Goolwa Cockles

[Aff 67]

Hi all,

Went down to Goolwa on Sunday to collect some cockles for bait now that the season has reopened. The hot weather and light winds made it a perfect day for frolicking among the crashing waves. What was surprising was the average size of the cockles we were gathering, being well over 3.5 cm across (legal minimum size). Got enough to last a little while but well under our quota. Didn't take long because finding legal ones was so easy which hasn't been the case over the last few years. They're now packed and stored in the freezer ready for summer sessions.

Thought I'd do it early in the season before PIRSA shuts it down yet again. We don't eat them anyway & I don't think fish are to worried so I don't see why bait collecting is stopped even if there is microbe contamination detected. Let's face you can get seriously ill from not cooking your food properly & bureaucrats don't monitor the contents of our fridge, anyway that's another story now we're all living in this post common sense world, nanny state, economic dictatorship!

So those of you who like foraging for your own bait Goolwa beach seems to be providing good cockles this year. Bear in mind please just take what you think you're going to realistically use so there's plenty for all and plenty left over for nature to replenish itself.

Cheers

[Underpants 1,516]

Thanks for the heads up.

My thinking too was to head down earlier in the season, at least to take my son for his first shuffle.

Don't actually want any for bait but might keep a few.

[doodlebug73 43]

Any particular distance down the beach or straight out the front?

Hoping to take the kids for a bit of fun, when it warms up again

[nosaj 121]

Thanks for letting us know. Sounds like another opportunity for a Strike and Hook catch up and cockle day like a few years back....

[bjorn2fish 4,052]

Very good to know Aff, thanks for posting up.

Not a bad idea catching up for a cockle day @nosaj.

[gregtech 556]

That's good news Aff. Last two seasons have been tough for size. Plenty of cockles but a lot of measuring. We'll make the effort now you've given us the heads up

[Aff 67]

You're welcome guys.

@Doodlebug73 I don't have a 4x4 so have to leg it , but good news is they were pretty much right in front of the entrance to the beach from the kiosk. We went a bit to the right away from people swimming, surfing etc, found a bit of our own space and did the pippi shuffle. I think the further you go from the masses the more chance of finding them easier because people are generally a bit lazy walking further & so they're less are likely to have been taken further away. But you don't need to go far to find good ones at the moment.

[Meppstas 3,668]

I don't know where you guys go for your cockles but here's where I used to get mine from at Goolwa..

cheers

Adrian

[Underpants 1,516]

Nice one Adrian. Never even knew you could get in to the beach past the main carpark (Beach Rd) !

[archerfish 684]

If you want head even further west, you can try a spot at which I've previously had success a few years ago. It's at Middleton, just out from the car park near Bondi Place...lot less crowded as well.

Cheers

af

[Underpants 1,516]

Took the young fella and my old lady down for a swim & cockling session today. Wanted to try Adrian's suggested but went Goolwa's main beach instead - to do the right thing & swim between the flags .

Arrived ~10am carpark was full, easily 50+ 4x4s parked up the beach towards the mouth. Beach pretty popular with families, grommets ect and a few other groups of 'cocklers' out.

Given  we were pretty close to the main carpark, things were a bit thin, as expected! Still managed 100 or so in a casual hr. Only measured a few and probably discarded a 1/3. I'm pretty good eye-balling sizes and also recon "if i have to measure, it's too small and can go back".

Son was more interested in in digging holes, making sand castles and mucking around at his first true surf beach (apposed to West or Semaphore). Nevertheless i had him chasing some in the wash as i did the 'shuffle'.

Also managed to get a blister on the end of a big toe which split and filled with sand

Left after 2.5hrs of hot sunshine. Almost mandatory d**khead bogged on the 4x4 beach access. (im no car person) looked like a Territory. Wonder if he thought he had a 4x4 but was only the 2x4 model?  Was impressed that i saw one (but only 1 ) bloke dropping his tyre pressures.

[doobie 3,262]

Nice to get down there UP and the kids to muck around too on the beach.

Yep in front of the main car park is pretty thin for cockles as you say, but still fun for all without having manouvre between all the 4x4's further down the beach.  Just go down there when a more serious collect is needed

[Aff 67]

New Years day was even worse UP for 4X4s and people in general, had to look both ways before venturing towards the water. Unfortunately the cockles in areas that are more easily accessed by foot are under more pressure and are thinning a bit. Good you managed some and had some fun with the family.

[Hunter69 355]

Wouldnt mind getting down there soon for a session. Geez there expensive atm

[Underpants 1,516]

2 hours ago, Hunter69 said:

Wouldnt mind getting down there soon for a session. Geez there expensive atm

Just under 2 weeks to go.... you'll certianly be beating the crowds.

[David_C 374]

21 hours ago, Underpants said:

Just under 2 weeks to go.... you'll certianly be beating the crowds.

Bit more than that. Doesn’t open until 1 November

[Underpants 1,516]

27 minutes ago, David_C said:

Bit more than that. Doesn’t open until 1 November

 indeed must have been the 

[Softy 1,254]

Opens the 1st and no doubt closed by the 7th with e-coli bs

[David_C 374]

I'll be going when it opens, as I have run out of them in the freezer. 

Glad I have the cockle rakes - makes the process so much quicker and easier

David

[Del 237]

never used a rake...  just shuffle.. rake is higher return?

[Jimmy. 135]

16 hours ago, David_C said:

I'll be going when it opens, as I have run out of them in the freezer. 

Glad I have the cockle rakes - makes the process so much quicker and easier

David

Dave if you need some before then let me know, I have a few bags in my freezer you gave me last time left!
I will be keen to go down, found minimal advantage over driving along the beach compared to by the kiosk though.
 

[Hunter69 355]

No 4wd required ? 

[Softy 1,254]

You can get them pretty close to the carpark.  

[Underpants 1,516]

1 hour ago, Hunter69 said:

No 4wd required ? 

No point unless you want to join the 4wd w**ker brigade, park 200m up the beach...and churn the sand up with your highway pressure cheese cutters!

Keep the beast salt and sand free. Either walk from the beach Rd carpark or as Adrian suggested:

 

On 16/11/2017 at 1:06 PM, Meppstas said:

I don't know where you guys go for your cockles but here's where I used to get mine from at Goolwa..

cheers

Adrian

 

On 19/09/2018 at 5:40 PM, Softy said:

Opens the 1st and no doubt closed by the 7th with e-coli bs

Yeah as the 'Armchair Guru' cynically suggests, get in at the start of the season, before they close it .......although given how dry the season has been there's unlikely to be much coming out of the mouth (ie the upstream dairy and sewerage discharges, where the E Coli comes from!!!)

Also if you go earlier on,  they will be easier to get in size and numbers 

[David_C 374]

4 hours ago, Hunter69 said:

No 4wd required ? 

I've got a SUV and I normally head between 5 to 7 kms down the beach. You can just seem them rolling in the surf and there is no pressure from others. With the smaller limits though, you can definitely get them in good numbers without taking the car.

David