# Video: CRAZY lionfish on Pensacola airplane reef



## WhackUmStackUm (Jan 31, 2010)

Thanks Alex Fogg for finding and killing so many lionfish on this airplane reef.


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## Stressless (Oct 2, 2007)

Makes me almost weep that some shithead dumped the initial ones out in the ocean less than 20 years ago .... that is a plague and although we can ease some symptoms there is no cure.

Great job on cleaning them up.


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## Breeze Fabricators (Oct 2, 2007)

Holy crap. Would a squirting of ammonia from a shampoo bottle kill em in mass.


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## sealark (Sep 27, 2007)

Breeze Fabricators said:


> Holy crap. Would a squirting of ammonia from a shampoo bottle kill em in mass.


Yes most likely along with every other living animal there. Not to mention its most likely against the law.


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## MrFish49 (Jun 30, 2012)

Heck you should take people out there, I would love to go stick some lions, looks like a lot of meat too.


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## John B. (Oct 2, 2007)

Dang.


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## WhackUmStackUm (Jan 31, 2010)

I am building a lionfish vacuum to allow us to collect them faster. This is the small capacity version mounted to the back of my rebreather. If it does not work, I can always go into the ghost busting business. :yes:


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## ChileRelleno (Jul 7, 2012)

MrFish49 said:


> Heck you should take people out there, I would love to go stick some lions, looks like a lot of meat too.


I know they're good eating, do y'all bother with'em or just use'em for fertilizer?


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## GROUPERKING (Sep 28, 2011)

Good Lord they are everywhere !


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## WhackUmStackUm (Jan 31, 2010)

ChileRelleno said:


> I know they're good eating, do y'all bother with'em or just use'em for fertilizer?


 Lionfish researchers get a lot of our fish, a restaurant gets some, and we give some away to friends.


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## sealark (Sep 27, 2007)

What is powering your vaccumn and where do the lionfish get collected.


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## 153 Large fish (Nov 30, 2013)

Cool stuff.....the vac Iis a good idea, looks like a lot of work


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## badonskybuccaneers (Aug 19, 2013)

Good work! Hope your vacuum pans out! It would certainly make the process go a lot quicker where the infestation is so bad.


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## fairpoint (May 9, 2013)

How deep of water was this..? Did you end up getting all the ones there...Good job...
I thought they were introduced when storm hit homestead and was an un intentional release ....


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## WhackUmStackUm (Jan 31, 2010)

fairpoint said:


> How deep of water was this..? Did you end up getting all the ones there...


 120' deep. Left about 100 on-site.


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## panhandleslim (Jan 11, 2013)

Just got back from a bunch of dives in Papua New Guinea and the Great Barrier Reef. These are native areas for these fish. Nowhere near as many over there as there is here. I lived in Indonesia for eight years and I didn't see that many in eight years.


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## WhackUmStackUm (Jan 31, 2010)

panhandleslim said:


> Just got back from a bunch of dives in Papua New Guinea and the Great Barrier Reef. These are native areas for these fish. Nowhere near as many over there as there is here. I lived in Indonesia for eight years and I didn't see that many in eight years.


According to the researchers, we have higher densities of lionfish here than anywhere else. They are not sure why.


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## BananaTom (Feb 16, 2008)

WhackUmStackUm said:


> I am building a lionfish vacuum


Awesome!!!

The person that succeeds in this endeavor will certainly be an industry leader in Lion Fish Eradication.

Patent it, if it works.


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## Boat-Dude (Sep 24, 2011)

WhackUmStackUm said:


> I am building a lionfish vacuum to allow us to collect them faster. This is the small capacity version mounted to the back of my rebreather. If it does not work, I can always go into the ghost busting business. :yes:



I wish there was a way to suck them up and they go through a grinder that just spits them out the back end. Is that a possibility? Instead of having to carry all of them back?


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## BananaTom (Feb 16, 2008)

WhackUmStackUm said:


> According to the researchers, we have higher densities of lionfish here than anywhere else. They are not sure why.



More food, more population, Science 101.

You know, all those Red Snapper babies.


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## afishanado (Oct 26, 2009)

BananaTom said:


> The person that succeeds in this endeavor will certainly be an industry leader in Lion Fish Eradication.
> 
> Patent it, if it works.


Might be able to use a "Suction Dredge" like they use for mining gold in the Bering Sea?


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## Mac1528 (Mar 24, 2012)

Probably not ready to commercialize it yet. I think establishing a market of processed lionfish needs a firm grip to support the venture capitalist for an investment albeit maybe under $250K to start with.


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## WhackUmStackUm (Jan 31, 2010)

Pier-Dude said:


> I wish there was a way to suck them up and they go through a grinder that just spits them out the back end. Is that a possibility? Instead of having to carry all of them back?


 That was my first idea but dropped it when I realized the a macerator system would make an even better shark attractor than lionfish collector. :001_huh:


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## WhackUmStackUm (Jan 31, 2010)

Mac1528 said:


> Probably not ready to commercialize it yet. I think establishing a market of processed lionfish needs a firm grip to support the venture capitalist for an investment albeit maybe under $250K to start with.


I invest in startups and have access to venture capital. However, I am not looking to make money off of this project. Just trying to make lionfish collection safer and more efficient for everyone. I will probably post the plans on the Internet once everything is debugged. Of course that assumes that I do not electrocute myself in the meantime. :hurt:

Whackum


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## BananaTom (Feb 16, 2008)

WhackUmStackUm said:


> I am not looking to make money off of this project.


Well then, let me patent it, someone needs to make money off of your Lion Fish Vacuum!!

:-0


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## Mac1528 (Mar 24, 2012)

BananaTom said:


> Well then, let me patent it, someone needs to make money off of your Lion Fish Vacuum!!
> 
> :-0


Hell ya!! How about using that dredge that was of Perdido Key last year. Maybe just a tad smaller. Maybe even one with a remote arm and camera. Suck then puppies up and spit them in a tank and then ice'em!


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## 153 Large fish (Nov 30, 2013)

WhackUmStackUm said:


> That was my first idea but dropped it when I realized the a macerator system would make an even better shark attractor than lionfish collector. :001_huh:


Might as well collect them so folks can at least eat lionfish into control


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## 153 Large fish (Nov 30, 2013)

WhackUmStackUm said:


> That was my first idea but dropped it when I realized the a macerator system would make an even better shark attractor than lionfish collector. :001_huh:[/QUOTE
> 
> do lionfish have natural protection from predation?...poison glands or something? Just wonder why they aren't getting eaten by other fish the way their sitting there...


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## BananaTom (Feb 16, 2008)

153 Large fish said:


> [
> do lionfish have natural protection from predation?..


Yep their spins / needles are poison and deter predators, who will eat another fish.
That is why they do not spook when hunted. No natural predators.

Based upon what I have learned from Wackem and others on here.


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## WhackUmStackUm (Jan 31, 2010)

Mac1528 said:


> Hell ya!! How about using that dredge that was of Perdido Key last year. Maybe just a tad smaller. Maybe even one with a remote arm and camera. Suck then puppies up and spit them in a tank and then ice'em!


Sounds like a good idea to me. Probably not a project I would take on, unless Santa brings me a bigger lab.


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## gettingbrowned (Oct 28, 2008)

Be rid of the pests! Thank you!


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## panhandleslim (Jan 11, 2013)

Seems like if you can just kill them and leave em laying, the Trigger Fish would tear them limb from limb.


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## WhackUmStackUm (Jan 31, 2010)

panhandleslim said:


> Seems like if you can just kill them and leave em laying, the Trigger Fish would tear them limb from limb.


Sometimes they heal up.


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## fishnhuntguy (Feb 8, 2012)

*Good Idea*

Good Idea for NOAA. For every Lionfish tail turned into, lets say the local post office. The person turning them in gets a tag for 1 extra red snapper. So you turn in 5 Lion fish tails on Tuesday, then get to harvest 7 snapper on Saturday. Does this make sense????? If it does then don't plan on seeing this from federal fisheries mgt..:no:


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## fishmagician (Jun 4, 2014)

Good job. Lion fish are out of hand - culling them MAY put them back in line some day.


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## WhackUmStackUm (Jan 31, 2010)

A bunch of divers are headed out to clean off the airplane reef tomorrow (Friday).


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## MrFish49 (Jun 30, 2012)

Good news indeed


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## florabamaboy (Nov 18, 2011)

Dammit man! They're as thick as cockroaches in the projects. And neither scurry when you turn on the lights. Good job! Gettem gone!


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## fishmagician (Jun 4, 2014)

Gee's you guys can keep coming back to that spot and not make a dent in those things...but you making a great effort. GO GET EM!!


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## Bottom1 (Jul 16, 2014)

WhackUmStackUm said:


> A bunch of divers are headed out to clean off the airplane reef tomorrow (Friday).


I hope you had a great trip, thanks for all the hard work.


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## WhackUmStackUm (Jan 31, 2010)

Bottom1 said:


> I hope you had a great trip, thanks for all the hard work.


Thanks for the encouragement. 

They picked up another 150 lionfish on the 2nd trip out to the plane.


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## Skivintage (Oct 27, 2014)

I have been diving in the Keys for years, I have only seen a couple down there. This is crazy! Thanks for your work at cleaning up the mess of Lionfish.


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