren't spearing in the sactuary zone, and kept our guns unloaded while we passed through it.

Like everything, its the uneducated cowboys who draw attention to themselves and give the whole spearing community a bad rep.

Oh, if you get clear water (which can be hard to come by) Woody can be GREAT spearing.

[NothingPersonal]

Thanks Blane11 for the Top Gear Top Tips. I will report on the forum from the "Woody live site" from the 17th of December through to the new year on conditions! ;-)

[mattooty]

Are you taking a boat down? The macs should be in full swing by then!

[murf]

Are you taking a boat down? The macs should be in full swing by then!

a little bit early for the Macs, will be the odd one around though if a finger or two of hot current comes in

cheers Murf

[nigelr]

Very nice boat NP; Broadbill or Webster? Nice stable platform!
Some fine tucker in your avatar pic Blane!
Cheers.

[Blane11]

Thank nigelr, they were taken just north of woody at a spearing spot. But that day we fished it with sp's. Good fun.

I'll be putting my rebuilt 565r through it's paces over Christmas down that way and hopefully get some spearing in between Evans through to wooli.

[mattooty]

a little bit early for the Macs, will be the odd one around though if a finger or two of hot current comes in

cheers Murf

The macs are usually firing in woody by november, it's due to the eddy created behind Cape Byron that pushes out to sea, and touches down in Woody Bay first before pushing back up to Evans/Ballina before continuing southwards. Out wide the temps hit 23* a few days ago, and the SST and chlorophyl charts are off the hook for this time of year.
Get prospecting!

[Blane11]

Matt have you done much diving down around shelly and freeburn rock??

I think Evans in the worst spot of them all. Maybe a handful of the pre Christmas macks get caught but not as many as that first run at woody. A good southerly usually brings the nice water into Evans.

[NothingPersonal]

Hi nigelr, yep the profile photo is a Webster 5.2 with 115 Yammy. Very stable indeed and i have very happy with it since taking possession: My wife purchased it for me last Xmas...must have been doing something right last year...;-) She is up for 'wife of the year' award...