Page 40 - Let´s Make Waves - November 2018

F i s h i n g T i p back and belly, then pull the skin from the gill plate cut to the

tail. Now it's time to cut the fillet from that side and repeat on
the other.
Of The Month Two of my close friends Captain Jill and Cody Carter ate one

that was caught at the end of January, on the party boat Capt.
John, out of Galveston. That lionfish was caught about seventy
-five miles to the south of the island in around two-hundred
and fifty feet of water.
What's the chance of you catching a lionfish, I would say rela-
tively small at this point, out of any Gulf port? The greater
problem Gulf wide and beyond is the Lionfishes potential and
real threat to virtually all small bottom dwelling species whether
they are the young of species such as snapper, groupers, etc. or
Gulf Invaders | The Lionfish Invaders | The Lionfish Invaders | The Lionfish Invaders | The Lionfish
Gulf
Gulf
Gulf small adult species of any kind. If they live at or near the bot-
By: Patrick Lemire tom in lionfish territory, their chance of being eaten is great.
That scenario sounds normal.
O Its exception is that in the gulf
ur "Gulf Invaders" are the lionfish, beautiful but deadly
and beyond, in the near Atlan-
on several levels. My illustration shows just one of their
many looks and replaces the rigging, bait or lure usually shown tic Basin, Lionfish have no
there. With that being the case the rigging you might use to natural predator. Another bad
catch a lionfish is the simple, single, double or triple drop bot- point: an adult female can pro-
duce about two million eggs a year; Gulf currents insure their
tom rig used offshore for catching Vermillion Snapper or bait- duce about two million eggs a year; Gulf currents insure their
range expansion. With all the bad points mentioned, especially
fish. Fished at or very near the bottom and armed with nickel range expansion. With all the bad points mentioned, especially
the "no natural predators", their danger to many gulf popula-
size circle hooks and small pieces of cut squid these rigs might the "no natural predators", their danger to many gulf popula-
tions is obvious. These voracious feeders consume just about
have you on your way to a catch that requires some caution. tions is obvious. These voracious feeders consume just about
The caution is you and others avoiding being stuck by the lion- any smaller species available, to the point of beyond full.
fish’s pectoral and dorsal fins, needle like spines that are con- A fan like fin display, as in the illustration, and their assorted
cealed, just below the surface of their fins. The spines contain a boy and fins colors and slow movements give the look of a
venomous liquid that can cause pain, as a couple of Florida being a piece of weed etc., slowly drifting or hanging in the cur-
divers described as "like having your hand slammed in a car rent. Then "BANG" in an instant gulp the smaller species is
door, while it's on fire!" Whatever the pain level, which I have- eaten and not headed for maturity.
n't experienced, its reported to last for days, naturally at a di-
minished level.
The remedy to reduce the chance of being stuck is to carefully
cut the fins off close to the lionfishes body with scissors or end
cutter pliers. Do this while holding the fish by its lower jaw
with your left thumb and forefinger and the fish over the water,
letting the spines and their venom fall harmlessly into the wa-
ter. Precautions are necessary because their beauty hides their
dangers. That beauty invites close hands on inspection, espe-
cially by children since lion fish look like a toy of sorts. As is
usually the case in nature beauty can Signal danger.

If or when you catch a lionfish remember that while the spines
are venomous the white meat fillets are delicious, and not poi-
sonous as some reports I've seen have said. The easiest way to
clean is to cut the body skin just behind the gill plate, along the

40 | Waves Magazine | November 2018 Issue