Lionfish invasion?

[S. Haynie]

Hey guys,

I was just watching you tube videos on the lionfish invasion. Interesting, I had one of those.

It seems like there are a few Lionfish specific hunting tools out there. One is the "safe spear" Which is essentially a modified Gat-Ku (same maker). They also sell a spine proof glove which is pretty slick.

Then "The Elf" which is like a tiny Hawaiian sling maybe a foot long. Seemed to be quite effective.

I tend to be a tinkerer and serial entrepreneur. Naturally I found issues with both. The latter is so short that either in the spearing or in removing the fish there are plenty of opportunities to get stung.

The first is a full sized spear with a pusher stick through the core that is used to push the fish off. That is available and it's pricy.

Seems to me lionfish don't get big so a really little spear would work fine. But they need to be able to be gotten off easily. I saw posts on another forum where dive tour leaders wanted something small they could take with them and just kill them when they see them verses go out on a dedicated hunt.

There is also a push to educate people on how to clean and eat them.

so I got to thinking and came up with a design idea that I think I can produce and can sell for less than $40, with killing and or harvesting lionfish efficiently. I wonder what kind of interest thre would be for such a tool?

 

[Johnoly]

...... I wonder what kind of interest thre would be for such a tool?...

A better mousetrap will generate tons of sales. The Lionfish invasion is a very hot topic and speargun/pole manufactures are rushing to test and see what idea will sell.

When it comes to lionfish hunting, less is more. Can you post a drawing of your item?

 

[Hank49]

Any speargun without a barbed shaft would be good. Just "wipe" the fish off between a couple rocks, which should be abundant since that's where they hang out.
But without a barbed shaft, you're limited to shooting lionfish (or other small fish you can pin to the bottom). And for sure a 20 lb mutton or 60 lb cobia will swim right up to you right then.

 

[iztok]

I am thinking of ordering foldaspear. It seems that it folds to about 1ft and can strap to your leg. When needed you just snap it and go spear the lionfish.

Which leads me to my question. Would paralyzer tip type be good for it or should I look for something else?

(I never used spear in my life and only plan to use it on lionfish.)

 

[DebbyDiver]

I purchased a Foldspear from my LDS and it's pretty awesome. I purchased a Lionfish Tip which is essentially a spear point with no barb. I was told that a paralyzer is NOT a good choice because it could make it difficult to take the beastie off the end of the spear.

The Foldspear folds down and goes into a velcro'd pouch that you attach to your leg. Very comfortable and you forget it's there until you need it.

But it was pricey, about $90 plus the cost of the tip. If there's a $40 solution, it will be VERY popular.

The SafeSpear solves a problem that doesn't exist, namely, pushing the beastie off the spear. With a barbless point, it's really easy to ditch the dead fish.

The Foldspear is really easy to use and I'm proud to brag that I dispatched my first LIONFISH last weekend in the Keys during ITK.

 

[Jax]

Any speargun without a barbed shaft would be good. Just "wipe" the fish off between a couple rocks, which should be abundant since that's where they hang out.
But without a barbed shaft, you're limited to shooting lionfish (or other small fish you can pin to the bottom). And for sure a 20 lb mutton or 60 lb cobia will swim right up to you right then.

Good! Feed the lionfish to them!

I am thinking of ordering foldaspear. It seems that it folds to about 1ft and can strap to your leg. When needed you just snap it and go spear the lionfish.

Which leads me to my question. Would paralyzer tip type be good for it or should I look for something else?

(I never used spear in my life and only plan to use it on lionfish.)

I had a couple of spearos look at mine. The opinion is that it will work fine on a small fish, but anything large will cause the bungee in the center to stretch and let the foldspear come apart.

The foldspear also has a case with elastic bands, but they aren't strong. I'd replace them with velcro or adjustable straps.

There is a 'lionfish' tip, which is a regular tip with the barbs removed.

 

[Wayward Son]

what about the option of carrying EMT shears? Spear the fish, use the shears to cut off the spines.

Would that aid in preventing stings while handling them?

 

[iztok]

What other tips do I need to know? I've read somewhere that grabbing a transparent drybag from REI (or similar shop) to put the lionfish in is good idea.

Do I need to go to Lowes or Home Depot to grab some special gloves for extra protection?

 

[DebbyDiver]

REEF told me that one of those clear "dry bags" that you see people bringing their towels, etc. onto the boat would work well. They are about $20 or so at a variety of places like your LDS, West Marine, Bass Pro, etc.

REEF also recommends gloves that hospital workers use that are needle proof. They are pretty darned expensive but if I was going to handle one of the beasties, I'd buy them.

I don't like to cook, so I'm choosing to leave my dead LIONFISH on the bottom for other fishies to enjoy. However, really make sure it's dead before you swim away...FWC told me that they've heard reports of divers coming onto very live LIONFISH who had spear holes in them!

 

[FredT]

A 3 prong paralyzer tip on a short pole spear works quite well for lionfish. The 3 prong keeps the fish from spinning on the tip (and thus finning you) while you cut it's throat against the bottom. I've come up with a tube stringer for them that will strip them off the tip, but pushing it off the tip with the end of your fin works well too.

While in Coz this month I saw several fish with "poke pole" single point tip injuries still swimming around & eating.