Anyone had any problems stepping on Cobbler in the swan river? I seem to be one of few paranoid people wearing booties... I must say I would prefer not to wear them as it slows down getting in and out of the straps.
nope i havent stepped on 1 either and i have also been sailing there since i was 6...
they are there though i suspect they may retreat to the depths during daylight hours.never worn booties in the river except for real cold days in winter,however at mandurah i will wear them all the time as a barrier to the crabs and devil fish.
Just in case you get stung... immerse in the hottest water you can tolerate. Worked for a couple of people I know that got stung (1 at Coro, 1 at Ricketts Point); theory goes the hot water breaks down the enzyme that causes the pain.
As a cure, be very carefull using hot water as you don't want to end up in hospital with a nasty burn.
The best solution (thanks to my wife here) is wheat heat pack (or similar) which you can heat up in the microzapper.
It's a damn sight easier than lugging around a bucket of water on your hoof.
I think everyone should experience a good cobler sting once in thier life, extreme non life threatning pain . Both of my alltime worst stings have been in weed free semi clear water.
Where was that caught?
I would be more worried about hitting it at speed. Good thing they stay on the bottom.
I found the picture in the photos "fishing" section ."Caught in canning river" was the caption.Saw it there ages ago.
Wouldn't booties be next to useless against a cobbler spine?
Unless they were metal plated soles?
When i'm walking in the weed i try not to stomp down too much, more of a shuffle.
You're probably right, I guess they are better than nothing. I don't think about what I put my feet on anyway...
I'll back that up- they hurt like sh!t. I got zapped about 10 mins before the start of the Ledge to Lano a few years back. Had to loosen 2 footstraps to get my foot(ball) in. Adrenaline masks pain. But at the end of the run I've never hopped so quickly- to the pub to get some hot water... Pain gone by the end of the night. I was lucky- it only scratched my foot.
Fark! - Didnt even know these things existed! Now I'm Paranoid as hell!
According to wikipedia:
"The estuary cobbler is an inshore marine species which lives in shallow bays and sandy inlets near river mouths. It is found most frequently every over sand, rocks and weeds in clear to turbid waters. By day, the estuary cobbler are most often found in holes and on ledges in banks."
and
"They may live up to 13 years. The dorsal and pectoral fins have sharp, venomous spines that can inflict painful wounds"
In northerly conditions I sail down the road from my place at a place we call "willy speed track", its right at the mouth of where the yarra spews into pt phillip bay - fits their habitat perfectly! They probably might mutate into something nastier when the channel deepening project starts stirring up 150 years of toxic sludge
Im going to go fishing....
Were we sail at Rickets they sit in the weed grass the same as they do in Corro..
I might be wrong, but I know that big ugly looking catfish thing is called a cobbler, but I am pretty sure that the ones that I have stood on both at Rickets and Corro are not those catfish things but rather a scorpion fish thing that is also called a cobbler.. I will see if I can find a photo.
AB was fishing off Rickets last night, and Dad caught one!! it was about 10cm long! Maybe the one he stood on on sunday! He felt like killing it! but he didnt, and as he flicked it back in it spiked his thumb!!
Cobbler 2 - Bernie - 0!
This is what I have always thought I have been standing on! Its called a Cobbler and it sits in grassy weed areas with a venomus spine..
Sorry was the best photo I could find...
if the pain gets too much and your a bit of a ***** like me.....then numerous local anaesthetic injections around the sting for total heavenly relief 
Swan River has flatheads too but they have spines on their sides... so not really a problem if you step on them. More when you catch them and holding them to get your hook out.
Not really a problem when sailing...
Hey Windjunky , A Cobbler at Ricketts Point ??? I stood on a syringe there about 18 months ago , in the grass right next to the carpark at the Lifesaving Club . Not paifnul , but a huge pain in the butt . I think I have been inocculated for every disease known to man now !!!!!
Heaps around Geraldton....all beaches.. Coros ........PT etc
1 DRAG YOUR FEET IN THE WEEDY SHALLOWS OFTEN YOU WILL KICK IT AND OR FEEL THEM SLIM AWAY FROM THE SIDE OF YOUR FOOT, AVOIDING A DIRECT HIT ON THE TOP SPIKE,They do have 2 side spikes around the gill.
2 Hot water does reduce the pain ......which is full on.So full on the victim boils the water and puts his foot in ....and or .....increases the heated water to a point where it burns the skin. Most victims will have there foot in this hot water for up to 2- 5 hours plus.
3 i think the poison reacts with the heated water and increase blistering ?.
4 Every case i have seen has resulted in blistering of the toes and skin, one case the foot blistered the size of a foot ball.
5 ive seen (couple )both doctors un able to administer needles into there foot as the pain was that great.
I another case a young child became short of breath and started having convoltions.
90 % of recovery is greated than 24 hours........ and PAIN tingling and sweets etcetccan last up to a whole week ,,,,,to weight bear and if blistering occurs 3-4 weeks out of the water
Drag your feet ..... watch the hot water........ICE.
ENJOY THE RIDE...ITS....1 THING YOU HAVE TO DO BEFORE YOU DIE. (NOT)
PS SAW MY FIRST ONECOUPLE OF WEEKS BACK AT ST GEORGES BEACH GERALDTON WHILST SNORKLING ,approx 1 foot long like the diagram.
(oh) when the barb goes in it often pulls the internal flesh out with it.
The hotter the water the better, put both feet in the water as the painfull foot can not feel the temp of the water . Try not to cook your foot. The heat solidifys the cobler fluid like cooking egg whites and keeps the venom close to the entry point. The pain will be gone in under 5 hrs on real servere stings. Best prevention is slide your feet along the bottom as KOTP said.
Sailing at the point a cple of yrs back,,,,the first cple of metres from the beach was fairly thick with weed ,,,, decided to sail thru the weed as far towards the beach as i could,,,,,fin hit the sand so I stepped of my board ( ankle deep water/weed ) and stepped straight on a cobbler,,,, instant reaction I jumped but stepped straight back onto it...
Yep,,,twice in the one foot. Had to leave my gear on the beach as by the time I walked to the car park I could barely walk.. Hospital injected around both stings what felt like 100 times ( realisticaly more like 10 or so ) and by the next arvo I was right to sail again....But by f--k it hurt!!!!
Now always shuffle,,even if the weed is that thick you can barely move your legs
