Lionfish Challenge

Timeline: May 24, 2025, through September 14, 2025

Registration:

• Participants must register for the 2025 Florida Fish and Wildlife Lionfish Challenge tournament on Fishing Chaos. Go to the “Home” tab to find the link to register. You will be directed to the 2025 Florida Fish and Wildlife Lionfish Challenge tournament on Fishing Chaos. You will need to create a free user account with a username and password.
• You may use Fishing Chaos on your browser or download the app via your app store.
• Participants may only qualify for one category (recreational or commercial)
  • Participants with an active Saltwater Products License and commercial lionfish sales within the last year must register for the commercial category.

How to Submit Your Catch

Instructions for Commercial Divers

• After harvesting your lionfish, sell them to a licensed wholesale dealer and get a copy of your trip ticket verifying the commercial sale.
• After obtaining your trip ticket, you must complete an online submission.
  • Go to the “Submissions” tab to find the link to submit your harvest. You will be directed to the 2025 Florida Fish and Wildlife Lionfish Challenge tournament on Fishing Chaos.
  • Click “Submit Catch”
  • Input the pounds of fish harvested as documented on the trip ticket.
  • Upload a photo of the trip ticket – you may submit either a photo, scanned copy, or online screen grab of your trip ticket.
  • Please have your name on the trip ticket.
  • Divers are encouraged to “cover up” or hide the amount per pound, and what they earned from the trip ticket.

Things to note:

• Please complete an online submission for each trip ticket.
• Only lionfish sales with species code 460 will be accepted.
• Lionfish sold with tails removed are NOT eligible for this competition. If we have reason to believe a participant is selling fish with tails previously removed, they will be disqualified from competing.

Instructions for Recreational Divers:

• After harvesting your lionfish, remove the tails leaving a bit of meat attached and place in a plastic sandwich bag(s).
• Label bag(s) with harvester name, phone number, date of harvest, and number of tails.
• Bring tails and a tail verification form to a local Checkpoint for verification of harvest.
  • The Checkpoint will count your tails, sign your verification form, and return the form to you.
  • Checkpoints will keep the tails for our records.
• After verifying your tails at a Checkpoint, you must complete an online submission.
  • Go to the “Submissions” tab to find the link to submit your harvest. You will be directed to the 2025 Florida Fish and Wildlife Lionfish Challenge tournament on Fishing Chaos.
  • Click “Submit Catch”
  • Input the number of fish harvested as documented on the approved Tail Verification Form.
  • Upload a photo of the Tail Verification Form – you may submit either a photo, scanned copy, or online screen grab of your completed verification form.

Things to note:

• Please complete one verification form and one online submission for each trip you take – if you harvest lionfish 5 times throughout the tournament, please complete 5 verification forms and 5 online submissions.
• Please do not bring smelly fish to your Checkpoint. Checkpoints have the right to deny any rotten or otherwise uncountable tails!
• Please keep all verification forms until the 2025 Lionfish Challenge has ended.

Prizes

Prizes will be awarded in a tiered fashion – the more lionfish you submit, the more prizes you’ll receive! The requirements for each tier are as follows (Note – more information on prizes will be announced later)

• Tier 1 – Harvest 25 lionfish (Recreational Category) or 50lbs of lionfish (Commercial Category: Dryfit Tournament Shirt and 2025 Challenge Coin*
• Tier 2 – Harvest 75 lionfish (Recreational Category) or 150lbs. of lionfish (Commercial Category): Neritic Pole Spear, Gloves, t-shirt
• Tier 3 – Harvest 150 lionfish (Recreational Category) or 300lbs of lionfish (Commercial Category): Zookeeper, Heat Packs, Dive Knife
• Tier 4 – Harvest 300 lionfish (Recreational Category) or 600lbs of lionfish (Commercial Category): Akona Georgian Mesh Roller Bag
• Tier 5 – Harvest 600 lionfish (Recreational Category) or 900lbs of lionfish (Commercial Category): Cressi Leonardo Dive Computer

*Challenge coin allows retention of one extra spiny lobster per day during the 2025 lobster sport season (July 30^th & 31th, 2025).