Spearfishing curacao

[arubabob1]

My friend was there last month and he hunted everyday. Nobody says anything. They are glad if you remove the lion fish from the reef. Good luck.

 

[LarryR]

Is there any new info on Lion Fish hunting in Curacao ? Have pole spear, will travel.

 

[AndrewBoyd78]

My friend was there last month and he hunted everyday. Nobody says anything. They are glad if you remove the lion fish from the reef

 

[AndrewBoyd78]

My biggest concern is the damage caused to the reef by over enthusiastic lion fish hunters. We have some of the healthiest reefs in the Caribbean and would prefer you not take that shot if you are going to do damage. If you are taking them for food ok. If you just leave them on the reef not ok as there are plenty of places you can give/sell your catch to so that means you need a cooler to keep them fresh.

The official rules states you must do it with a verified dive organization but we all know there is no enforcement. However if you are caught with more than just lion fish there there could be a fine.

 

[Rootdoc]

When we go to Curacao, we have a friend thats a pro at getting lionfish. We normally get about 80 to 90 in 3 dives. I ice them down and clean them every morning before the next 3 dives. That way they are cold and stiff. I can fillet them out in like 30 seconds. I have cleaned way over 6,000 in my life and have been stuck about 20 times and usually its when I am cleaning them. But here is the secret. You suck and spit for 1 minute after being stuck and you never feel any pain. If you suck the venom out very soon and fast, it will not get in your blood stream. I have even been stuck on a dive and I take my reg out and suck and spit. Otherwise you will have 10 to 12 hours of really bad pain. Trust me, the first 2 times I got stuck, I found out the hard way. But for me, if you clip the spines off, they go all over the place and my buddy got one in his toe so I have a long sharp knife and I never cut the spines off. Just fillet them and leave all the spines on the fish. That way you know where they are.

Is this something I could target while closer to shore snorkeling?