Anyone in the area want to put a team together for one or more of these dates? These are always a great time. 
Lionfish Derbies | Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF)
Nice job Judah! Let's get out next weekend. Let me know if my number was lost with the phone and I'll text ya.
Next weekend! Miami! Fish on grill! Lets do it.
Judah, Hau; hit me up for some Miami kayak action as well. Haven't done to much down that way but I am down.
Cool thread! I actually have to do this to an entire YT snapper as part of a class this summer. I tried getting as much of the meat off as I could to not be wasteful but that isn't an option if I am to keep all the small bones in place; so now I am starting over.
I am going to get a few YT and try a few methods. I'll keep updates on this thread.
I heard that once skinned one can use coca-cola to dissolve the meat. It's a light corrosive and not supposed to damage the connective tissues and cartilage too much as long as it is monitored. May give that a go as well.
I have to work Sunday (Yea right in the middle of a 3 day weekend :frustrated2:) but I am down no Saturday or Monday.
Welcome brotha! We need to get out soon man. Hit me up. Maybe next weekend me, you, and Judah can get out. Want to introduce the lady to spearing too.
I feel ya on the wallet thing man for sure....but this would be way on the cheap. I'll keep ya posted for sure.
Glad you are OK man; damn boaters need to be more aware. Need to get the plastic navy back out soon.
Awesome trip for sure man! I have a feeling the current on the bolt would have been ripping at depth. I was blown off that wreck once.
Lots of short grouper and a ton of little hogs; not dinner (yet) but a good sign for the stocks in that area.
Next year I hope to have the newer guys a little more seasoned so we can hit some deeper stuff.
May be heading out with Ryan in a week or so around PSL if you are down.
Gerald; stellar bro, thanks for looking man.
Thanks Lou! Yea we are hoping to drop some flashers and do some bluewater while there. Hadn't thought of the hums though; good idea.
Kairo and Wahoo are two of my favorites for sure!
Thanks for the info man!
Bump!
Not looking for a honey hole guys; just some guidance. I know the deeper stuff but we need some shallow stuff for freedive.
If in the Keys feel free to come along!
I still want the Odor bro! Bring it next weekend or to the keys. I calling official dibs.
Judah,
I agree that increasing to 14" would be sufficient and that making that jump and seeing the results is a better move than going straight to 18"; especially considering it would take some time to start seeing shootable fish consistently at 18".
People being idiots is certainly a major issue with this but more I feel that people are selfish and/or don't care/believe what the scientist say so they take what they want. But with the idiots thing I think a lot of that is a lack of education on the part of the scientist. Personally I think that one should have to take a short test on fish ID, measurement methods, and current laws to get their license.
Unfortunately until the idiots and poachers are reigned in the laws are going to end up limiting those who are honest as the unethical hunters/fisherman are the ones causing a great deal of the problem.
The size increase proposal has nothing to do with current regs or education; it is a matter of biology. At 12" it is a high likelihood that the HF has not spawned whereas at 14" that likelihood is much less and at 18" it is almost null. With such great fishing pressure on HF the increase is necessary regardless of how educated the hunters are.
As far as "giving up your rights" I think that may be a bit of an overstatement. True, typically the size limits are not lowered again but it isn't really a right to shoot a fish at a certain size; or at all really. But historically once the limit is increased the average size increases as well.
Miami does tend to have a stronger population of HF and it increases as you move south into the Keys. I postulate that this is because of a few reasons. One is that the shore diving isn't as easy there so the fish aren't as easily accessible as they are in here. Another is that just south of Miami is the upper keys reserve and I feel that Miami gets quite a bit of spillover effects from the reserve via larvae transmission on the currents. Spillover effects are actually a huge benefit of MPAs.
Tuna,
I agree people need to be better educated and that perhaps that falls on us as marine scientist but the material is out there to be read. The issue is that some people simply are greedy and take the grasshopper approach to what the earth"owes them" and sees taking of her gifts as a right rather than the privilege it is. Also there are people like me who study this but there seems to be a knee jerk reaction on the part of the hunters (which I am also) to distrust the science and regulations and take their own anecdotal data as real data. As with Lunker's example in Miami; a few spots in one city is a rather small sample size to determine stock health given how interconnected the stocks are up the coast.
Sorry for the length but I have been reading on this a lot lately so it is on the forefront of my mind, lol
But my end goal is to keep healthy stocks so I have plenty of fish to shoot! 
Not good at all. The Hog fish population is healthy. An increase to a min size of 14" is reasonable just because anything less is unethical.
Dan, I will try to find the reports but the HF population has been in decline for some time on this coast. It is healthier in the Gulf but here the populations are considered to be threatened. The IUCN has it under a classification of vulnerable. Populations in Florida have seen a decline of almost 60% in recent years starting in the mid 80s.
I was under the same impression as you until I did an extensive report on the HF last year, saw the data, and spoke with the fisheries people here in S. FL. At times I think we as divers and hunters mistake anecdotal data for real data; I know I have been guilty myself of this. Even just a comparison to the Gulf by diving one can note the difference in size, fecundity, and overall population.
An increase to 18", or even 14", would make a huge difference in the stocks here and benefit us all. But I think if the size was eased up to 18" we would see more in that range and above.
A touchy issue I know.
It really is a great film and if anyone is interested in supporting scientific data/papers I can provide them. Most estimates show that business as usual will result in a almost barren sea by 2050. We are at a critical cross roads where change can still be made and the oceans saved; but that tipping point is quickly approaching.
:angry4:
As spearos we can do our part by educating ourselves as to the ecology of the fish we hunt. For instance the hog fish doesn't reach full maturity until they are about 18" typically; so shooting a non male or fish just at the 12" mark removes a female that hasn't yet spawned and thus hasn't contributed to the populations. But hopefully this min. size will be moved to 18" soon.
As a side note; recreational fisherman are the number one cause for the decline in hog fish and the main method of harvest is spearing.
Aside from education we can also only shoot what we will eat in the immediate future (without having to freeze our catch) and not limiting out every time we enter the water. I know it's hard to turn away when there a fish a plenty; but really how often does that happen?
Stepping off the soapbox now, lol :angry3:
I am in GA this weekend anyway but if the next is clear it is a possibility. I have to finish my report from my Belize trip soon but I will keep you posted. Need to get the gills wet before the Keys anyway.
I think this calls for some research/scout diving up north. Strap the yaks to the truck and lets go brotha.
Lunker, didn't Hau used to live in that area (or somewhere in the keys).
There are hot spot maps and I know a lot of the guys that rent the boats from Hooks leave their way points locked in the GPS as well.
I am going to study some Naut. maps and look at bottom structure to see if I can get some ideas. All the places I know there are deeper and require SCUBA. But there are lots of patch reefs in that area; especially on the gulf side.
Lets get out the weekend prior and get the lungs stretched out.
