Before the zookeeper and commercially made lionfish containers came onto the market, we all started by making our own. If you have money to spend you cannot beat the zookeeper, but if you have more time on your hands than money then here is my step by step on how to make a lionfish container.
Important features of a good lionfish container
- Puncture proof
- Strong and sturdy
- One way entry for lionfish which is escape proof
- Wide opening so you can easily remove fish after hunting
- Carrying handle
- Streamlined shape to move through the water as easily as possible
- Lightweight if possible.
Materials needed to make a lionfish container
- A 5-gallon water container
- A sturdy funnel
- Zip ties
- Cutting tool – either hot knife or keyhole saw
- Optional boat hatch, bolts and wing-nuts
How to make your own lionfish container
[youtube=http://youtu.be/Be2RWIxKNrU&rel=0&w=650]
For those of you who cannot watch the video here are step by step instructions below:
- Place the funnel upside down on top of the spout end of the water container and with a marker pen mark a circle on the container by drawing around the funnel
- Draw another smaller circle about a quarter to half of an inch inside circle number one
- Using the cutting tool cut out circle number two
- Take the funnel and cut off the narrow tube at the bottom, leaving the V shape part. On a smaller funnel you may not need to remove this part.
- Draw 6 equidistant vertical lines on the funnel and cut along them using your cutting tool
- Place the prepared funnel on top of the hole in the water container. We now need to join the two parts together
- With the funnel sitting horizontally use your marker pen to mark where the 3 holes are going to go on the container, 120 degrees apart. The holes need to be at least 3/4 inch from the edge so the container does not split. The holes also need to be big enough for your zip ties to pass through
- With the funnel still in place, mark three holes on the funnel each above and below the level of the top of the container, in line with the 3 holes on the container
- Where marked, drill or make a hole with the hot knife, in the 3 places on the container and the 6 places (2X3) on the funnel
- Use 3 zip ties to tie together the container and funnel
For a super-fancy container, you can also install the screw-in boat hatch on the flat bottom of the water bottle. Or simply cut 2 of your zip ties to remove the funnel and empty out your fish after each hunt.
Feel free to leave questions or comments below, or chat with me on my facebook page.
