Chugwhump
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Even after poking them and being sure they are dead, we need to savage them into pieces.
Gotta be careful though.
Chug
Kill em' till they're dead!
Lionfish invasion?
- Thread starter S. Haynie
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Even after poking them and being sure they are dead, we need to savage them into pieces.
Gotta be careful though.
Chug
Kill em' till they're dead!
Seems like it would work just fine!
How close to the "skin" you need to cut the spines?
Thanks for the response guys! Very encouraging.
I'm a bit of a serial entrepreneur with a manufacturing backgrounds and a degree in business and economics on the way. I've looked at everythign that I can find on the web market for lionfish killing and found room for improvement.
Mostly Price. Lower the price = sell more = more in the hands of people that might kill a few.
Saftey is a big concern here however. In my mind this isn't so much a sporting adventure here. The goal is to have the upper hand in killing an invasive fish. It dosent make sense to take risks like trying to handle a lionfish under water. A sting could end up as a drowning.
I'm not posting my design yet, Prototype will be finished in 2 days. All contact with the fish should be under conditions where the diver has the advantage. I recomend cutting the spines when the fish is out of the water. Garden sheers work fine. If you must touch the fish use long hemostats OR there is a hypordermic needle puncture resistant glove made by "Hexarmor".
What I have going will spear the crap out of them but keep them at a safe distance. From that point the user will have a choice of bagging them or dislodging them with out touching them or coming close till it's time to start scaling and cutting spines. Cutting spines should IMO be on dry land.
Also damage to sorounding reef is a concern for some as well as portability. I've seen on other forums where divers want to have a way to kill them with out necessarily going out on a lion safari. My design wont be the smallest but it also wont be overkill.
There is footage of someone using a fold spear type of thing on YouTube. You gotta take it out and extend it. Then again it's a full sized spear and you need to dislodge the fish. Lionfish don't seem that skittish. I think something smaller will work great. If that person were just sigh seeing they used allot of air and time assembling the spear and such.
Of course if you are already hunting and just want to kill it and move on then it makes sense to use what you have.
There are kits available but most of the components of those kits are everyday stuff you can get on your own at walmart with an up cahrge added.
It occours to me that a place to put the fish may be helpfull. Some people are returning to the surface and sliding them off into a floating bucket or a cooler in a boat. Another has a dry bag but getting the fish in seems to take two people or some fidgiting about. It's chances to get stung if you ask me.
I like the dry bag idea but watching others use them I noticed a few things.
If there are several fish already in the bag then it becomes an issue of getting new ones in while not letting out old ones. Even if it's dead and caught in a current it can sting. Fish are fairly simple creatures biologically so they may show signs of life even after being run through recently.
The simple fact of taking game from it's habitate is that not all shots are perfect. There is no way to guarantee the fish will be stoned. It simply may not present that shot.
I saw another method that uses a long skewer threaded through the gills and a long (10') stringer that has a float attached so the fish stays 10' above and behind the diver. That seems a bit cumbersom, and if there is a party of divers hunting lionfish I don't know haw that would work. Pluss it could get tangled on structure and be a problem or damage coral.
Again something simple and effective and efficient seems to be in order. I'm thinking about either a bag with a zip back and ridgid front with a membrane that the speared fish can just be shoved through then dislodged. Less need for gingerly fiddling with the fish to get it bagged.
I just know what would happen to me. I'd nail a big one, bag it and then either get stung bagging it's little friend, it would get me while trying to bag another fish, or I'd get stung through the bag. Tangled in the stringer cord and stung, or something unexpected! So I sit and think things through first. I see the fish, I spear it, how will I do that exactly, what could go wrong, No how to get the fish off, what could go wrong what is the process. Is it tricky, complicated, or requires finnesse? What if I fumble with something?
I learned one day that not having a plan for something as simple as landing a hooked fish in a kayak can end is a nasty wound - Like a trebble hook in the "unit". Harvesting a poisonous fish has plenty of potential for people to get stung. Add in Scuba/Freediving and the risks go up.
To be honest debate the wisdom in trying to design and market a lionfish tool. I do live in the land of getting sued because you made coffee too hot. I really like the challenge of coming up with problem solutions. Also I'm keen on dong things to help the enviroment, our ecology and wildlife/game.
I'm a bit of a serial entrepreneur with a manufacturing backgrounds and a degree in business and economics on the way. I've looked at everythign that I can find on the web market for lionfish killing and found room for improvement.
Mostly Price. Lower the price = sell more = more in the hands of people that might kill a few.
Saftey is a big concern here however. In my mind this isn't so much a sporting adventure here. The goal is to have the upper hand in killing an invasive fish. It dosent make sense to take risks like trying to handle a lionfish under water. A sting could end up as a drowning.
I'm not posting my design yet, Prototype will be finished in 2 days. All contact with the fish should be under conditions where the diver has the advantage. I recomend cutting the spines when the fish is out of the water. Garden sheers work fine. If you must touch the fish use long hemostats OR there is a hypordermic needle puncture resistant glove made by "Hexarmor".
What I have going will spear the crap out of them but keep them at a safe distance. From that point the user will have a choice of bagging them or dislodging them with out touching them or coming close till it's time to start scaling and cutting spines. Cutting spines should IMO be on dry land.
Also damage to sorounding reef is a concern for some as well as portability. I've seen on other forums where divers want to have a way to kill them with out necessarily going out on a lion safari. My design wont be the smallest but it also wont be overkill.
There is footage of someone using a fold spear type of thing on YouTube. You gotta take it out and extend it. Then again it's a full sized spear and you need to dislodge the fish. Lionfish don't seem that skittish. I think something smaller will work great. If that person were just sigh seeing they used allot of air and time assembling the spear and such.
Of course if you are already hunting and just want to kill it and move on then it makes sense to use what you have.
There are kits available but most of the components of those kits are everyday stuff you can get on your own at walmart with an up cahrge added.
It occours to me that a place to put the fish may be helpfull. Some people are returning to the surface and sliding them off into a floating bucket or a cooler in a boat. Another has a dry bag but getting the fish in seems to take two people or some fidgiting about. It's chances to get stung if you ask me.
I like the dry bag idea but watching others use them I noticed a few things.
If there are several fish already in the bag then it becomes an issue of getting new ones in while not letting out old ones. Even if it's dead and caught in a current it can sting. Fish are fairly simple creatures biologically so they may show signs of life even after being run through recently.
The simple fact of taking game from it's habitate is that not all shots are perfect. There is no way to guarantee the fish will be stoned. It simply may not present that shot.
I saw another method that uses a long skewer threaded through the gills and a long (10') stringer that has a float attached so the fish stays 10' above and behind the diver. That seems a bit cumbersom, and if there is a party of divers hunting lionfish I don't know haw that would work. Pluss it could get tangled on structure and be a problem or damage coral.
Again something simple and effective and efficient seems to be in order. I'm thinking about either a bag with a zip back and ridgid front with a membrane that the speared fish can just be shoved through then dislodged. Less need for gingerly fiddling with the fish to get it bagged.
I just know what would happen to me. I'd nail a big one, bag it and then either get stung bagging it's little friend, it would get me while trying to bag another fish, or I'd get stung through the bag. Tangled in the stringer cord and stung, or something unexpected! So I sit and think things through first. I see the fish, I spear it, how will I do that exactly, what could go wrong, No how to get the fish off, what could go wrong what is the process. Is it tricky, complicated, or requires finnesse? What if I fumble with something?
I learned one day that not having a plan for something as simple as landing a hooked fish in a kayak can end is a nasty wound - Like a trebble hook in the "unit". Harvesting a poisonous fish has plenty of potential for people to get stung. Add in Scuba/Freediving and the risks go up.
To be honest debate the wisdom in trying to design and market a lionfish tool. I do live in the land of getting sued because you made coffee too hot. I really like the challenge of coming up with problem solutions. Also I'm keen on dong things to help the enviroment, our ecology and wildlife/game.
Wayward Son
Contributor
as for a bag, I'm thinking maybe a lobster hotel type but with a thick, sold bag rather than mesh. Flapper opening, stick the fish on the spear through, let the flap close behind it & pull the spear out. With a barbless spear that should work quite well.
Wayward Son - That is exactly what I was thinking. I'm trying to make somethign with a membrane or series of flaps on a ridgid front and a bag witha zipper at the back.
tqusmc22 - anything tastes good if cooked properly. I've read that the roots of BBQ go to the amazon aboriginal methods of dealing with the most problematic of meats. Human.
Lionfish are a white flakey fish. Those all tase the same to me more or less. They are good.
Sea robbins are good if cooked right. I used to flyfish in Jersey and up north. They toss them there. I thoguth they tasted like a sweet crayfish and no bones. Just can't slap it on it's side and slide a fillet off quickly.
Lionfish are small so to fully fillet may not be the best plan unless it has to do with avoiding the venom glands. I'd be inclined to try them field dressed. ecapitated, gutted, scaled spines cutt and pulled, and fins cut. then roast, broil, bake or fry whole.
tqusmc22 - anything tastes good if cooked properly. I've read that the roots of BBQ go to the amazon aboriginal methods of dealing with the most problematic of meats. Human.
Lionfish are a white flakey fish. Those all tase the same to me more or less. They are good.
Sea robbins are good if cooked right. I used to flyfish in Jersey and up north. They toss them there. I thoguth they tasted like a sweet crayfish and no bones. Just can't slap it on it's side and slide a fillet off quickly.
Lionfish are small so to fully fillet may not be the best plan unless it has to do with avoiding the venom glands. I'd be inclined to try them field dressed. ecapitated, gutted, scaled spines cutt and pulled, and fins cut. then roast, broil, bake or fry whole.
This YouTube channel has lots of great info on catching, cleaning, cooking, and EATING LIONFISH!
YouTube - LionfishHunterTV's Channel
YouTube - LionfishHunterTV's Channel
If you only watch one, this is the one.
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