Boatless Fishing Forum, Reports, Info

I'm just getting started with a pole spear and I was hoping someone could help me with some questions. I live in SW Miami. Besides the keys and key Biscayne are there any accessible spots without a boat? Is it safe to swim out boatless? (I know it's never truly safe to swim in any ocean) I've seen some bull sharks and can't imagine being stuck without an exit strategy! Btw...how worried should I be if I see some bulls?

You should be more worried about errant boaters

Take that spearo crap somewhere else

Maybe I misunderstood...isn't this forum for spear fishing?

Yes there is a section for this, but no headless pics please!

Headless pics? I'd have to spear something successfully 1st right!? :b

Lmao! Why animosity toward spear fishers? If you're in Miami and bridge fish the keys you've casted right next to me. And no, I'm white born and raised in Miami Dade county.

And seriously I don't understand the animosity at all...do we scare away fish? I prefer lionfish anyway...just giving you more snapper and grouper!

Robb1821i wrote:Lmao! Why animosity toward spear fishers? If you're in Miami and bridge fish the keys you've casted right next to me. And no, I'm white born and raised in Miami Dade county.

And seriously I don't understand the animosity at all...do we scare away fish? I prefer lionfish anyway...just giving you more snapper and grouper!

Funny they both hate on spear divers yet both look at the thread listed spear fishing...... The one is angry because he was molested by a guy in a wet suit and has reoccurring fantasies about it to this day and the other hasn't caught anything but a buzz in years, You think one is hot towards spear divers now what til I start spear diving his grouper hole.....

Is your name Miguel?

Totally sorry I didn't introduce myself. I'm Robert. Nice to meet everyone!

Welcome Robert, don't mind us. We are just having some fun reminiscing about a former member of this forum who just happened to be a spear fisherman. Or so we think.

It's all good...I have very tough skin. Never been on here prior to this though.

Ps. I usually only catch a buzz too. That's no reason to be upset!

fishnfool73 wrote:

Robb1821i wrote: and the other hasn't caught anything but a buzz in years,

LMAO.

To be a little helpful I used to spear all the time, until my heart blewup and I can no longer dive. Born and raised in yer-ami in th 50's & 60's, lived in Key Largo for several years, and now been in Broward for about 30 years. We dive from a boat, mainly shallow water, so can't help you with specific boatless locations.

For the past 30 years we been diving the reef lines off Hollywood and Dania mainly for lobsters, but always carry along a spear gun for Hog Fish and once in a while a legal Grouper, cause if you leave it on the boat you will always wish you had it while searching. We use a Brownies 3rd lung so a good working depth is between 15 and 40 feet although we could go deeper. In 50+ years of diving and spear fishing we've never had an incident with sharks. Since I can no longer dive I drive the boat now and my son has taken over the diving part.

There are 3 reef lines, and I use that term as a broad description compared to reefs in the Keys, that run parallel to the beach from Haulover up to PE Inlet, and farther North. Basically the first line is anywhere from about 1/4 mile off the beach and meanders in and out along its way at depths from about 10' to 15', then out a few hundred yards East is a second line anywhere form 14' to 35' depths. Both of these lines are frequented by beach divers, kayakers, and boaters all season long not sure about the legality of carrying a speargun on the beach or using it within swimming areas so I'd check that out before you go. The third line is out quite a bit farther and deeper for swimming assaults.

Thank you to those that are helpful.

Those that have issue with spearfishers should not post in this thread it is for them to enjoy there past time and post about it. You guys have your area

Thank you krash. I believe I know of the reef you're talking about. The law says not within 100yds of public beaches. Anyway, after some research it seems to be pretty popular spot so out must be out. I remember a betty up there as well. Anyone gone from there before?

Welcome. Hopefully more of regulars will chime in here. But yeah, you want to avoid public parks and beaches because of spear gun regs. You might want to look into spearing lion fish for profit. Not sure how you go about permitting but there are people making a good living doing just that. Pretty sure you can only do it with lion fish as a nuisance or invasive species. But I'm not real clear on that part.

crashmister wrote:Welcome. Hopefully more of regulars will chime in here. But yeah, you want to avoid public parks and beaches because of spear gun regs. You might want to look into spearing lion fish for profit. Not sure how you go about permitting but there are people making a good living doing just that. Pretty sure you can only do it with lion fish as a nuisance or invasive species. But I'm not real clear on that part.

There is definitely some sort of commercial industry for them. I just saw them for sale, whole, at the grocery store this weekend. I didn't look that closely, so I didn't see whether they had been speared.

I'm not sure about selling loinfish for profit. They're light weights and I imagine it would be inefficient. It's more for fun and food!

Robb1821i wrote:I'm not sure about selling loinfish for profit. They're light weights and I imagine it would be inefficient. It's more for fun and food!

Think again there is a lady in the Keys that spears over 200 lbs a day to sell commercially. Lionfish fetches around $25 a meal same price as hogfish down in the Keys. I would take lion over hog any day. The places I eat at down south can't keep lionfish on the menu as it sells out daily. Lionfish fillets were selling for between $16-20 a lb. last I saw. High demand and high price per lb. no bag limits commercial or otherwise no closed season add that to the fact that they are everywhere and easy to spear and I see commercial lionfish hunting to be a booming business.

Well in that case how does someone find a buyer for their catch...I can only fast so much and I have a small freezer

Robb1821i wrote:Well in that case how does someone find a buyer for their catch...I can only fast so much and I have a small freezer

You still need a commercial license to sell them at this point though they were talking about changing that soon.

I almost want to by a spear gun and go into this biz.

You need a SPL you would not need any endorsements that I know of it is a non regulated, to sell to restaurants you would also need a wholesale license and to sell to the public a retail seafood lic.

All are easily had, its the species endorsements that are hard But hey you don't need them

Not tried the commercial sales of seafood... but in the Keys I'd guess that when you hear of someone who gets 200 fish a day, (ok maybe I'd believe 200 a trip), I'd bet they are selling them to the commercial fish house not direct to the consumer or resturant.

Do you know how much work it would be to clean 200 Lionfish ?

If you plan to dive up here off Broward County you'd be very lucky to get a dozen in a day of hard diving unless you can get to the deep reefs.

You'd sell the whole fish. Fish house takes care of The rest. And I agree there'll be more on the deeper reefs, you're not looking to make a living here. But if you can substantially off set the cost of spearing them, might be worth it.

I do know the deeper reefs hold tons of lions. The wife and daughter see em all the time diving off Lauderdale. The wrecks are lousy with em most dives. FF is spot on here, I started looking after he told me and the high end sea food restaurants are getting big money for lion fish.

And Tommy knows the license requirements as he holds em.

Just a thought.

Of course it would be nice to make a little money doing what I already enjoy, not something I'm too worried about though.

How deep out a reef are you talking about in Lauderdale?

For anyone looking I have a JD Preece 2 band. The model is a Sea Hornet. This is a very popular gun from Australlia (Sp). Cost over 400 new but I only need 200 for it. New bands still in package.
I can text pics

Green Tide wrote:For anyone looking I have a JD Preece 2 band. The model is a Sea Hornet. This is a very popular gun from Australlia (Sp). Cost over 400 new but I only need 200 for it. New bands still in package.
I can text pics

Never been fired and only dropped once

Most people I know that pick them off do it in the Keys, up here the deep reefs are 45' to 65' the wrecks could be 80' to 120'. Most people I know are not commercially doing it but participate in roundups, but its usually done with a pole spear and they carry them in lionfish hotel because the spines will get you if you try and swim around with a mesh bag full like lobster and hogs.

LionFish Pole SPear with Paralyzer Tip, inexpensive can be found for like $30.00.


The LionFish Hotel like the ZooKeeper, are much more expensive.


There are DIY versions made by modifying 5 gallon buckets to safely haul LionFish around on the ocean floor.

Spearguns are just to complicated for Lionfish and they don't usually try and get away from you. However I have always carried a Riffe when hunting fish , but also have an ABiller 36 to carry when lobster diving for those times when a nice hog looks you over.
Think more like frog gigging from an airboat.

I think we've all seen the video of the divers up in the Panhandle area spearing dozens of LionFish congregating around an old plane wreck., which makes people think they are everywhere on the bottom of the Ocean and Gulf floors.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yl2Zx5OHR4E[/youtube]

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