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Lion fish have been speared inside the bay.

http://www.starfl.com/news/20170615/lionfish-in-bay

That is bad news although inevitable. They are pesky little buggers and breed faster than a jack rabbit on a date.

The market for lionfish filets is rapidly growing but harvest can't keep up with the exploding population. Sure would be nice if goliaths or other reef fish would develop an insatiable appetite for lionfish to make a dent.

I keep expecting to catch one at Econfina, but none so far. Thank goodness.

No personal experience but from the experts I spoke with for an article on removal efforts, including a diver from Apalachicola, it's uncommon to catch one on hook and line. Most are harvested by spearing and good divers can nail several at a time at one spot.

Here's a copy of the TIDE article if anyone is interested in reading more...

I dive pretty much exclusively out of SM. Most of the time I'm in 30-45' but do venture out to 75 from time to time. Last year I saw the first one in 65 of water'. It was on the Coast Gard plane near K tower. Their was only 4 on it. I guess it's only a matter of time before I start seeing them more often.

Did you spear those four TW? Open season, no bag or size limits. I tried Southern Seafood but they didn't have any. It's supposed to be very tasty meat. I might check with one of the seafood markets in Destin when I'm over there next week.

Dave, the next time you're down this way, check 13 Mile on Water St. I think they are carrying them or eat at Tamara's. Danny usuall has them on the menu. Yes, they are tasty.

Did you spear those four TW? Open season, no bag or size limits. I tried Southern Seafood but they didn't have any. It's supposed to be very tasty meat. I might check with one of the seafood markets in Destin when I'm over there next week.

I didn't shoot them but not because I was concerned about any season or limit. If I had it would have meant I would have had to handle them to get them off my spear. Their spines are pretty venomous and honestly I just didn't feel like the risk was worth it. A lot of guys use a special "spear shucking" device for a lack of a better term . You shove the fish still attached to the spear into a tube. When you pull the spear out the fish is removed from you shaft and stays in the container.

How would you handle and clean them?


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tailwaters wrote:

Did you spear those four TW? Open season, no bag or size limits. I tried Southern Seafood but they didn't have any. It's supposed to be very tasty meat. I might check with one of the seafood markets in Destin when I'm over there next week.

I didn't shoot them but not because I was concerned about any season or limit. If I had it would have meant I would have had to handle them to get them off my spear. Their spines are pretty venomous and honestly I just didn't feel like the risk was worth it. A lot of guys use a special "spear shucking" device for a lack of a better term . You shove the fish still attached to the spear into a tube. When you pull the spear out the fish is removed from you shaft and stays in the container.

Just get a Glock and go to town on them. I saw a vid of a guy doing that.

What eats them in their native waters? Anything?

Can they be caught with traps?

Several of those questions answered in the article. A few guys in the Keys are experimenting with traps specifically for lionfish.

Here's one of the more popular devices tailwaters was referring to (and that is Rachel Bowman, the Lion Huntress source in the article). Capt. Ron, thanks. Will check those places out the next time I'm down in Apalach.

Article in the Tally Democrat this morning about a start-up in Pensacola that is developing robotic diving drones to harvest lionfish. Can dive to depths up to 1,000 feet with a high percentage of reliability. The inventors are claiming 95 fish out of 100 taken from a spot and they're also developing software that identifies and avoids good species like snapper and grouper.

If they can expand the market for restaurants/seafood retailers to meet growing demand and also reduce pressure on native stocks that definitely encouraging news.

most of the videos I've watched, and there are loads of youtube vids spearing lionfish, the divers are using a 4 pronged spear with no barbs, and stuffing them into the tube to avoid handling.

On a side note, we watch a lot of documentaries after the kids go down for bed. Lately, they've been focused on the pacific ocean. In one episode, they are talking about a reef that has the most diverse fish population in the world, while at the same time showing a lionfish. I'm not saying the lionfish aren't devouring everything they can, nor that they will not have a significant impact on the aquatic demographics of this area, rather, I posit that they will not bring about the fishpocalypse that I see so many selling.

Lionfish are native to the Indo-Pacific oceans, not the Gulf or Atlantic.

Take a look at the Everglades and the growing situation with non-native pythons for a comparison. They have definitely upset the balance with a detrimental impact on small game/birds.