More FADS!
Submitted by scotto on Sun, 2013-09-29 10:52
I just read in the paper that recfishwest have secured over $1 million in rec fishing license funds from the government, and are spending it on a bunch of new artificial reefs, and 8 more fads.
They are apparantly in addition to the 6 PGFC fads (so will be a total of 14), will be a new design, will stay in all year, and will be surface and sub surface.
Sounds awesome! Should take ale a bit of pressure off the existing fads on a good weather day.
Colt_Striker
Posts: 624
Date Joined: 26/07/09
Kudos to them. I have knocked
Kudos to them. I have knocked them in the past with some of the decisions or lack of, but will sure be liking that if it goes ahead.
JohnF
Posts: 2836
Date Joined: 07/07/10
Happy days. The artifical
Happy days. The artifical reefs are a good idea as well, gives the newbies somewhere to go and have half a chance.
Boston Whaler 235 Conquest......getting the flogging it was built for.
81macca
Posts: 270
Date Joined: 02/07/09
These extra FADS should be
These extra FADS should be deployed at Jurien as we wont have any up there this season and they produce great fish.
I actually fish.
reef runner
Posts: 56
Date Joined: 21/12/11
im with macca!
im with macca!
Work 2 Fish!
81macca
Posts: 270
Date Joined: 02/07/09
Sure would be good if they
Sure would be good if they spread them out further up the coast, Jurien is an easy day trip for most with the freeway and the new coast road. A couple out a little deeper off the Bay would be interesting. Have come across some huge schools of dollies wider than the old FADS and pulled some big bulls.
I actually fish.
Notorious
Posts: 914
Date Joined: 23/02/12
subsurface FAD's sound
subsurface FAD's sound great!
Till with the help of WAUC is doing more FADS this season too!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/174055815943047/?fref=nf
Aaron Santos
Posts: 300
Date Joined: 12/11/10
Quick question, sorry if it
Quick question, sorry if it stupid.
But if a FAD was put in a depth of 35-40m would they still produce the good fish.
Still trying to catch fish!
West Coast Eagles Supporter and Proud Member.
Notorious
Posts: 914
Date Joined: 23/02/12
Aaron I believe they would
Aaron I believe they would dependant on location and therefore species.
I'm pretty sure Till is placing the new FADS in shallower water (30-50m'ish) to investigate that fact.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/174055815943047/?fref=nf
81macca
Posts: 270
Date Joined: 02/07/09
Locally I don't think they
Locally I don't think they would produce much in that depth, maybe the odd mack or tuna. A subsurface FAD in that depth would hold sambos. North in warmer water I think they would work well in the 50m depth. The shallower FAD behind Rotto never seems to hold much at all.
I actually fish.
fishing fanatic
Posts: 809
Date Joined: 01/05/09
I have seen a few good school
I have seen a few good school of dollies on that fads, biggest was around 8.5kg that i have shot there, also had a wahoo smoke my mates rod and seen kings and tuna too
Albee Mangles
Posts: 985
Date Joined: 20/05/08
Whats the rule
With spearo's, if theres boats fishing the FAD can they come in, drop a flag and claim it?
Notorious
Posts: 914
Date Joined: 23/02/12
Spearo's should be drifting
Spearo's should be drifting the FAD and taking turns with the boats line fishing
https://www.facebook.com/groups/174055815943047/?fref=nf
aussie airbag s...
Posts: 23
Date Joined: 15/05/13
from.my experience doesnt
from.my experience doesnt matter to the divers , they have always just pulled up and jumped in reagrdless of who was around and will always hold up close to the fad and fish , definitely never a take in turn situation at all when I have been there , highly annoying , then having to move on to another fad to get away from these guys , they say we need to keep away from a diver but ive had them jump in the water 15m away from me !! Double standards
Subaquatic
Posts: 515
Date Joined: 23/04/11
No-one said you have to keep
No-one said you have to keep away from divers. The rule is that you have to be careful around them.
displaying the flag or the appropriate signal
scotto
Posts: 2470
Date Joined: 21/04/08
Nah mate
You have completely misinterpreted that altogether.
you have to keep a minimum of 50m away from the diver, UNLESS it is physically impossible to do so, ie: if they are in the middle of a 50m wide channel and you have to get past, THEN you have to be careful, reduce speed, etc.
Pitty
Posts: 161
Date Joined: 08/12/12
UBIQUE
Subaquatic
Posts: 515
Date Joined: 23/04/11
Respectfully, I disagree. And
Respectfully, I disagree. And I will happily take my chances with a magistrate....with an almost certain favourable outcome.
If you can explain how Im wrong, Im all ears.
To make myself clear:
If I travel upwind of a FAD that has spearos on it, and drift past, within 50M of the flag, I cannot be charged for breach of section 19E.
Regards
Dave
scotto
Posts: 2470
Date Joined: 21/04/08
key word
the key word here is MUST.
I ask the question: could you have kept 50m clear of the diver on the fad?
if your answer is yes (and it should be, as you would have literally hundreds of kilometres around you to avoid them), then you MUST keep clear of the diver.
there is no exception to the word MUST. if it had of read SHOULD, then its open to interpretation and the rule can be bent.
Subaquatic
Posts: 515
Date Joined: 23/04/11
No. In order to fish the FAD,
No. In order to fish the FAD, I MUST pass within 50m.....As you said, its all in the interpretation. ;-)
All you have to do is prove to the magistrate that your interpretation was that it was OK to do so.
The master or person in charge of a vessel approaching a place or another vessel displaying International Code Flag “A” or, during the hours of darkness,
scotto
Posts: 2470
Date Joined: 21/04/08
No dude,
You are well and truly wrong.
You CAN physically keep 50m from the diver, and therefore you MUST.
As as I said before, if it is physically impossible to avoid the diver, ie: if the diver is in the middle of a 50m wide channel, only then are you allowed to pass within the 50m, and you need to then take in the other precautions, such as traveling at the lowest speed possible, etc.
I'd bet if I was the diver with a flag at the fads, and you hit me with your boat within the 50m, I would win the lawsuit, and I would screw every last cent out of you, just for even contemplating that you think you are right.
Rob H
Posts: 5743
Date Joined: 18/01/12
Have to agree with Scotto for a change :-)
Scotto pretty much has it, as far as I understand the ColRegs, it applies to vessels such as crayboats accessing their pots when a diver is nearby and restricted channels etc.
Give a man a mask, and he'll show you his true face...
The older you get the more you realize that no one has a f++king clue what they're doing.
Everyone's just winging it.
Subaquatic
Posts: 515
Date Joined: 23/04/11
I disagree
If I was negligent, and didn’t use caution, then perhaps you MIGHT win a lawsuit, and I might add, I would deserve it. But..... its up to YOU to prove that I was negligent, didn’t take due care, AND understood the regulations. Under our legal system, the defendant does not have to prove a thing. Thats the way our legal system works. You MUST have evidence that I was at fault, and Im afraid that in an open sea, given the example I listed above, I think you would find it hard. If I came through, at full speed close to a flag, then it would be a different matter. But drifting past, without a motor running, with surface current and wind, you would have a hard time convincing a magistrate that I was under full control of the vessel, and was negligent. I must highlight, that Im only debating this from a legal perspective. Morally, its another debate....The spearo should never have been there ;-)
scotto
Posts: 2470
Date Joined: 21/04/08
Back-pedal Barry...
All of the stuff you've just mentioned here is quite a bit different to your original comment of "nah, you don't have to keep away from them, you just have to be careful around them", but I suppose it's good to see you're slowly changing your story...
Granted that there would be little to no injury if you hit a diver at drift speed with no motor going, but I still would put the driver of the boat at fault if it were to happen whilst within the 50m exclusion zone of the dive flag. Within reason, the dive flag is put up so the diver shouldn't have to worry about being hit by a boat, not the driver of the boat worrying about being hit by a diver.
The dive flag is covered in your rec skippers LICENSE, and therefore would place the skipper negligent, if it went to trial. It would be no fault of the diver if hit by a boat within 50m of a dive flag.
and yes, I have met and spoke in depth with Will Int'veld, the guy that was hit and nearly killed by a boat whilst spearing out at the Perth fads. I would love for you Mr subaquatic, to try and explain your logic to him, about how you think you can legally ignore the responsibilities of skippering a vessel and approaching another that is displaying a dive flag, and how he was in the wrong for being hit by a boat.
I rest my case.
Subaquatic
Posts: 515
Date Joined: 23/04/11
No problem, glad I could make
No problem, glad I could make your week a little happier Snotto!
FWIW, as a Boating Diver of 20 years, skipper of a boat that dives often, and owner of a diving business, I reckon I have it covered......But do feel free to drop my mobile # off to Will if you think I need to explain anything to him. 0448099270
Have a great weekend...Im prepping for a run over to the FAD's. Sighting scope dialled in!
scotto
Posts: 2470
Date Joined: 21/04/08
Whoa
WOW, SERIOUS?! A dive store?! Well, that changes everything....
Thank golly you own a dive business, cos you know sweet fuck all about interpretating law.
Youre a fair dinkum douchebag, and you've proven it well on this thread.
I hope what you've written here comes back and bites your "20 year diving, dive boat skippering" ass, if (when) you hit a diver whilst ignoring their flag.
Subaquatic
Posts: 515
Date Joined: 23/04/11
You have missed the whole
You have missed the whole context (and the tone) and got your panties in wad over nothing....but I kinda expected that.
Again, feel free to call if you want to discuss it....but I doubt you will. Keyboard warriors never do. ;-)
kmo
Posts: 127
Date Joined: 17/01/12
You wouldn't be the first spearo hit at the FADs...
...and the last one is no richer for the experience, but nearly bled out. The guy who hit him was convicted of some mickey mouse negligent driving charge and the fine was less than 4 figures if memory serves me right.
Hopefully everyone can get along out there this year. I've never been bothered to spear them just because I don't fancy being hit by a boat. I'd rather take my chances with the other white bellied beasts.
scotto
Posts: 2470
Date Joined: 21/04/08
I would like to think
That there could be separate fads for divers and fishers, but the reality is that if there isn't fish on the fads, people move on to where they are, diving or fishing.
The only foreseeable solution is....... Shitloads of fads!!! Hundreds of them!!!!
jdavies_99
Posts: 114
Date Joined: 24/07/11
Spearo's
I don't mean to sound rude to the poor guy who got hit by a boat out there as I don't know the full circumstances but I think decent caution on both sides of the fence should really suffice to stop any incidents.
FACT: The fads are 75klms out to sea in a usually 2-4knot current with no reals means of anchoring a boat by them.
If you jump in the water and want to drift past then keep your boat near. I usually drift with the boat. It is safer in terms of getting lost, sharks or getting hit by a boat.
If there are 5 or 6 of you then STICK TOGETHER and drift past. The moment everyone separates is exactly how people get lost out there or get hit.
I am a spearo that loves hitting the FADS. We have a rule "Everyone in at the same time and everyone out at the same time".
As for the guys line fishing, there is no excuse for not keeping a good eye out in front of you. For someone to get hit it usually means a driver was not paying attention and a spearo was out drifting probably on his own and away from his boat.
Its not impossible for a spearo and a linefisherman to share a FAD.
I am with Scotto though, more fads means more fun. I wouldn't hesitate to put in money or raise license prices for more.
___________________________
2006 Sea Hunt 23 Walkaround w/ 150hp Yamaha 2006
1989 Haines Hunter Legend w/ 225hp Pro XS Mercury 2013
2006 Savage 14ft w/ 30hp Yamaha
1990 Zodiac 12ft w/ 4hp Mercury
Subaquatic
Posts: 515
Date Joined: 23/04/11
Quote:As for the guys line
Spot on, well said.