Thoughts about lionfish

[luscioman]

I just did a early morning lobster dive to day in 18 feet of water and saw 3 of them near Miami. I have gotten a total of 36 this year though most of my diving is over 100 feet.

 

[tomfcrist]

I just did a early morning lobster dive to day in 18 feet of water and saw 3 of them near Miami. I have gotten a total of 36 this year though most of my diving is over 100 feet.

36? That's not a lot really unless you aren't diving too much. There must be a lot of hunting pressure where you are diving?
The majority of the spots I hit result in a full zookeeper...I can only fit 10-12 in the tube and usually fill it within the first 10 minutes of a dive. We need more hunters in NC.

 

[scubadada]

36? That's not a lot really unless you aren't diving too much. There must be a lot of hunting pressure where you are diving?
The majority of the spots I hit result in a full zookeeper...I can only fit 10-12 in the tube and usually fill it within the first 10 minutes of a dive. We need more hunters in NC.

You do need more divers, I want to visit, have not had the chance yet. Perhaps when I get back to the US

 

[tomfcrist]

You do need more divers, I want to visit, have not had the chance yet. Perhaps when I get back to the US

We have plenty of divers....but most want to shoot photos of the sharks. They could care less about the lionfish.

 

[Chugwhump]

This past Sunday I did two dives in the 45'-75' range off of Boca.
And for the first time in over 6 years,
I saw not one Lionfish.
I routinely shoot all I see.
It was a nice change that I limited on Lobster, and saw no Lions.
The other divers saw 2-3 at most.
And they were dispatched.
They are still here inside of 100', but they are being pounded.
Obviously there are lots of them in the deep end of the pool.
And that will not change in my lifetime, my kids lifetime, or my as yet conceived (I assume) grandkids lifetimes.

Chug
Eats 'em.

 

[HalcyonDaze]

We have plenty of divers....but most want to shoot photos of the sharks. They could care less about the lionfish.

I do both - when I was in Hatteras at the end of last month I had my short pole spear and my cameras (Olympus and mask-mounted GoPro). No lionfish sighted on either the Dixie Arrow or the Keshena - and believe me, I was looking.

 

[uncfnp]

Six dives this trip so far out of WPB and have only seen 2 lion fish but they were large ones. I have started leaving the pole and zookeeper and the boat. Just not worth dragging it along.

 

[tomfcrist]

We have plenty of divers....but most want to shoot photos of the sharks. They could care less about the lionfish.

I do both - when I was in Hatteras at the end of last month I had my short pole spear and my cameras (Olympus and mask-mounted GoPro). No lionfish sighted on either the Dixie Arrow or the Keshena - and believe me, I was looking.

I don't see many on keshena... Dixie arrow has them when the blue water pushes in..lost my zookeeper doing deco there end of last month
Pretty much anything south of proteus is loaded...especially the tarpon. Manuela has some monsters on it as well.

 

[Randy g]

We are hoping to hit the Manuela and Lansing in 2 weeks and bring home some dinner.

 

[100days-a-year]

I got 50 pounds in one dive on the 18fathom wreck,they are still on every dive I do in SC,NC,GA and NE FL.
We recently had a lionfish rodeo with more than 2500 turned in.