They Were Biteing At Greenwell Point

[fisherdad]

What a great place easy access to the ocean and estuary with lots of great spots to try and with JB just around the corner we were ready.

We arrived Thursday afternoon to find the local fisherman fishing at the reserve next to our house and a couple more setting up bait traps at our back door. On closer inspection we also found plenty of nippers and schools of bait fish just feet from the shore.

Unbelievable all the bait we need at our back door.

Nippers were easy but the bait fish were too smart, so with a prawn net and light with no idea we went prawning, caught 3. Yes we now know that prawning is on an outgowning tide DOH.

Well Easter weather was as per normal with Friday and Saturday conditions poor so no fun but a couple of fish. Saturday afternoon we hit the local wharf and caught the livey's we needed in anticapation for a good day.

Sunday we planned to get up early (did not happen) boats in the water at 8.30am spectacular conditions we headed for Nowra Hill, Slimies for more bait then headed off to The Banks.

WHAT A SPOT!!!

The kids had a geat time with fish everywhere in clear water (Sweep) an hour later a boat 100 ft away is onto a marlin thet decides to swim around the boats so a quick move was needed as it jumped within 50 ft from the boat. Then a Hammerhead shark starts working the area around the boats.

With a seal nearby taking a sun tan we headed for the shallows for chasing a flatty.

Total for the weekend 1 snapper, 3 Flatty's, slimies and yakkas for bait.

We had a geat time at Greenwell Point and will be back soon but the Sea Lice (We think) nailed me and the rest of our group.

Any suggestions on how to avoid the dots

Edited March 24, 2008 by MallacootaPete

[mrmoshe]

G'day David,

sounds like the family had a great time down there and a shame the weather wasn't the best for the whole

4 days.

Those sea lice apparently hate lavender, so try and get some lavender soap and wash the kid's and their bathers in that and repeat after each day in the water.

Maybe you could even try and use fresh lavender leaves and throw some in the washing.

Don't know how you treat the bites though...maybe use stingoes or one of the propriatary anti itch ointments if the itch is still bad, or just use some aloe vera on them.

Hope this helps,

Cheers,

Pete.

Just saw the pic....ouch!!

[fisherdad]

Tried treating the Bites with Beer and it did not matter how many i had it did not help, so tried Red Wine and Scotch, same result. (Hedache)

Kids had a great time and we saw the chemist for Antihestime tablets and Gel. (Works well)

I will give the lavender a go as some of our group got nailed (ME) and others only got a couple.

[mrmoshe]

The lavender is a preventive rather than a treatment once bitten.

Good for next time down there but whatever works for the itch is

good now.

If it gets worse...better go see the Doc.

Hope the family gets better fast.

Cheers,

Pete.

[slothe]

There were no pelicans in the area, as they look like pelican lice bites to me.

[Koalaboi]

Hi,

There could be lots of causes for your skin reaction. Maybe broken up bluebottle and jellyfish stinging cells called nematocysts. These are a very interesting little adaptation, worth looking up! In the surf, we've called them sea lice but I'm not sure if that's really correct. Certainly, the stinging is almost instant. If so, liberal flushing with very warm water is the latest treatment as far as I know.

If it's pelican itch, the problems seem to start a bit later. My latest bout saw me waking up in the middle of the night wanting to tear the skin and flesh from my bones to remove the irritation. I kid you not.

Pelican itch is a form of bilharzia...a very interesting parasite. In Africa, you can die I think from this nasty. In Australia, they cannot survive in a mammal and so die causing an awful reaction. Anti histamines are the go. They work.

Apparently, at the breeding stage of their life cycle, the little blighters are expelled from the bird host when they defecate. They then float around looking for a leg or two to attach to.

I've read that flushing your skin with water and towelling off may help as soon as you get out of the water. I have a suspicion that once the water dries off your skin, they are then triggered to burrow into your skin....so, you'll have to be quick!

After a couple of really bad attacks this summer due to wading the flats flicking for flatties, I gave up up and bought a pair of waders.

No problems since!

Koalaboi

[dsorongan]

What a great place easy access to the ocean and estuary with lots of great spots to try and with JB just around the corner we were ready.

We arrived Thursday afternoon to find the local fisherman fishing at the reserve next to our house and a couple more setting up bait traps at our back door. On closer inspection we also found plenty of nippers and schools of bait fish just feet from the shore.

Unbelievable all the bait we need at our back door.

Nippers were easy but the bait fish were too smart, so with a prawn net and light with no idea we went prawning, caught 3. Yes we now know that prawning is on an outgowning tide DOH.

Well Easter weather was as per normal with Friday and Saturday conditions poor so no fun but a couple of fish. Saturday afternoon we hit the local wharf and caught the livey's we needed in anticapation for a good day.

Sunday we planned to get up early (did not happen) boats in the water at 8.30am spectacular conditions we headed for Nowra Hill, Slimies for more bait then headed off to The Banks.

WHAT A SPOT!!!

The kids had a geat time with fish everywhere in clear water (Sweep) an hour later a boat 100 ft away is onto a marlin thet decides to swim around the boats so a quick move was needed as it jumped within 50 ft from the boat. Then a Hammerhead shark starts working the area around the boats.

With a seal nearby taking a sun tan we headed for the shallows for chasing a flatty.

Total for the weekend 1 snapper, 3 Flatty's, slimies and yakkas for bait.

We had a geat time at Greenwell Point and will be back soon but the Sea Lice (We think) nailed me and the rest of our group.

Any suggestions on how to avoid the dots

Mate, those spots are either caused by sand flies or mozzies. I have family down there and have been around greenwell point a few times. always after a big day fishing land based by the way) we would all get those spots on limbs where there was no clothing. They will itch for a few days and the spots will slowy fade after a week

Cheers

[mrsswordfisherman]

From your picture it looks like the exposed areas of skin were affected.

The nematocysts (as Koalaboi mentioned) usually affect the non exposed areas such as under the swimming costume. This is typically mistaken for sea lice. Make sure you wash your cossies or wetsuit in vinegar

It is probably an allergic reaction to infection with certain parasites of birds. It causes the short lived rash and is found on the exposed parts that were in the water.

Treatments such as the old Calamine Lotion will help soothe the itch. Antihistamines and/or mild corticosteroid creams help too.

An interesting topic this is

Cheers mrsswordfisherman

[Yeeros]

Mate i had legs like that once. They were sandflies and the only thing that stops them is tropical strength insect repellant and even then i wouldn't bother. The itch will drive you mad in a few days if it isn't already, for those that know about sandflies they know i mean MAD when i say it. The only thing that had any effect for me at all was an antihistamine from the chemist, i took the greeny coloured TELFAST brand and i swear by it. I think it was the most expensive but as i said you either don;t care by now or won't very soon so go and get it. Calamine lotion also helps to stop the itch.

Good luck,

P.S if you know for a fact that they are not bites you might just have the pox or measles so go to the doctor and get checked out ASAP as its not fun for an adult and could even kill you.

[fisherdad]

following the responses in these ichy bites i can confirm its not the pox, Measles or Chicken Pox.

There are a couple on the arms but mainly below the knee.

Therfore they are either sand flies as I was getting bitten at one end of the wharf. But before that we spent some time in the water at low tide at the ramp (Launching Boats etc) with the Pelicans.

So its Pelican Itch or Sandflies or a combination of both

[chewsta]

Mate,

I was down at Greenwell Point over The Easter weekend too and the same thing happened to me over near Comerong Island. Little Sand fly's everywhere, half the size or even smaller of your normal mosquito. sometimes you would feel the bite but mostly not. we were bitten all over from the knees down as we only had shorts covering our bottom half Lucky we had long sleeved shirts on aswell and that kept them off the upper half of our bodies.

we also never entered the water so it wasnt anything that was just in the water.

The itching didnt start till later that night but its driving me crazy and my legs are nowhere near as bad as yours look.

Ive been using "Stop-Itch plus" cream and it works. BUT to apply the cream you have to rub it in which aggrivates the itching for a couple of minutes till the cream numbs them.

So my advice is to get the Stop-Itch SPRAY!!!

Good luck with it, im feeling your pain, or should i say itch!

Allen

[southerly]

Howdy, them's are definately sandfly bites. They are in plaugue proportions at Greenwell Point and Culburra, in most places they only come out at night but down there they bite all day. Rid and Aeroguard work somewhat. Long trowsers, longsleeves and gloves work even better.

Once bitten some lotions can sooth the intching, but I prefer to avoid being bit if I can. I was at the boat ramp at Culburra at first light in warm dead still conditions last year and the sandflies and mozzies were insane, thousands of them all at once.

David

[Bardy]

100% sand flies..no doubt

Best treatment is to run the hottest shower u can stand and get your limbs (affected areas) under it..This will stop the itch dead.....As I said..it needs to be as hot as u can possibly take for a second or 2....as many times as u can stand..obviously dont burn yourself.....! And an antihistamine will stop the itch....I hate the buggers!

Edited March 25, 2008 by bardi

[Methodman]

Dave.. were u staying on Hasier Rd???

the road that runs down to the bowling club?

[fisherdad]

No we were at Crookhaven Drive next to the Park

[mrmoshe]

How's the itch today David? better I hope

[fisherdad]

Getting better

for reference

Telefast tablets work well

SOOV gel is not bad

VERY hot shower lasted for an hour or so

Thanks for asking

[mrmoshe]

Getting better

for reference

Telefast tablets work well

SOOV gel is not bad

VERY hot shower lasted for an hour or so

Thanks for asking

Glad to hear it.

Hope the family is all better too.

Cheers,

Pete

[chewsta]

Hi David,

mate my legs are still itching, not as bad as they were but still pretty annoying.

Just wanted to reply to your other post aswell from the Gamefishing Section.

thought ide add it in here so we didnt Hijack the thread over there completely.

I do remember seeing you guys aswell as the blue and white boat, you guys headed off together just infront of us aswell. small world hey.

We headed south to the Drum and Drumsticks earlier for some kings on the smaller slimies that we had, the bigger 20-30cm slimies we had down were untouched except one brief encounter with a seal, dont know how they dont hook themselves but they are bloody good at it.

We then trolled skirts down to the fad off the front of Jervis Bay, out a little wider and back up to where we eventually ran into you guys. saw no action on the fad but scored a dollie off a floating log on the way back up.

saw a few others jumping and chasing the lures around some fish traps but no takes. We also scored two stripeys but they dont count.

Wasnt it a great day out there though!!!

I probably know the area about aswell as you do mate, but Nathan(methodman) is the other guy i was with at the time, His family is from down that way so he can probably help you more than i can.

I know he'll see this post sooner or later and add his two cents, and probably give me some grief while he's at it.

Hope the legs are feeling better mate, I know mine arent...

Allen.

[VA911]

love it down there

i have fisheded down there since the late 80's during holidays. Top fishing and just plain relaxing.

Pitty about the sandflies..

OUCH!

[mrmoshe]

as a dermatologist I have read with interest this thread and am impressed by the proposed diagnoses and level of knowledge of fellow fishermen. Sandfly bite rashes range from minor itchy spots to florid weepy, extensive eruptions. I have had to treat the latter patients with courses of oral steroids, in addition to antihistamine tablets and steroid creams. Whenever I'm holidaying on the north or south coast I pack a tube of steroid cream in case of sandfly bites. The same will also help for swimmers itch (also called pelican itch and clam digger's itch) and seabather's eruption (from immature jellyfish stings amongst other things).

RobMc

Thank you Rob for a professional perspective on this ailment.

Isn't it great that Fishraider members have such a wide array of professions and skills with one thing in common....we all love fishing.

Thanks again for clearing up the problem once and for all.

Cheers,

Pete.