Fishing under wharfs

[tugger]

There was a boat under the container terminal wharfs the other night and we were asked to check it out by the port to pass on the rego and discription of this vessel as we were the closest. This boat came out from under there with 3 guys in it and we lit it up with our spotty and was able to get the rego then radio it all in. Have heard its a $2500 fine and a federal offense to be under there so it makes for a expensive fishing trip.

If any AFO member knows anyone who does this tell them they are cracking down on this again and advise them its not worth it on top of that it is very dangerous as this guy was fishing there as we were departing a ship nearby with heaps of ours and the ships wash blowing through under the wharfs

[fishingnut]

Let me guess, was it green ?

[Carter]

Very dangerous place to be especially at night.

MAny years ago before sept 11 and before it was enforced I had a fish under the warves and nearly went down. A huge container ship came into the river and I didnt notice the huge wake, It smashed my boat up and left me with a new respect of the river. I also know of other people that have had to abandon there boat under there when they were caught at high tide, got stuck and the swell smashed them about. They had to call the police to rescue them. The police threw them a rope made them put on their life jackets and hauled them in just as the hull cracked and water started spilling in. The boat sunk and has never been seen again. The police let them off with out a fine due to the fact that they figured they had learnt there lesson.

[jeff f]

Let me guess, was it green ?

ha ha probably

[Eug]

Let me guess, was it green ?

lol!

[Jords]

Very dangerous place to be especially at night.

MAny years ago before sept 11 and before it was enforced I had a fish under the warves and nearly went down. A huge container ship came into the river and I didnt notice the huge wake, It smashed my boat up and left me with a new respect of the river. I also know of other people that have had to abandon there boat under there when they were caught at high tide, got stuck and the swell smashed them about. They had to call the police to rescue them. The police threw them a rope made them put on their life jackets and hauled them in just as the hull cracked and water started spilling in. The boat sunk and has never been seen again. The police let them off with out a fine due to the fact that they figured they had learnt there lesson.

That's hectic!! Bet that old hull would make some mad structure by now :whistle:

[Bagless]

This is interesting since I'm now going to be doing most of my fishing in the river mouth.

Seeing as the wharves appear to be ideal structure for big fish, does anyone have any tips for fishing them safely, such as drifting baits under from a distance? I've seen a few lure fisherman casting into them using their electrics to hold position. Although imagine it would be tricky to control the boat and play a big fish at the same time. Guessing the general rule would be to stay well clear day and night . Also Tugger, I'm sure this will have been asked before, but seeing as I'm relatively new to the forum, do you work around the port or do you fish there a lot ?

[Gad]

This is interesting since I'm now going to be doing most of my fishing in the river mouth.

Seeing as the wharves appear to be ideal structure for big fish, does anyone have any tips for fishing them safely, such as drifting baits under from a distance? I've seen a few lure fisherman casting into them using their electrics to hold position. Although imagine it would be tricky to control the boat and play a big fish at the same time. Guessing the general rule would be to stay well clear day and night . ?

The official enforced general rule to remember is:

Brisbane Port

Restricted Entry Safety and Security Zones

Take notice that a vessel must not enter:

a) a "berth area"

an area within 30 metres of a Berth Area (each a Restricted Zone)

c) an area within 30 metres of a vessel moored in, or berthed at, a Berth Area or Restricted Zone

d) unless authorised to do so by an authorised officer of Port of Brisbane Corporation Limited or of Port of Brisbane Pty Ltd.

Failure to comply with this port notice is an offence against the Transport Infrastructure Act 1994.

[Bagless]

Have to say 30m seems a difficult distance to enforce. It seems plenty close enough to get a cast in or allow someone to fish on the fringe. Would I be right in saying that someone with little common sense could anchor their boat 30m off a wharf and effectively block a large container ship from docking. I'm guessing there are other rules pertaining to where it's safe to anchor?

[aussie123]

There is wide ranging rules and regulations relating the vessels with restricted ability to maneuver and anchoring within shipping lanes,ect

So basically in an area like that you must give way to those vessels and not impede them in any way at all.

[rayke1938]

Exclusion zone is doubled for tankers and armed forces vessels.

Cheers

Ray

[Gad]

Have to say 30m seems a difficult distance to enforce. It seems plenty close enough to get a cast in or allow someone to fish on the fringe. Would I be right in saying that someone with little common sense could anchor their boat 30m off a wharf and effectively block a large container ship from docking. I'm guessing there are other rules pertaining to where it's safe to anchor?

no the only thing they would achieve would be to help natural selection by unselfishly self culling

unfortunately Port authorities and water police would remove them from the area long before they were able to martyr themselves to the self culling cause

[woody1]

Would I be right in saying that someone with little common sense could anchor their boat 30m off a wharf and effectively block a large container ship from docking. I'm guessing there are other rules pertaining to where it's safe to anchor?

You have got no idea how quickly you can reel in your lines, start the outboard and get the hell out of there once a tanker starts blowing off his fog horn at you! Believe me

I rarely anchor around there and always keep a good eye on any ships coming in, but one night I saw a ship coming in so took off upstream and drifted around thinking I would wait for him to dock then head back... Turns out he was a tanker who docks up past boggy creek, and didnt like the look of me drifting around in the channel 50metres in front of him

[tugger]

I work on the tugs down there and you can fish 30m adjacent to the wharfs and if a ship is due for that berth a smaller boat will turn up that takes its mooring lines to the wharf and they will ask you to move on if your in the way

This is interesting since I'm now going to be doing most of my fishing in the river mouth.

Seeing as the wharves appear to be ideal structure for big fish, does anyone have any tips for fishing them safely, such as drifting baits under from a distance? I've seen a few lure fisherman casting into them using their electrics to hold position. Although imagine it would be tricky to control the boat and play a big fish at the same time. Guessing the general rule would be to stay well clear day and night . Also Tugger, I'm sure this will have been asked before, but seeing as I'm relatively new to the forum, do you work around the port or do you fish there a lot ?

[daveo17]

i got a stern warning a couple of months ago. i was fishing land based just as you go over bridge at port of Brisbane on the sandy patch to the left. after you go past the boat ramp . still managed to catch 2 nice whiting in the half hour i was there. pure ignorance on my part just didn't see the signs with all the glare and excitement. any were past that bridge is a 30m zone iguess

[dassa]

Exclusion zone is doubled for tankers and armed forces vessels.

Cheers

Ray

I was down there about 8/10 weeks ago when the submarine was in and the feds come up and if i planed to fish (I was about 150 from the sub) and when I was he said i should move on no sense of humour and the sounder lit up with fish all around us

[woody1]

Exclusion zone is doubled for tankers and armed forces vessels.

Cheers

Ray

I was down there about 8/10 weeks ago when the submarine was in and the feds come up and if i planed to fish (I was about 150 from the sub) and when I was he said i should move on no sense of humour and the sounder lit up with fish all around us

I was coming back into the river when that sub was on the way out, I had a police boat pull up beside me and yell at me to head right over to the wharves and DONT SLOW DOWN!!! he then sat right next to me eyeballing me until I passed the sub, wanted to pull out the camera and take a picture of the sub... but it probably wasnt the best idea

[Bagless]

I work on the tugs down there and you can fish 30m adjacent to the wharfs and if a ship is due for that berth a smaller boat will turn up that takes its mooring lines to the wharf and they will ask you to move on if your in the way

Had an inkling your nickname related to your job after I asked the question . Thanks for the info RE what happens if you're anchored in front of a wharf that's about to be used.

[tugger]

It was white this time

Let me guess, was it green ?

[zan0_15]

Bugger going in undrr the warves that is just stupidity.

And there is no way any fish is worth

a. your boat

b. a $2000 + fine

C. your life!

I have witnessed this stupidity on the river once and they knew they were doing the wrong thing as all nav lights were off.

Only reason we saw them was because we kept hearing a bang every now n again!

It wss their tinny hitting the pilons as they had tied off to one!

[kiara_poltegerist]

Exclusion zone is doubled for tankers and armed forces vessels.

Cheers

Ray

I was down there about 8/10 weeks ago when the submarine was in and the feds come up and if i planed to fish (I was about 150 from the sub) and when I was he said i should move on no sense of humour and the sounder lit up with fish all around us

the water police cruiser that was anchored out there at night was probably crewed by sleeping men. none of the cabin lights were on at all. i came in one night and couldnt see the line of unlit buoys forming the boundary away from the submarine. noticed it at the last minute and swerved out just in time.. which was probably a good idea as i was going full throttle at that time. only after passing 150 metres or so further down and out did a police rib cruise up to check me out. pretty hairy experience considering what MIght have happened if i had unwittingly motored on beside the sub......

[tiotony]

Are you allowed to fish down there from the wharf Tugger? Would have to be some big stuff living under the wharf.

[Old Scaley]

It really pisses me off to see people breaking the law down there. Not because I am some sort of woswser but because these people will ruin it for everyone else. If more people keep fishing where they are not allowed to fish, the port will become off limits to fishing. I know that some of the people doing it are on this site, so please wake up to yourselves for everyone else's sake. There are fish in places you can get to legally, so why not target those spots and keep the fishery open?

[tugger]

We are allowed to go alongside the container wharfs but i don't bother fishing at work

Are you allowed to fish down there from the wharf Tugger? Would have to be some big stuff living under the wharf.

[ellicat]

Why don't they "slat" the wharves with heavy gal chain or mesh or something ?

...or rail it with 18" gaps ?

[elops]

Why don't they "slat" the wharves with heavy gal chain or mesh or something ?

...or rail it with 18" gaps ?

:ohmy:

[Guest]

geez! what kind of fish are down there? people risking lives to fish like that..

[Gad]

Why don't they "slat" the wharves with heavy gal chain or mesh or something ?

...or rail it with 18" gaps ?

sorry don`t agree... while their under the wharves, it`s less DH`s on the roads

[tugger]

Just found out the police threw the book at these guys the other night for being under the wharfs for no rego and no lights as they turned them off to avoid detection on the way back to the ramp but the cameras the port has are better than they thought and were followed back to the comslie ramp where the police met them. This will be a very expensive fishing experience and lesson then again they are lucky it didnt cost them more

[Bi_polar]

There seems to be more of a police presence when the American boats are in. A few years ago when the big American aircraft carrier was in, two inflatables would man the ship and you would be met on your way out of the river by the first of these boats and halfway along the ship he would part away from you and the second inflatable would come in. Both of these boats would travel about 8 or 9 meters away from you and were manned by officers or military people that were armed with big guns and in flak jackets. When we were heading out on the weekend it was leaving we were pulled over by the big Police boat escorting it out to sea and ended up having a good chat to them. They also told us that if a boat did manage to slip past the two inflatables that were looking after the ship, there was people on large caliber deck mounted machine guns that would shoot you without hesitation. We also got approached by the Police the other day when that sub was in and they were nice guys just doing their job. They too said that there is more of a hoo haa made when the yanks are in port. As for the wharves and distances go.... I was also told the other week that the reclamation wall has a 200 meter restriction zone as it comes under different rules to the wharves and is classified as a construction zone. Wheather this is correct or not i am not sure but it came from a pretty reliable source.

[daveylad]

Theres also clearance divers who make regular dives to inspect the ships underwater.

[kiara_poltegerist]

There seems to be more of a police presence when the American boats are in. A few years ago when the big American aircraft carrier was in, two inflatables would man the ship and you would be met on your way out of the river by the first of these boats and halfway along the ship he would part away from you and the second inflatable would come in. Both of these boats would travel about 8 or 9 meters away from you and were manned by officers or military people that were armed with big guns and in flak jackets. When we were heading out on the weekend it was leaving we were pulled over by the big Police boat escorting it out to sea and ended up having a good chat to them. They also told us that if a boat did manage to slip past the two inflatables that were looking after the ship, there was people on large caliber deck mounted machine guns that would shoot you without hesitation. We also got approached by the Police the other day when that sub was in and they were nice guys just doing their job. They too said that there is more of a hoo haa made when the yanks are in port. As for the wharves and distances go.... I was also told the other week that the reclamation wall has a 200 meter restriction zone as it comes under different rules to the wharves and is classified as a construction zone. Wheather this is correct or not i am not sure but it came from a pretty reliable source.

sure am glad i was more aware at that time. i'm still abit upset the police didnt keep a more vigilant outlook on that night though. i totally had no idea that the sub was tied up alongside and it was too dark to make out the line of bouys till i was about 5m away.. in my opinion i should have been warned off at least 300m away..

can anyone clarify the information about the rock wall? all i see are notices saying that you cant tie up or moor to the rock wall, no information about any exclusion zone. plus you see quite a number of boats fishing it all the time.

[Gad]

.

.....sure am glad i was more aware at that time. i'm still abit upset the police didnt keep a more vigilant outlook on that night though. i totally had no idea that the sub was tied up alongside and it was too dark to make out the line of bouys till i was about 5m away.. in my opinion i should have been warned off at least 300m away...

in those circumstances,I suppose that can be a problem with quality lazer sights, unless you have a mirror,your not aware of the red dot on your forehead :pinch:

[Guest]

Wow i never heard of this before, thanks for the update Tug

Thats a big fine :dry: :pinch:

Cheers

Darren