VENOMOUS & INVASIVE LIONFISH Catch & Cook | Spearfishing Greece Pt.3

Lionfish are invading the Mediterranean Sea. They have poisonous spines and no natural predators, except us! It turns out they are actually sensational to eat and in this episode we are heading out again with Clauss for some spearfishing education. You'll see how to spear these invasive species and turn them into some delicious eats.
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[@spearfishinglifegreece]

Thank you for cleaning our seas Daniel!!! They really are perfect eating fish!

[@DanielMann]

Easy to spear and tasty, what more could you want 😄

[@TheDadFaxs]

They have a special harvesting bag for lionfish. It's got a flop top so when you use a pole spear you just stick that down in it past the flopper and it's made with a heavy Kevlar so that the spines don't go through it

[@inopanathas4ever]

Thank you for promoting our country Daniel! I wish you safe dives🙏🏼

[@DanielMann]

Thanks for watching 🙏🏻

[@aftermathgaming8639]

I love your greece and mediterranean series! always excited for a new upload! Please keep up the work in the med =)

[@DanielMann]

Thank you, got a few more before moving onto other European destinations.

[@hobotnica8144]

Wow! Greece looks stunning! Good work, as always Daniel.

[@DanielMann]

Beautiful landscapes, crystal waters, great locals and god tier food 👌

[@gamalielcollazo2770]

Enjoyed the video. Keep showing us more of your trips. You all take care.👍

[@benmorgan7016]

Loved the video as always! Never tried lion fish, gotta add it to the list now! Thanks Dan 🙃

[@DanielMann]

Thanks Ben!

[@johnnymichopoulos5124]

So cool too see people i know and pleaces i dive in your videos. Thanks for catching some lionfishes!! The spot you dived and the south corner of agia marina island are so full of them. The summer is nice for vecations but for fishing oktober is one of the best months. Can't wait for part 4👍

[@tacticaladventures4916]

I always learn something new watching your videos. Beautiful!

[@dantrailwilliams8801]

D Mann, I am lost for words.... the way you put your content into an awesome video is just brilliant mate. Absolutely love it 😁

[@DanielMann]

Thanks Dan, very kind 🙏🏻

[@reloadncharge9907]

You got it…hand spear or two….clean out the coral/rock heads on one or two dives! Good video, thx! Andrew

[@DivineOnenss]

That was a great trip cannot wait to see you in the next one👌🏾👌🏾🙏🏾👑

[@dragonrage1281]

Quite a few things to learn from this guy. Great video as always Dan

[@DanielMann]

Cheers!

[@nikosmix]

Great video,everything well done....!!

[@apadventure]

Love it Dan, never thought to try Lionfish before, but if the opportunity ever presents itself to me now I'm going to have to give it a try!

[@frankschellekens5868]

Awesome video, love to see your adventures in Greece

[@DanielMann]

Cheers Frank, more to come!

[@gazzabyerun9048]

Another great video, thank you for sharing your adventures!🔱

[@DanielMann]

Thankyou!

[@michaelw9807]

Great watch

[@DanielMann]

Cheers!

[@dimebagdave77]

MANYTHNX! for another very interesting video 🔥

[@DanielMann]

Cheers, glad you liked it!

[@nattyenigma6367]

Awesome brother dan

[@marcchehab9562]

amazing video!! we need to see you in a video with Dimos :)

[@brendanhuynh7984]

I love the content Can't wait for your future videos

[@dougs_urbanfarm]

I just love that blue umbrella!

[@DanielMann]

Simple, effective and cheap to replace.

[@twogamer2203]

man this looks amazing. Wish I could go out diving with you some time haha

[@HarryLindley]

quality all round man

[@DanielMann]

Gracias amigo!

[@markmclaughlin4801]

I used to love seeing lionfish when I was teaching diving....it meant i was in Indo Pacific water.....how times change. Good to know they are tasty and thanks for the tip on De spining them. Great video.

[@glyks1550]

thanks man !!!

[@LiquidAntler]

Another great video mate. Great to see the Lionfish being served up. Hopefully helps control their numbers.

[@DanielMann]

Thanks mate, long way to go to clean them out!

[@kostasvakis1485]

Love your videos!!! Nice diving technique, and you can reach deep enough! Thank you for pointing out the big problem that we have with the lionfish invasion. I'm also diving, i live in South east part of Crete and the last two years i hunt down almost only lionfish. I use a trident on my gun and i have with me a heavy duty scissors for metal cable to give an easy haircut to these nasty spines. Their stinging is quite painful but their meat is delicious!!! I enjoy eating them cooked on charcoal, deep fried, soups, ceviche and many other ways. Local people are sceptical about eating this fish because they don't know it, but if they taste it? ooooh yeah they keep asking for more. Keep up the good work my friend ❤

[@joachimklawe8639]

And every video makes you want to watch the next one!

[@DiveHard]

Love this! I stopped eating most fish but lion fish is still on the menu since they are one of the few fish I can easily spear myself here in Florida 🙃 it may not be tuna but they still make great ceviche! Keep on with the great content 🤙🏽

[@fadizakzouk2084]

Lovely as always I can't wait to the next video! Even if bad invasive species like the lion fish and puffer fish have made their way through the Swiss channel we have also lot's of other interesting species in the middle east countries that are close to the Swiss channel, like the King mackerel, Parotfish, Blue-spotted Cornefish.

[@asianseaanimals]

It so great

[@marekschudoma7363]

Cool Video

[@bigchungus7807]

Lovely video as always Dan, it's like I'm traveling and getting to spear in all these destinations!! I speared lionfish in Barbados, we ate them pan fried in a buttered bap with piri piri sauce, delicious😋

[@DanielMann]

Thank you 🙌 Yes they are delicious indeed.

[@askarielad]

Beautiful video brother

[@DanielMann]

Thanks Elád!

[@joebob1994]

My mouth was watering during the whole cooking section. Looks so good!

[@DanielMann]

Cheers Joe, was a great feed.

[@joebob1994]

@@DanielMann By any chance do you know any places in the UK that sell Lion fish meat? I can only find them alive!!! I eat minimal fish day to day for ethical reasons (but love your channel) and would happily eat an invasive species....

[@DanielMann]

They aren’t commercially fished in Europe so probably not something you’d find in a store.

[@joebob1994]

@@DanielMann such a shame, it would be great if we could replace wildly overfished breeds with these.

[@EthanYeo1]

Always love watching your videos from start to finish Dan! Have you ever tried variable ballast diving? Would be keen to give it a go sometime haha

[@DanielMann]

Thanks Ethan, I’ve tried it a handful of times. Lots of fun but I’d never use it on depths I couldn’t do constant weight already.

[@EthanYeo1]

@@DanielMann yeah that’s fair enough! How do you go about determining how much weight you need?

[@DanielMann]

@@EthanYeo1 It all depends on the depth you're trying to reach, which variable weight technique you're using and wetsuit thickness. I'd say a little more than you would usually for a constant weight dive but you don't want to follow and anchor down!

[@AntiVaganza]

I agree with it all, I made a set up myself and it's actually not as easy as it looks. I honestly think the way to do it is have your buddy deal with the line and pull it up for you. Or if you share the line, you pull it up while he relaxes and preps for his own drop. Also, keep it as simple as possible and don't do it unless you have good EQ. But most of all, DO NOT think of it as a short cut to deeper dives. Be sure you are adapted to/capable of doing the depths you are targeting already and only use VW as a way to relax even more. I actually don't even wanna say this, but yes, also for a tad more bottom time, but definitely - if you do it right - as a way to actually be safer. By which I mean, stay within depths you are capable off, don't push your bottom time and you will come up having used less energy/O2. Check out Giacomo De Mola's YT, he has some good videos with different setups.

[@EthanYeo1]

@@AntiVaganza that’s for the help mate! Will definitely look into it 😁

[@gianpaolorabito895]

Hi Daniel I was at Methoni in 1981 for the first time all of August, and I went back the following years, I guess now everything is very different. Nice video as always. A greeting

[@DanielMann]

I’m sure things have changed a lot since 1981, above water and below.

[@martimclen2574]

Daniel you make me hungry now, but its quite late night.....what can I say? I am going to see my fridge 🤤if there is any lion fish left😉👍

[@echobravo1105]

Short polespear's handy for those things. One with a tri-tip so they don't spin around when you're clipping the spines.

[@yogevreboh4260]

Beauty!! No flashlight next time..

[@simple_adventures]

I'm happy they haven't arrived to Spain yet...You're lucky to go out with locals everywhere you go! If you want to try the Spanish Mediterranean, you've got locals here in the south-east that would be happy to take you out! Thanks for sharing :)

[@DanielMann]

Thank you! Next year I’m hoping to get to the Mediterranean side of Spain.

[@mariocinque8588]

Complimenti belle catture ed ottime cotture ciao Daniel.

[@DanielMann]

Grazie Mario

[@pieceofshit1233]

thank you my brother. I'm from the carribean and those fish are a menace but tasty .

[@NikoMoraKamu]

thanks for cleaning the sea mate! those fellas sure are end up arriving here to Spain sooner or later

[@DanielMann]

I hope they don’t, they eat the native fish.

[@tobystewart4403]

Daniel poison shaming the lionfish. Omg. I have to go lie down.

[@0726cobrasrule]

😄 snip snip

[@kudrettuncel2859]

Süper video 👍❤

[@DanielMann]

Thankyou!

[@battlebeard2041]

I spearfishing video for my birthday; thanks mate! 😂 Spearing a lion fish seems almost poetic. I’m imagining that they’re intelligent and the horror of the other fish when their buddy gets yanked out of the hole and a few seconds later all of his spines come floating back down.

[@DanielMann]

Happy birthday!

[@DKofDAH]

Beautiful video like always. Hopefully I get the chance to eat some lionfish too. What if seen fishermen in Florida and the Bahamas do, is using a polespear and a big pvc pipe (around 20-20cm in diameter) with a bend and partially cut end on one side so they spear the fish and drop them in the pipe without even have to touch them. You can spear multiple fish in one dive without having to worry about the spines.

[@DanielMann]

I’ve seen these contraptions! They look really effective.

[@DKofDAH]

@@DanielMann Daniel always answering faster than any fire department. Yeah those thing really seem effective. But so is the lionfish and as beautiful as it is, so deadly is it to any reef with no predators. Hopefully Greece gets them under control fast so they don’t spread all over the Mediterranean Sea.

[@DaKasten]

Yummi

[@weuder23234]

So i started spearfishing this year. Im from finland so i needed to go to Greece to spearfish. The first fish i ever shot was a lionfish. Shot one just to have try, but will definitly shoot again, it was delicous!

[@DanielMann]

The spearfishing scene in Finland is huge! In 3 videos time I will post about my experiences there in August.

[@JohnnysCafe_]

I hear from many sources that they are delicious, people are starting to eat them here in Queensland, I am looking forward to trying it.

[@DanielMann]

I guess they are native in QLD so not a big problem of invasion like in the Mediterranean. Either way, tasty.

[@gregthomas2904]

Dan, try watching Blue Gabe or Deer Meat For Dinner. They deal with the lion fish in Florida. Their methods are great. Hand spear and a bag. As always, great video. Look forward to you uploading more.

[@DanielMann]

Will check them out for sure. Those guys make some fantastic videos. More uploads coming!

[@gravitymx76]

I agree, the Floridians definitely have this figured out. Pole spear, zookeeper and scuba. So easy to decimate the lionfish population and feed a small crowd!

[@artemkuritskii1767]

Great video, as always! What is the situation with lionfish now? Few years ago i saw many videos that situation was pretty bad, is it any better now?

[@DanielMann]

Situation won’t get any better I don’t think. I’d never seen so many. I’ve been diving Greece the last three years in a row and each time more and more.

[@artemkuritskii1767]

@@DanielMann some mind of event might help, like gather as many ppl as possible and clean few reefs and then cook all the fish

[@davidheyes4771]

Brilliant Daniel, lion fish, I never would've thought, looks like everyone is enjoying it, regards from England (never actually visited Greece, do they serve this in restaurants over there?), regards from England 🍺🍺👍

[@DanielMann]

Thanks David, not served in restaurants as it’s not commercial fished… yet!

[@mehmetirgin3464]

Hey Daniel why don't you come to southwest turkey which has tons of special spear fishing spots I also tested, many times catched lion fish and other great fish🐠🐠🐠🐠🐟🐟🐟😊

[@dimebagdave77]

HALIBOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT!!

[@muratmustafa4532]

Great video. I will try oven and foil method next time. Do you remember what temp. and how long they were cooked for?

[@DanielMann]

I think about 200°C for maybe 15-20 minutes. They don’t take long.

[@muratmustafa4532]

@@DanielMann thanks Daniel.

[@jimbit22]

Now you had a proper trip in Greece..

[@nfragala]

Is it typically a good idea to scale, gut, and bleed every fish while wet or does leaving them scaled help preserve the flesh of you don't plan on eating for a day or so? Excellent quick vid, absolutely beautiful, living the dream, much love from New England! Thanks, DMann!

[@DanielMann]

It depends on how you intend to cook it and how long you want to keep it for. Typically I keep my fish intact apart from bleeding them. If I know I’m going to cook it whole and want the scales off I’ll do that at sea.

[@nfragala]

@@DanielMann Thanks!

[@Spearfishingmoments]

Nice Job. I don't spare them also. I have my scissors with me and I catch all the big ones

[@tim42310]

Bring Justin Lee out there to have him clean up all the lion fish. Looked tasty!

[@DanielMann]

He’d wipe them out for sure on a 3 prong.

[@Sleevles]

🙌🙌

[@GoodLivingTT868]

Imo, lionfish taste like whatever seasoning you use on them. Got a good texture too.

[@rolandwheeler4842]

That is great Daniel! Ridding the seas of invasives is just that much better when they are not only edible, but delicious! If you like please look up Max Kobuk on KZbin and check out the freshwater spearfishing trip I took him on. We targeted carp, which most people will not eat. But I have kinda' perfected the prep and it is absolutely delicious!

[@AntiVaganza]

They do taste amazing. I shot a big one out here in the Philippines, but they aren't invasive here so I don't target them, but I had just seen a lot of videos over the years talking about how good they taste and felt it was my time to take one. And they certainly do, no doubt about it. Mine was actually a bit challenging - not coz they are hard to shoot, but the current was ripping and I was literally drift diving super fast along the reef when I saw it. And while the shot was good, it did not get the fish out by its own and I drifted past the rock it sat under and had to power back upcurrent - on the same drop - just to get it out. I totally agree with the polespear if you are targeting these. Definitely sounds like a better idea than diving with 3-4 guns;)

[@DanielMann]

Come to Greece, much easier to shoot and extract 🤣

[@AntiVaganza]

@@DanielMann Haha:) I was lucky to be invited on a catamaran cruise just before the pandemic by one of my old sailing mates. Didn't see any lion fish but I also hadn't adapted well enough to look primarily under rocks, yet. But my friend's 9-year-old daughter who is awesome in the water, did spot two octopi(?) for me that we got out and ate. And I did manage a grouper that sat out on a flat rock. So weird, but I guess we were in a place where many don't go. I did miss on the two chances of mullet I had and never saw a dentex. OH! I am 97.3% sure that on the last day, when I was just snorkeling w.o. a gun, a dorado swam behind me. I guess just to make sure I knew they exist! So, yeah, plenty of reasons to go back:)

[@WilliamMallinson]

My territory: Methoni, village, Sapienza, Agia Marina and Skizza islands...I once got a five and a half kilo octopus on Sapienza....

[@dfishman76]

Handspears are the way to go for them

[@DanielMann]

I think I need to get one for next time.

[@WilliamMallinson]

When I was pricked by a lion fish on the right arm, it was one week before I could use it properly again. They are however indeed delicious.

[@macareha1290]

Coll you should trawel to montenegro its close to you

[@DanielMann]

I’m back in the U.K. now but I’d like to go for sure.

[@macareha1290]

@@DanielMann What wet suit you think i should get fo spearfishing here in montenegro im 15 and it needs to be cheap

[@macareha1290]

@@DanielMann i hunt in rocky areas and no deeper than 20-25m

[@DanielMann]

3mm suit should be fine for summer. Look for a second hand one as you’ll likely outgrow it quickly.

[@334outdoors8]

A 3 prong hand spear and a lion fish tube is the way to go that and scuba so you can stay down and and clear the rock

[@DanielMann]

Scuba is illegal in Greece when spearfishing but the 3 prong sounds the go.

[@clerywood2575]

😉👍

[@nerdchard2853]

How much would it be in usd to stay here?

[@DanielMann]

You can find them on booking dot com.

[@Luxonism]

"shallower waters 20-25m" lol, crazy visibility

[@DanielMann]

Visibility was fantastic as usual in Greece.

[@nicoabt3735]

I went spearfishing with some Greek guys in the small Cyclades a they shot tons of these “European parrotfishes” i guess. Seemed to me it was quiet common for them as they said it was one of their favorite fish to eat. I’ve watched most of you’re videos from Greece and you or the guys you were with never caught any. Have ever had one of them off camera or is there some other reason you don’t hunt for them?

[@ShakaZoulou77]

What they really mean is that, they are one of the easiest fish to catch. Sure they are good, but be sure to clean them in the sea and not at home in the kitchen

[@DanielMann]

I do have some footage of the parrotfishes. Yes they are tasty but quite easy to shoot and hard to find above 1kg.

[@nicoabt3735]

Must've missed the video! I guess they are easy to shoot for you guys with as much experience as you have, for me it was the first time spearfishing and it didn't feel so easy hahahha thanks for the answer though!!

[@jameshendrickson8159]

There are pin bones in the flesh, bluegabe on you tube showes it

[@sondrelima9982]

I was going to go out and dive today, but at friday i broke a few fingers and some shit in my rist. I live in norway and it gets pretty cold up here so i dont think i am going to be able to dive again this year😢 Atlest i am not going to fail NNN😅

[@0726cobrasrule]

Damn! It sucks to break your hand but the Cold is going to make it 10x worst. Make sure you let it heal all the way. Its very important. Otherwise youll suffer with issues your entire life! Trust me. Let it heal up and physical therapy too. I didnt take care of my broken hand and its now stiff, bent, and painful in the cold. Please you dont want that. Just take the time to let it heal!

[@sondrelima9982]

@@0726cobrasrule Thank you for the advice. I will let it heal and be careful

[@0726cobrasrule]

@7:26 Oro-gano or Oregano. Just alittle confused. Its probably just his accent. But is it Oregano?

[@DanielMann]

Yes, oregano.

[@simiongradinaru7381]

How can y’all hold y’all’s breath for that long ?

[@DanielMann]

Lots of practise over the summer!

[@spearfishinggrenada7897]

First❤

You comming to Slovenia anytime soon? Our see is garbage, but if you get a fish here its worth more than any croatian or greek dentex :D.

[@DanielMann]

Only 47km of sea 🤣

@@DanielMann yeah and like 1km of coast where you are allowed to spearfish. Sad sad.

[@zsomborerchegyi7636]

Location/ area please!!!

[@DanielMann]

Peloponnesus.

[@mostlydangerous3717]

Not him cutting off the one fin with no spines first

[@roomfm6152]

Are you wearing a 5mm?

[@DanielMann]

Only a 3.5mm in Greece, water was 27ºC.

[@jimyolokills9140]

I spearfish at Crete and onces i speared two 500s lion fishes

[@sotos_lev]

8:30 😂 nice video man , i am really glad you kill lionfish you help a lot !

[@GoodLivingTT868]

One small correction, and not to be the technical police, but they're venomous and not poisonous

[@MIAthe305]

Lionfosh have really wrecked the reefs and ocean ecosystem here in S.FL... sad stuff, but I love eating them (1) they're delicious and (2) by removing them we are doing our part, albeit sometimes it feels little and inconsequential, to help restore our oceans

[@DanielMann]

It’s a real shame, I hope they find a way to eat them commercially as that’s probably the only thing that will bring numbers down.

[@michailtziallas7167]

Guys don't clean the fish in the water! That's how people end up in hospital like my friend this summer. That was not fun... Let it die out and then dead clean with larger scissors! Regards from a Greek spearfisherman

[@TristanBehrens]

Lionfish are a HUGE problem in the Caribbean. The only way you're gonna get them out is let the grouper population rebound (as large grouper do eat them). Sadly I don't see that happening any time soon in the Med or in Jamaica...

[@DanielMann]

That’s very interesting, I never imagined a large grouper would eat them.

[@TristanBehrens]

@@DanielMann Yeah, is a relatively recent discovery, but the behaviour has been observed. I believe there's a certain technique they developed to minimize the sting.

[@Joey_macek]

First

[@turtleman190]

First

[@DanielMann]

🥇

[@Joey_macek]

No shot he replied

[@amsnek_11]

imagen just cutting off a fish's whole defense

[@littlehills739]

need a uav/sub i vote me for first years hunting

[@brucepedersen4032]

A terrible shame asian lionfish are in the mediteranean. By way of florida, maybe.

[@DanielMann]

I think the theory is they have come through the Suez Canal.