Winter Lionfish Throw Down FAQ: What Divers Need to Know

Winter Lionfish Throw Down FAQ: Rules, Registration, and Prizes

Frequently Asked Questions: Winter Lionfish Throw Down

The Winter Lionfish Throw Down is ZooKeeper’s season-long individual lionfish harvest tournament. It runs October 1 through December 31, with monthly challenges, monthly drawings, and grand prizes for the top harvesters. The goal is simple: keep pressure on invasive lionfish through the winter so reefs stay healthier the rest of the year. New to the species? Start with lionfish facts.

• What is the Winter Lionfish Throw Down?
  It is an individual lionfish harvesting tournament organized by ZooKeeper. Divers compete on verified catch counts from October 1 (12:00 AM) through December 31 (11:59 PM). Monthly challenges and prize drawings run during the season. Grand prizes go to the top harvesters. Full rules and the current prize list live on the event page and inside the tournament on Fishing Chaos.
• When does registration open, and what does it include?
  Registration opens September 1 on the Fishing Chaos tournament page. The fee is $50 and non-refundable. Registration includes a custom event rash guard, sponsored items, an exclusive gift, eligibility for harvester prizes, and one monthly drawing entry once you submit at least one lionfish that month. Event goodies ship by late October to the address on your registration. New to the app? Download it from Fishing Chaos.
• What are the key dates?
  • Registration opens: September 1
  • Submissions open: October 1, 12:00 AM
  • Submissions close: December 31, 11:59 PM
  • Fish must be caught on or after October 1. Frozen fish and anything caught before the season do not count.
  • Monthly drawings are live on the ZooKeeper Facebook page in October, November, and December. Exact drawing dates are posted there and on Instagram.
  • Grand prize announcements follow the close of submissions in early January.
• Where can I harvest?
  Eligible water is Atlantic and Gulf state waters, including Florida, plus Puerto Rico and the USVI, under state and federal rules. Catches outside those areas do not count. Follow the regulations where you dive. If you are not in Florida, you can still enter as long as the harvest is from eligible water.
• Who can enter?
  Open to individual divers. No teams. No commercial harvesters. Travel prizes, if offered that season, require the winner to be 18 or older, hold a passport valid through the travel dates, and send eligibility proof within 10 days of notification. Current prize rules are on the registration page.
• How do I submit a catch?
  Each morning, registered divers get a daily identifier by email. After the dive, lay out whole lionfish — heads and tails on, nothing missing — with the identifier, catch date, county, dive buddy’s name, and the count visible. Take a clear photo and submit it in the Fishing Chaos app under Submit Catch within 24 hours of the identifier timestamp. One submission per day. If you send more than one, only the first counts.
• What gets a submission rejected?
  Unclear counts, a missing or unreadable identifier, missing county or dive buddy, duplicate or altered photos, or fish that are not whole. Officials may audit at random and ask for more proof. Ignoring that request is a disqualification.
• Can I use the same lionfish twice?
  No. Each lionfish can be submitted once. Reuse or duplicate photos can mean rejection or disqualification.
• What if I miss the 24-hour window?
  Late submissions are not accepted. Upload in the Fishing Chaos app before the identifier window closes.
• How is scoring done, and what about ties?
  Score is the total number of verified lionfish. Ties go to the earliest app submission.
• What can I win?
  Grand prizes go to the top harvesters. Monthly drawings award five prizes a month (minimum $30 each) to anyone who submitted at least one fish that month. Monthly prizes ship within five business days. The current grand prize list, values, and sponsor gear are on the event page and the Fishing Chaos tournament. Sponsor shout-outs also run on Instagram and Facebook.
• How do the monthly drawings work?
  One entry per registered diver per month, earned by submitting at least one lionfish that month. Drawings are live on Facebook. Winners are notified in the Fishing Chaos app.
• What safety rules apply?
  Plan the dive, watch your air, respect decompression limits, wear protective gloves, and carry a first aid kit. No reef damage. Unsafe hunting is an immediate disqualification. You assume the risk and hold the organizers harmless. For no-touch containment, use a ZooKeeper Lionfish and Marine Debris Containment Unit. Any legal container is allowed, but watch flaps, drains, and protruding spines. Spears and fingers do not belong in the funnel.
• Do I need specific gear?
  Standard lionfish spearfishing gear: a pole spear, puncture-resistant gloves, and a container that keeps spines off your hands. ZooKeeper containment units are built for this job. Browse gear in the shop. Local gear rules still apply.
• Can I get a refund or transfer my spot?
  No. The $50 fee is non-refundable and non-transferable.
• The app is not working. Who do I contact?
  App problems go to Fishing Chaos support in the app or at fishingchaos.com. Tournament questions go to ZooKeeper through the contact form, Fishing Chaos chat, or patricia@lionfishzk.com.
• Where are the full rules?
  Read them on the Winter Lionfish Throw Down page and inside the Fishing Chaos tournament before you register. Questions: lionfishzk.com/contact or info@lionfishzk.com.