Record for longest lionfish caught in Gulf, Oct. 18, in Destin, FL
Photo courtesy of Donald Vautrinot, right, with Alex Fogg, Okaloosa County coastal resource manager.
“I saw a monster lionfish and immediately knew I wanted to measure it,” Vautrinot said. “I got really excited because I knew the Gulf record was around 18 inches, but I didn't know exactly, and we didn't have a cell signal to check it out there.”
Once back at shore, they took it to Okaloosa County, Florida coastal resource manager Alex Fogg for an official measurement. Fogg confirmed, thata at 18.19 inches (462 mm), Vautrinot was the new Florida state record holder for longest lionfish caught in the Gulf of Mexico.
“I was pretty excited and messaged my wife the news right away,” said Vautrinot.
Vautrinot beat the former Gulf of Mexico record held by Joshua Falkner, of 18.07 inches, caught off Escambia County, FL. Vautrinot’s Gulf record is still shy of the overall state record of 18.78 inches (477 mm) caught by Captain Jimmy Nelson in 2015 in the Atlantic, off Islamorada in the Florida Keys.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) encourages removal of lionfish, which are an invasive species that could have a negative impact on native fish and wildlife.
The FWC lionfish record program includes categories for both length and weight in spearing, hook and line, and junior (16 and under) divisions. Record holders will be recognized on MyFWC.com and may receive prizes as well.
Enter your record fish here: https://myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/recreational/lionfish/records/. Make sure to review the application form thoroughly before submitting your catch. Potential record lionfish must have been harvested using legal methods.
For state records on other saltwater fish besides lionfish, visit CatchaFloridaMemory.com.