from having them pertruding from the bull bar as was told if i wanted them up they have to be on the inside

From what i have been told there is no rules specific to bullbar mounted rod holders, only that your vehicle cannot have any sharp protruding objects sticking out from the body of your car(thats why even the hotrods you see getting around with the massive engines that half hang out the top of the bonnet can only get around on a special licence's). Mainly to do with the extra damage they can cause if you hit someone, even at a slow speed.

Well this is what i was told by a cop that stopped me once for a random breath test. 

I used to have some rod holders mounted on the inside of the bullbar so nothing protruded out. He said they were fine but i couldnt carry rods in them on roads as then the rods butts would stick out. After alot of beach fishing and never actually using them, much prefering to strap them to the roof racks,(quick with velcro straps) i decided to get rid of them. More chance of them getting damaged bouncing around at the front of your vehicle, have seen a couple of reel 'legs' snapped off on spinning reels. I have seen plenty of people use them as rod holders when fishing by driving right up to the edge of the beach and having the rods sitting in them with a bait set out.

If you want to be 100% sure about the laws regarding this though you are better off contacting the Department of Transport than going on personal experiences, opinions and hearsay, they will provide what IS the law regarding this.

I have been fined when mine were sticking out in front of the bull bar, my spotties do also but they are plastic so apparently they are fine.
To counteract this I rotate mind back around the bullbar when not in use and haven't had any trouble.

Another option are the ones that slide into a bracket behind your bullbar and you can remove the holders when not in use

Hard to get a straight answer out of them also!!! I had a dispute happening about loading a truck on the road with a forklift and that went all over the place. Police say one thing and Dept of Transport say another.

I agree with Buz. So long as they are sensibly mounted inside the bar there should be no issue. Transporting rods in them IMO is silly in the sense that rods can be damaged. What's wrong with transporting rods in bags on a rack or inside? I know the one-piece people will disagree but again I think it's sensible to transport them on the rack provided you don't forget about them when travelling down a bushy track. I have seen plenty demolished by the odd rogue tree or bush. Personally, I only mount the rod racks when I need them. It's not that hard!

If thay like to be funny with you, No spotlight in front of bullbar

If you are seen driving thro gero thay will book you stright away

No, don't know 100% what the rules are but I do know when I was pulled up at a road block by the Fisheries and the Police outside of Jurien, I was wisely advised by the copper I needed to remove my holders or cop a fine. I spun them around so nothing was protruding past the bars except the U bolts. Never had a further problem from the law.

Someone will have the low down!

I am planning to get the rod holders so I can quickly throw the rods in there if I decide to move 100 metres up the beach (as I often do). I always put them on the roof or in the car when driving.

They are NOT illegal unless they breach the Vehicle Standards Regs and Rules (VSRs) for forward and/or rear projection of a 'load'; which even with rods in them (facing backwards) it never would....(side projection however is only 150mm).

The kicker is that they ARE illegal if regarded as a 'dangerous projection'. If they are deemed dangerous, then even 5mm projection is illegal.  And this is where it gets grey and open to interpretation - the VSRs state: 'in the inspecting officers opinion'........

And if in their opinion it is dangerous, they can give you either an infringement notice and/or a defect notice (yellow sticker) or both. You can challange an infringement in court (but why would you as it'd cost you more than the actual fine), but a defect notice is pretty much beyond any challange and even if found to have been issued in error it's still a big hassle for the owner of the vehicle, as it can only be withdrawn when it goes over the pits.

It is because of the 'opinion' based issuing that you cannot get a straight answer from either one cop to the next or from dept of transport.

The opinion based determination/interpretation of the VSR came in the 1970s when the Act was re-written, so that cops and transport inspectors etc didnt have to be, and still dont have to be, qualified machanics or engineers in order to deem a vehicle unroadworthy.....

i got a $100 fine for having them turned inside the bull bar and was told if he seen my car again with them on it would be a larger fine and a yellow licky?? wtf

when going away beach fishing i have them on with the rods in them tied up to the roof rack, so far only had a verbal warning for that.

depends on the coppa i spose.

Been stopped numerous times up this way and eyeballed and never had any  mention about it mounted on the outside

When i went through a boozer i was told to move mine as it was judged " to be blocking to much of my headlight" maybe its because i have p plates XD

I copped a yellow driving thru gero with mine!! 

Was inside the bullbar but because the top of the rod holders was above the top of the bullbar it was a hazard to pedestrians and impaired my vision apparently.  As if a pedestrian is going over the bonnet of a GU patrol anyway??!!.  That is the first thing he spotted, no rods in there, we were just driving in from Morawa to do some shopping!!! Got me between dongara and gero, near S Bend.  I even got out the spanners and pulled them off then and there for him, to try and apease him, being polite, aswering questions, i was genuinely suprised.  He slapped a yellow on anyway, said there was nothing to stop me just bolting them back on again when he left.  I thought i had it right.  This dude was a arsehole about it.  Searched the cab, made my misus hop out and everything, was asking her heaps of questions about where we were going and where we were coming from.  Too be clear i didnt give him any lip till after he put the sticker on, once it was on I let him have it.  Ended up costing over 4.5k to get car over the pits. 

Just go with roof racks I reckon, more expensive up front but cheaper in the long run and handy for other stuff too.

while long driving i have rods on the roof and the launcher lays flat on top of the bullbar.....its got some foam on the inside so i can just slide it around to the front and put ya rods in and relax ...... have been pulled over and in full view nothing has ever been said.........they dont obstruct the headlights and dont move.........as far as doing extra damage if i hit someone.....i think with 3 tons(landcruiser) doin any speed its gonna hurt regardless but thats just me.........