Keen2Learn 0 Posted November 16, 2012 Report Share Posted November 16, 2012 I have never been to get my own cockles before, have only ever got them from shops. I am hoping to "catch" my own this year as I think the season is open for it? but do I use a net? bait pump? rake? bucket? all the above? lol. also any tips and tricks would be great? like what to look for? apart from the obvious, look for cockles also how to store them till I get home? and any other random things people would like to tell me, can never have enough information. thanks, hope you all have a great weekend Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Damien Dray 0 Posted November 16, 2012 Report Share Posted November 16, 2012 im going cockleing for the first time later this month. ive hear that the best time is low tide. ill be using a net as the waves wash back out im hoping the get trapped in the net. keep moving around the beach until u find them. hope this helps. Keen2Learn 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
crispy 2 Posted November 16, 2012 Report Share Posted November 16, 2012 I just get on my hands and knees and fell for them with my hands ,found this to be easy enough might not get as many as quick but it is all fun ,i found a spot where they were but thought i would move bad idea took me a while to find another patch Keen2Learn 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kingsley 19 Posted November 16, 2012 Report Share Posted November 16, 2012 Reports say they are pretty thick, just dig with your hands in the wash, its like digging up pebbles..no need for a pump, rake net etc.. just your hands and a bucket to put them in. Fill a bucket with water and they will still be alive when you get home.Look for other people catching cockles. Go there, talk to them, try different things, you'll get it its easy. Keen2Learn 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
alexczarn 146 Posted November 18, 2012 Report Share Posted November 18, 2012 I just get on my hands and knees and fell for them with my hands ' date='found this to be easy enough might not get as many as quick but it is all fun ,i found a spot where they were but thought i would move bad idea took me a while to find another patch[/quote']My method. crispy 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kelvin 2,198 Posted November 18, 2012 Report Share Posted November 18, 2012 All you need are your hands and feet and a bucket to put them in. The cockles are anywhere from just short of the high water mark down to the low water level. At the moment they are out a bit deeper so low tide is easier.Wade out a bit and twist your feet. You will feel them under your bare feet and can pick them up by hand. Remember to take a measure as many are undersize. If you are not getting any, try shallower or deeper and keep moving down the beach. When you hit a patch you can pull dozens without moving very far.Put them in an esky and keep them cool Keen2Learn 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ubolt 0 Posted November 18, 2012 Report Share Posted November 18, 2012 Be aware it is a strong surf beach and can go from ankle deep to waist deep in one surge of water. Best way is with your feet do a twisting motion and feel them then reach down and grab them. Watch out for sand crabs especially if you venture out a little further Keen2Learn 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jamesl186 0 Posted November 18, 2012 Report Share Posted November 18, 2012 as everyone else said just twist ya feet, was there today an got 680 betwen 3 people around a 1-1.5km as ya drive on the beach. got my 300 in one spot about 1m round all 50mm plus.if ya dont have a 4x4 just park in the carpark walk down the stair and it wont take long to get your limit Keen2Learn 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
kadava 0 Posted November 19, 2012 Report Share Posted November 19, 2012 Going down Friday after work and going to give it a go - never tried it before! I'ts a bit of a hike from here in Nuri but it'll be nice and wa rm and outgoing tide will be almost out by the time I get there, hopefully I can get a years worth as I don't use them heaps but so exspensive to buy when I do want them. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
savage480 1 Posted November 19, 2012 Report Share Posted November 19, 2012 hopefully I can get a years worthYou realise the daily limit is 300 per person? Thats about 2 - 3 kg of legal size cockles Quote Link to post Share on other sites
kadava 0 Posted November 19, 2012 Report Share Posted November 19, 2012 Don't know how many you use but half that would probably last me a year haha. Or are you implying I'll have no trouble getting 300? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ranger 48 Posted November 19, 2012 Report Share Posted November 19, 2012 I use baskets, others use onion bags, but you will need something to put the cockles into while doing runs back and forth to your esky.Put enough saltwater into the esky to cover the cockles, and keep them cool.I no longer bother since the new limits were introduced. Like yourself, I live out the northern side of town, and it's a bl**dy long drive from where we are.....we'd eat that many and still have none for bait.My suggestion, if'n you're gonna do it, borrow all the neighbours kids for the day, to gain extra collecting hands (300p/p).Dont forget, 35mm minimum size!And if you're splashing around in the shallows there........that water gets bl**dy cold, hence the wetsuits! Another tip, always face towards the waves, coz turn your back and you're gonna get swamped.If you purge them properly first, they aint just bait either. Chopped fresh garlic, chopped fresh chili, a coupla spoons of chili/garlic sauce,put the lid on until they open, discard any which dont open: Savagelip, Double Trouble, kadava and 1 other 4 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
kadava 0 Posted November 19, 2012 Report Share Posted November 19, 2012 Taking the mrs and one of her friends so that'll get my numbers up but I wont have heaps of time and really just doing it more for the experience. I reckon I paid something like $18 for 1kg of cockles last year (from Ards) for bait so It wouldn't take many to pay for the fuel there... plus sunshine, beach and beer - I can't think of anything better really Keen2Learn 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
macmanluke 16 Posted November 19, 2012 Report Share Posted November 19, 2012 hopefully I can get a years worthYou realise the daily limit is 300 per person? Thats about 2 - 3 kg of legal size cockleswe collected 300 on friday - weighed 4kgs Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Midcoast angler 0 Posted November 19, 2012 Report Share Posted November 19, 2012 My old man and I got 300 each in less than 10mins they are really thick at the moment, easy when youre a gun twister Keen2Learn 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
macmanluke 16 Posted November 19, 2012 Report Share Posted November 19, 2012 damn we must have gotten a dud spot.Took us over an hour to get 300 with 2 of us. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Midcoast angler 0 Posted November 20, 2012 Report Share Posted November 20, 2012 When you go be careful and make sure to lock your cars and not to leave any valuables in eye shot. As I said before we got our limit in bout 10mins and someone had tried to pop the lock on my old mans ute with a screwdriver Keen2Learn 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
macmanluke 16 Posted November 20, 2012 Report Share Posted November 20, 2012 When you go be careful and make sure to lock your cars and not to leave any valuables in eye shot. As I said before we got our limit in bout 10mins and someone had tried to pop the lock on my old mans ute with a screwdriverLeft in the car park? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
kadava 0 Posted November 23, 2012 Report Share Posted November 23, 2012 Drove down there after work this arvo, done it during low-tide. Got 900 between 3 in about an hour and a half - just using out hands and feet. Occasionally thought we were onto a cluster to find out it was a sand crab haha. The last half hour was crazy none of us even had to move just stayed in the same spot with our feet in the same holes and they came to us. About 1 in every 20 was under-size, so many biggins! 1st time ever doing it, me, the mrs and her friend had fun. Chips and vinegar on the way home, a wicked way to start the weekend I say.... Now to use up all these damn cockles! I'll be giving half a away to get rid of them all before I'm ready for a trip next year :silly: P.s. been trying to convince the misses to cook some up and try them to eat - no luck though... she eats scallops, muscles, oysters, snails and frogs legs but wont try a damn cockle! Guess that means more bait for me though Keen2Learn 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
kadava 0 Posted November 23, 2012 Report Share Posted November 23, 2012 . Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Massfish 0 Posted November 23, 2012 Report Share Posted November 23, 2012 stand about ankle deep in the water, about half tide is best...then "do the twist" (just like you did last summer) up come the cockles throw them in a net or bag, something that won't get washed away in the back-wash..(kid's are good for holding and grabbing the get away's...keep them in an esky in salt water till you freeze them..if you're gonna eat them...purge them in fresh SALT WATER overnight..cheers Keen2Learn 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Keen2Learn 0 Posted November 25, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 25, 2012 awesome, thanks heaps people. do I go bare foot or with shoes on? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
alexczarn 146 Posted November 25, 2012 Report Share Posted November 25, 2012 awesome' date=' thanks heaps people. do I go bare foot or with shoes on?[/quote']Barefoot. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rotare 491 Posted November 25, 2012 Report Share Posted November 25, 2012 I went yesterday with the kids. I wouldn't say we found thousands (the kids helped for all of 5 minutes, then made sand castles for the rest of the time), but probably a couple of hundred in an hour or so, but they were all big. I used a combination of sitting in the wash and digging for them with my hands, and digging for them with a little foldable shovel.I saw another bloke using an interesting technique which looked to be effective. Had a little wire basket the size of a small bin, and using a long handled shovel just kept digging and putting all the sand in the basket. As the water rushed in and out it washed away the sand and left the cockles behind in the cage. It took him about 15 minutes to collect what I did in an hour. Very effective and it would take all of 2 minutes to make a wire basket from some old bird cage or chicken coop mesh. breambo25 and Savagelip 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Caterpillar 1 Posted November 27, 2012 Report Share Posted November 27, 2012 Apart from the obvious responses of "the beach", is there some particular place one should go to?On another train of thought, if one was to collect mussel-like creatures from jetty pylons on a receding tide, what would the legalities of that be in terms of size and limits? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.