Jellyfish

There are two very common jellyfish in our NW waters, Egg-Yolks and Lion's Mane.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phacellophora_camtschatica
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lion%27s_mane_jellyfish

About now they are common and large, and I find myself cleaning jellyfish snot and tentacles off my trolling gear.  While the translucent tentacles from the Egg-Yolks seem not to sting, the red threads from the Lion's Mane will put a bit of a hurt on bare skin.

After cleaning a bunch off my down-rigger line, it started with tingling pins & needles and progressed to stabbing pins & needles on both hands.  It lasted about 24 hours.  I'm not saying it was excruciating, but it was annoying.  Still, didn't detract from the fresh crab at dinner. 

I think I'll carry some XL latex gloves on the boat.  Something I can slip over wet hands and gloves quickly, then remove.

And 24 hours is not a long enough time to wait too take a piss

Carry a bottle of Vinegar

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/14/health/14real.html?_r=0

I've always heard you should pee on the sting, but I like the vinegar idea better 

Right, but did you catch any fish?

Right, but did you catch any fish?

Yes.  My first pink of the season - a cute 15"-er.  Surprisingly it hit at about 50' in 250 FOW.  Also limited on dungeness crab. 

Thanks for the vinegar idea. 

No problem! Hope it works!!

Mythbusters found that Vodka poured on the sting does a good job of neutralizing the sting of Man-O-War

I was bringing up my pot last year and the rope was laying in between my legs as I took the crabs out and re-baited my pot. About 30 minutes later it felt like someone took sandpaper and rubbed the inside of my legs and then burned me with a match. It didn't really hurt but was annoying as hell on the inside of my legs. I went ahead and peed on myself (in the shower) to try and see if it would help...Can't say either way except that the feeling was gone in about 24 hours. The jelly fish are thick down here right now...

Mythbusters found that Vodka poured on the sting does a good job of neutralizing the sting of Man-O-War

I figured the secret was pouring half a bottle of Vodka on the effected area,  but what you did with the other half is what makes the sting go away   

Great info which I never gave much thought to before.  I dare think of incidentally rubbing your face or eyes and how that would ruin a good day.

I don't think jellyfish stings are transferable like poison oak or ivy.  Unless you actually have tentacle pieces on your hand and rub your face.  The irritant are nematocysts in the tentacles, microscopic spearguns which shoot poisonous barbs into your skin.  Once in they don't rub off nor spread - as far as I know.

Not all the nematocysts fire when you get stung, so there can be transferred stings from one site to another if the tentacle remains intact. Poison ivy rash is caused by an allergic reaction to contact with urushiol oil which can be wiped from site to site repeatedly without reducing the "potency".

I've also read that meat tenderizer applied topically in a paste on the site will break down the stings.

Not all the nematocysts fire when you get stung, so there can be transferred stings from one site to another if the tentacle remains intact. Poison ivy rash is caused by an allergic reaction to contact with urushiol oil which can be wiped from site to site repeatedly without reducing the "potency".

I've also read that meat tenderizer applied topically in a paste on the site will break down the stings.

+1

I've handled jellies with my wetsuit gloves on and then wiped my face several minutes later.  Let me tell you, you can definitely transfer the stings.

Meat tenderizer is a common accessory for lifeguards in Hi. 

Also, some people are more susceptible to jelly stings than others.  I'm one of those who suffers when paddling thru clouds of microscopic jellyfish larvae yet, my buddies are often unaffected.

-Spot-

When I used to scuba dive I remember a couple of times when I swam through a big school of jellies...I noticed a slight tingle in my lips but nothing too intense but a couple of the guys I was with had ended up with swollen lips. So I'm with spot...I think some people are more prone to ill effects than others.