[H2OMARK]

LOL....Don't forget the murder hornets!

And Kudzu and fire ants!

 

[Splittine]

So a random permit to take one for $150 is okay, but someone culling hundreds (or thousands as shown in the tourney @salty_dawg ) of lionfish for the same privilege is not?

What number would be appropriate to you for reds then?

At this point you’re really comparing apples and hammers. Good luck with your vision.

 

[Fargo007]

At this point you’re really comparing apples and hammers. Good luck with your vision.

My questions weren't that hard to answer.

All you had to do is come up with a number. You keep laying out chin music that 50 is too small for G's but can't come up with any acceptable incentive number for either fish.

 

[JoeyWelch]

Bob needs to be notified of this ideal.
He knows how to deal with these matters.

 

[salty_dawg]

Even if you don't spearfish, if you have a boat, just bring a couple guys who do as PAX and split the fish. A spearo can easily take this many lionfish in an hour. They just stand there, and are supremely easy to kill.

This will get both the angler and spear communities working together for a common goal.

There are similar incentives already out there but nothing on the scale you are suggesting. If I shot 25 lionfish in an hour (which rarely ever happens) I wouldn't care about Snapper, I'd sell them. Going rate is about $5/lb. The trouble is finding enough in one day to make it worthwhile to sell. Some vendors won't take less than 100 fish at a time. I'll be selling the ones we shoot in the tournament this weekend and will see if the wholesalers have gotten more flexible on limits. If you want more information, this is a good tournament that runs for several months each year.

https://fwcreefrangers.com/lionfish-challenge/

 

[Fargo007]

There are similar incentives already out there but nothing on the scale you are suggesting. If I shot 25 lionfish in an hour (which rarely ever happens) I wouldn't care about Snapper, I'd sell them. Going rate is about $5/lb. The trouble is finding enough in one day to make it worthwhile to sell. Some vendors won't take less than 100 fish at a time. I'll be selling the ones we shoot in the tournament this weekend and will see if the wholesalers have gotten more flexible on limits. If you want more information, this is a good tournament that runs for several months each year.

https://fwcreefrangers.com/lionfish-challenge/

Wow... I didn't realize they commanded a price that high. That's similar to red snapper. Makes me want to kill them even more.

 

[silverking]

Wholesale price was closer to $10 per pound in South Florida a few years ago.

 

[Fargo007]

Wholesale price was closer to $10 per pound in South Florida a few years ago.

Wow - $10/pound whole?

I'd assume there were more there, especially in the keys.

That's got to be around $30/pound retail for fillets.

A high price like that affirms that they are a delicacy. Probably for the same reason as hogfish, since neither can truly be targeted with tackle.

 

[halo1]

Is this MrFish guy some kind of known thread troll here?

 

[Pop Rivet]

The Emerald Coat Open is this weekend (May 13 & 14). This is the largest lionfish tournament in the US and each year has yielded anywhere from 12-24K Lionfish in a single tournament. While I don't expect it to make a huge impact, at least there are efforts underway locally to incentivize the harvest. We dive a ton of public spots on a regular basis, will clean off a spot and come back 6-8 months later and find another 5-6 on it. This will be our 5th year in the tournament and we've placed in the largest category every year. The good news is that many of the spots that are within 120 feet don't have a ton of lionfish on them. Past recreational limits, my guess is they are all over the place.

Here is just a few that I shot from the 2021 tournament

Pfft. 12-24k in a single tournament? Way better thng to do would be kill off 240-480 goliaths for that same result.🤦‍♂️

 

[Pop Rivet]

Double post, please delete

 

[salty_dawg]

Pfft. 12-24k in a single tournament? Way better thng to do would be kill off 240-480 goliaths for that same result.🤦‍♂️

How does killing 480 Goliaths yield the same result as Lionfish? One is an invasive species, the other is the size of a park bench and not worth eating. I've you've ever eaten Lionfish, you'll know what I'm talking about.

 

[OutsmartedAgain]

At one point Florida had a program where you could submit lionfish tails and after a certain number you got to keep an extra grouper or cobia. It looks like it's changed slightly recently. I know Washington had a northern pike minnow program where they paid 5 bucks or so per fish over 8", and the bounty escalated every 50-100 fish or so. The highest earning fishermen would make $30k or so a year. Not bad for a retirement hobby!

https://myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/recreational/lionfish/challenge/

As far as wiping them out, that's not going to happen. Lionfish have been spotted in several hundred feet where traps are going to be the only feasible way to harvest them. You can kill all of em in 100 feet or less and they'll keep coming back. As those articles say, you can target them on rod and reel, but you need small live baits and since they're ambush predators, you need to drop the baits right in front of their face. It's not conducive to a high harvest. I've eaten them before and I can confirm they are delicious. We pan fried them in coconut oil and it was amazing, but they yield very little meat per fillet, and I'm not bold enough to cook them whole.

 

[Splittine]

How does killing 480 Goliaths yield the same result as Lionfish? One is an invasive species, the other is the size of a park bench and not worth eating. I've you've ever eaten Lionfish, you'll know what I'm talking about.

You completely missed his point.

 

[salty_dawg]

You completely missed his point.

Wouldn't be the first time. Probably not the last.

 

[Pop Rivet]

Wouldn't be the first time. Probably not the last.

I forgot to hit the button for the sarcasm font....

 

[MrFish]

Goofball doesn't reply

View attachment 1090023

Wow - $10/pound whole?

I'd assume there were more there, especially in the keys.

That's got to be around $30/pound retail for fillets.

A high price like that affirms that they are a delicacy. Probably for the same reason as hogfish, since neither can truly be targeted with tackle.

Testing. Testing. Think she put me on the ignore list after getting slapped down with facts. Bet she owns a blow boat too.

 

[jack2]

And Kudzu and fire ants!

your honor, i'd like to enter into evidence these pictures of popcorn trees. can we include those?
jack

 

[jack2]

Goofball doesn't reply

Testing. Testing. Think she put me on the ignore list after getting slapped down with facts. Bet she owns a blow boat too.

oh, lawd, you say this is a she? all this time, from the posts, i had in my mind it was a dude.
jack

 

[MrFish]

your honor, i'd like to enter into evidence these pictures of popcorn trees. can we include those?
jack

Objection. Hearsay