Keen2Learn

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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:

Thats a wide list of questions there k2l You will find a lot of info in the Freshwater Fishing section, butr it will also help if you say if you want to fish by , if you have trtansport etc too

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.

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

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.

Hey mate can you be more specific, there are heaps of jetties in sa lol..Wallaroo jetty is best for crabs.. lots of crabs at ardrossan too but have found them to be smaller and not so much meat.. Also get snapper at the gates further up.. squid, KGW, gar, snook and, YFW in the shallows are common catches.. When the squid are around yin numbers you might see some kingies around

Try reading the fishing column in the Sunday Mail :whistle: It seems most metro jetties now have gar. squid and some tommies atm

you cant go off any of the metro beaches, so local youll need a boat and be a confident freediver. im pretty sure its south of norlunga and north of outerhabour you can spearfish but you have to be 100m from any jetty. if you go on google maps youll be able to spot some reefs. try selicks reef, on a nice flat day its beautiful snorkleing theregoodluck its good fun

Not sure about the tide effecting the crabs coming closer to shore but it sure makes the fisherman get closer to the crabs.Rule of thumb for spearfishing around Adelaide (but please check PIRSA) From outer harbour to the southern side of the onka mouth and 500 odd mt out is a no go.I wouldn't bother with a spear for crabs, rakes are better and do less damage to juvenile crabs if used correcty. Spear and undersized crab and it's a lose lose situation

Not sure about the spear :dry: Always "dabbed" them on the bottom of the low, and the first 2 hours run in of the high.......others may vary,depends on locale

Just a little info from the PIRSA website in that last post. You may find that people may be reluctant to give out spot's for the Fleurieu and yorke peninsular as they don't have the quantity of cray around these areas, but if you look hard enough i'm sure you will find them, I'm not familiar with these areas so can't help you. You'll more than likley need a good sized boat to access these areas and a quality sounder will assist in finding reef.

Catch Limits and Legal LengthsMinimum legal length: Southern zone (from longitude 139o0’4.80” east to the Victorian border): 9.85 cm Northern zone (from longitude 139o0’4.80” west to the West Australian border, including Kangaroo Island): 10.5 cm (Information about how to measure rock lobsters) Personal daily bag limit: A maximum of 4 rock lobster per person per day, regardless of how they are legally taken Daily boat limit: If taken by only one person (whether by diving, drop or hoop net, or registered rock lobster pot) a maximum of 4 rock lobster per day.If taken by more than one person, a maximum of 8 rock lobster perday. Closed seasons: Southern zone (from longitude 139o0’4.80” east to the Victorian border): The taking of lobsters from the southern zone is prohibited between 6.00 pm 31 May and 6.00 pm 1 November every year. Northern zone (from longitude 139o0’4.80” west to the West Australian border, including Kangaroo Island): The taking of lobsters from the northern zone is prohibited between 6.00 pm 31 May and 12 noon 1 November every year. Closed areas: Rock lobsters are totally protected and cannot be taken at any time from the following areas:■Cape Jaffa■Margaret Brock Reed (within .55 n miles of the light)■Rivoli Bay including Penguin Is. (from Glen Point to Cape Martin)■Gleeson Landing■All aquatic reserves Permitted devices: There are certain restrictions on gear and requirements that need to be met when fishing for rock lobsters. Rock lobster pots must be registered. Handling your catch: All rock lobster taken by recreational fishers must have the middle tail fan clipped in half to a recognisable straight line before landing. Restrictions: Female rock lobsters carrying eggs are totally protected and must be returned to the water immediately. There is no limit to the number of times pots, drop nets or hoop nets can be checked from the one boat in any one day, provided the owner of the devices, or in the case of rock lobster pots the registered owner, is on board the vessel. But daily bag and boat limits still apply.How to measure rock lobstersRock lobster must be measured:■along the middle and on the top of the carapace (the main body shell)■from the front edge of the groove between the antennae (frontal tubercule) to the rear edge of the carapace (but not including any hairs attached to the carapace)The measuring device used must be able to fit firmly into the groove between the antennae.If you apply to register a rock lobster pot you will be sent a measuring device along with your registration.Closed seasonsSouthern zone: The taking of lobsters from the southern zone is prohibited between 6.00 pm 30 April and 6.00 pm 1 November every year. Northern zone: The taking of lobsters from the northern zone is prohibited between 6.00 pm 31 May and 12 noon 1 November every year. In addition, female lobsters carrying eggs are totally protected and must be returned to the water immediately. Closed areasRock lobsters are totally protected and cannot be taken at any time from the following areas:■Cape Jaffa■Margaret Brock Reed (within .55 n miles of the light)■Rivoli Bay including Penguin Island (from Glen Point to Cape Martin)■Gleeson Landing■All aquatic reservesThe above areas are rock lobster sanctuaries. You can also contact your local Fisheries office and ask for a copy of these maps.Restricted areaFishers are not permitted to use drop nets, crab nets, hoop nets or rock lobster pots from the Port MacDonnell breakwater, or from anywhere within the restricted area.Handling your catch All rock lobster taken by recreational fishers must have the middle tail fan clipped in half to a recognisable straight line before landing. This should be done by using a pair of scissors.In the past, concerns have been raised about the impact of tail fan clipping on the lobster. A report on The examination of the welfare implications of the management procedure of tail fan clipping concluded that there was insufficient evidence to warrant an abandonment of this procedure, and that there is a benefit to the lobster population as a whole from marking of recreational catches.Failure to clip the middle tail fan may result in prosecution with a maximum penalty of $2000.

Cray will generally feed on anything you throw at them, but fresh bait is best in my opinion, i tend to use salmon mostly as it is readily available most times. Any fish will do though. You still haven't given an area you want to fish?? but any where in the south east, KI, bottom of yorkes, bottom of eyre peninsular right up to the WA border holds cray. You'll need to narrow it down a little if you want some one to help you out on a spot. Down here in the South east any bit of reefs holds cray, there's no secret spots cause there's plenty of cray! In other areas of the state the cray are a little more sparse so require more searching to find them but any good reef bottom should hold cray. If using pots they need to be registered and this will set you back about $174 for two pots. Check PIRSA's website for a registration form and any regulations. Also I would get familiar on how to measure a cray as they are measured differently to anything else and again the PIRSA website will show you.If your in the south east and you want to dive all you have to do is jump in the water next to a reef and you will find them, there's no secret just look!! limestone ledges and holes/cracks will all hold cray.cheers

I am no expert -- but I think that it best to remove the guts out of any animal before freezing .... the problem is there are bacteria in the gut that may contaminate your fish during defrost thus it could potentially make you sick..

For your own wellbeing, at least gut and gill them prior to freezing!Ya don't have to scale them, and I know a few snapper fishos who prefer to leave the scales on......they say it improves the flavour, I dunno how true that is though, and it's certainly more difficult to scale after freezing.Clean squid prior to freezing.Crabs I wouldn't freeze at all!

I use motackle. It has a huge range of just about everything to do with fishing. Prices are good too.http://www.motackle.com.au/

Hi K2LSome very good advice here. As you're just starting out, and has been suggested, it will really pay you in the long term to try and have a good relationship with the "local" tackle store.Buy from them and any decent shop will not only look after you the best they can with advice, srevice etc, but will always be happy to see you return as a satisfied customer.While internet tackle retailers/wholesalers may be appealing pricewise, and they are attractive to people who know their tackle more in depth, you simply wont get the guidance you would from a shop, or from mebers in the know here either Id suggest you only buy rods and reels at the moment that you can see, touch and feel until you get a better understanding of tackle in general Good luck with your purchases