Where are the Lion Fish

[admikar]

Never being much of a hunter before, but can anyone point to some spearfishing pointers, like spears, techniques and such, I would like to help clean it in my home yard.

 

[DjDiverDan]

Since I doubt that there are enough technical divers to put much of a dent in lionfish populations below 150', maybe Cozumel lionfish hunters ought to look into the specially designed lionfish trap designs that NOAA has published.

http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/science/conservation/lionfish-trap-one-pager.pdf

I understand that NOAA makes full designs and specs available for free, and is looking for commercial lionfish gatherers to participate in studies to further improve the designs.

 

[gopbroek]

I have spoke with rebreather and deep divers and am told that while they find large lions down deep the population density is not that large. My personal theroy is that LF do not migrate much in terms of distance but will slowly migrate into an ajacent area if the food supply is more plentiful. The large guys currently down deep are mature due to a lack of predators (divers) that allows the smaller population density to mature. As we clean them out in the upper regions (where the food supply is the greatest) it is a slow process of migration for LF to move into the available niche. If you survey the reef about a half hour before sunset you might be surprised at how many LF are still around the upper reef.
I was I Curacao last week and dove the house reef in front of the GoWest Dive Center during the day and saw 2 LF, then dove the same area right after sunset and nailed 13 in 15 minutes. They were activity out in the open feeding, 40 minutes later they had sucked back under the coral, into their dens.

 

[Dave Dillehay]

I must correct an error in my previous posts. One can still get a minor sting from the side feathers, but not much. By cutting the dorsal and belly spines one can hold the fish by the mouth with little risk. Those who claim 18 toxic spines are at some level correct. I've just never worried about it. Me culpa.

Dave Dillehay
Aldora Divers

 

[Pelagicsal]

Trim all the dorsal spines, including the first spine or two on the soft dorsal. Trim the pelvic and anal fins, like the landing gear on a tail-dragger airplane.
You have removed every venomous spine then. There are still spiky places, but no other fins carry venom.

 

[oldschoolto]

But than you got all the spines to worry about falling on the floor or sticking someone..

Jim

 

[ggunn]

This is all great information, but I will restrict my handling of lionfish to my plate at La Perlita.

 

[olphart]

March 29, 2017:

HOLIDAY WARNING: Deadly Lionfish with power to cause HEART FAILURE invade Mediterranean

Our very own National Enquirer!

 

[macado]

Larger ones but in smaller numbers (~one to three) at 140-170'. Most of my hunts are shallower than that however so I can't comment on much below that.

I'll probably do some 150'-200'+ hunting this summer however my biggest numbers (with @Pelagicsal) have always been in recreational-ish depths up north and/or outside marine park.

 

[bradmond]

When I was there in February, the only ones I saw were at Chun-Chacaab.