Thoughts on Spearfishing?

[Burley_Boy]

Never tried this sport before but I do get a kick everytime I stick on a pair of goggles. Never seen the logic in some people thinking this or any other bloodsport is not giving the animal a fair go but that is another issue I suppose. As far as baglimits are adhered to and the bag limits are adjusted if there are issues then sustainable harvesting is cool.
Is all spearfishing done without scuba? Where are you generally allowed to spearfish ie can I spearfish in the GC Broadwater, the seaway or out on any of the GC reefs for instance?

[Richo1]

I used to do heaps of Spearfishing, loved it and still do. Haven't done it for years but would like to get back into it for fitness reasons. At my peak I was free diving to 25m, flat out reaching 10m now!
Have been spat at, phyically threatened and even hit over the head by the oar of a commercial line fisherman. But like all forms of fishing it has been abused by some over the years. Mostly it is a very selective and extremely challenging sport.
Richo

[Mick]

Burley Boy, spearfishing with scuba is not permitted in QLD. A snorkel is the only breathing apparatus allowed. There are lots of places spearing is illegal so it is best to check with boating and fisheries. They have a blue and white pamphlet (I forget the name of it) which details the exact areas where spearfishing is prohibited. If you like snorkeling, I am sure the thrill of trying to spear a fish will definately get the adrenalin running. Oh, and it is great fitness!

[devocean]

Im with ya mick. Spearing is one of the purest forms of fishing. You take the risk you can easily become the hunted therefore you deserve to be there. You know as well as I do if there werent any spearos we would have an overpopulation of mother in law fish wouldnt we.

[Dug]

Having seen spearing competitions in the 60's and 70's spearing has a lot to make up for. I have seen piles of rotting fish left on beaches and tossed into the sea, Ron and Val Taylor and Ben Crap with their shark killing fury too!

I can see that good spearing is responsible and environmentally sound. Bad spearos are just stupid scum.

[Kerry]

Actually spearo's have a lot to account for as generally the older they get the more hypocritical they become. Like do as we say not as we did as past stupidity was just that stupidity and no amount of hindsight will reverse that.

Cheers, Kerry.

[Dug]

Most of us live and learn. Some of us, sadly, just live.

Or

"To become old and wise, you must first be young and stupid"

[CHRIS_aka_GWH]

interesting words with the blinkers on Dug & Kerry.

that word "hypocritical" stands out when not used with caution.

Spearfishing comps where the first to introduce measures to reduce total take. A lot of them don't measure the second fish in species - they introduced the ultimate catch & release - photo fishing. Club line fishing on a broad scale is yet to realise this (there are exceptions becoming more common now hey Jeremy). The underwater organisations such as CMAS (world) & AUF (australian underwater federation) frown upon such practices now even though bag limits are within the law.

They WERE guilty of extreme careless disregard for the resource in the past BUT so too were line fishos but to a much, much greater degree. The wholesale slaughter of tailor a prime example.

[Dug]

Yep that true and I have no problems with that.

Except that Line fishos usually took the catch for food.

I rarely saw a kill for the sake of killing mentality.

[Birdy]

Doug,

You say that bad spearos are scum....fair enough.
I used to spearfish a bit and still do but not as often anymore.I know that if it were put to me to go and kill as many fish as i could in say 6 hours (average trip) i know a good burley trail and good techniques will outfish the spearing probably 5 to 1 if we launched from the same spot.Besides even when i was super fit i could not spear for 6 hours non stop ,it's just too hard,you can however fish for that long.After an hour or so in the water in say 30 feet diving and watching and chasing you would be absolutely exhausted and then more or less the fishing is done for the day.It is not as easy as it would seem to hit a fish with a spear gun also,infact it is definately an aquired skill.I have seen blackfish move so quick that by the time the spear gets to where they were they have moved 2 feet and in a school you might hit 7 or 8 on a good day .........by line fishing with good bait and gear catches of 20 are not uncommon on schooled blackfish.

In my opinion line fishos are far far more destructive than spear fisherman.If every person that line fishes took up a gun and went spearing it would eliminate about 98 % of the water we can fish due to visibilty and depth.
I too have seen rotting fish but more from line fishos than i ever have from spear fishos......it's all perspective mate,i'm not going into bat for spearos but speaking from observations over the years.

Birdy

[Kerry]

interesting words with the blinkers on Dug & Kerry.

that word "hypocritical" stands out when not used with caution.

Well maybe you'd not know which way too look if the blinkers (as you like to term things) were off and as for the "hyprocrites" well that also stands (and means exactly what it says) and again you might prefer if the blinkers stayed on

Cheers, Kerry.