Fish Taco Mayo

[CuzzA]

A couple weeks ago I dove a ledge off Clearwater Beach in 60 fsw and there were plenty big breeder Lionfish to go around. They've been hit or miss here locally in the past, but I suspect they are starting to move in from deep water as their population expands into common recreational ranges.

Of course we don't have the viz like South Florida so they're here, just a little harder to find.

 

[Wookie]

My personal theory (it's mine, all mine) is that they live and thrive on the deep structure. Dive the S-16 in Key West (280 FSW) or the Wilkes Barre (250 FSW) or even the Curb (175 FSW) and they are lousy with lionfish. But they also hold some mighty fine grouper/hogfish/other things I prefer to eat. When their food supply gets scarce on teh deep wrecks, they move shallower into recreational depths where they are viciously hunted.

I had a client, rebreather diver 78 years old. He was a commercial hardhat diver (self trained, long before ADCI existed) in his younger years, and he would sit on these 200+ foot wrecks and just pop lionfish, over and over and over. He might spend 45 minutes of bottom time and kill 100 lionfish. I've seen video of him in Grand Cayman popping lionfish and giggling.

 

[uncfnp]

Do you not dive the NC wrecks? I'd think they would be loaded, especially if you can dive some or the not so popular ones.

The Bahamas is something to think about. I know you can't drive there, but I met someone coming back in the FLL airport who flew SouthWest and got a $69 one way. Bahamas is loaded with the little buggers.

I have almost given up on my coast. Its about a 4 hour drive for me and more days then not the dives have been cancelled by weather. This last trip was few clouds, little wind and seas 1 to 2 settling to even less underway but we still dove inshore, heavily visited sites. Very fustrating. Next trip will be a different operator. Or find a group and charter.

Back to Coz, our second day there we were on a boat of lionfish hunter (without anyone asking us) and went to the east side. Even then there were few fish. The dives were in the 90 to 110 range. We were invited to do their planned trip North but declined since it was our first trip to Coz and we were there specifically for their reefs and had no kitchen. I heard later that they had modest success.

 

[uncfnp]

I think that the places where the tourist pressure is high the lionfish are gone. You won't find them (easily) on the shallow wrecks of Broward/Dade/St. Lucie/Monroe county because it's where everyone goes, but the 65 foot ledges of Capt Canaveral and Jacksonville and Panama City and Tampa are loaded with them. It has to do with diver pressure. Those ledges in Dade/Broward/St. Lucie don't hold meter black grouper either, but there are plenty in Florida to be had.

I am a very poor spearo and the hogs and grouper have gotten so infrequent as well that we now concentrate on lobster during our dives in Florida. On our last trip in 2015 however, we saw the most and largest catches ever, some really nice grouper, snapper and cobia. And I hadn't even brought my gun! Just as well. I doubt I could have actually brought up any of those beauties.

One day if I live long enough to retire, or win the lottery, I will live somewhere that trips just to hunt will be an option...

 

[Wookie]

I have almost given up on my coast. Its about a 4 hour drive for me and more days then not the dives have been cancelled by weather. This last trip was few clouds, little wind and seas 1 to 2 settling to even less underway but we still dove inshore, heavily visited sites. Very fustrating. Next trip will be a different operator. Or find a group and charter.

Back to Coz, our second day there we were on a boat of lionfish hunter (without anyone asking us) and went to the east side. Even then there were few fish. The dives were in the 90 to 110 range. We were invited to do their planned trip North but declined since it was our first trip to Coz and we were there specifically for their reefs and had no kitchen. I heard later that they had modest success.

One of the reasons I at looking for a much smaller boat to be a really nice 6 pack liveaboard is so I can come to NC. The Spree was so damn expensive to move, and I would never have allowed 24 (or 34 back in the day) hunters onboard. Don't give up hope.