The Valencia Lakes Fishing Club (VLFC)

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1 Dedicated to Fishing Education and Activities For our October meeting, Director at Large, Keith Schneider, invited several local Captains to present a table clinic on a subject of their choosing. This club venue was used before and has proven to be a well respected way of delivering valuable fishing topics via a diverse group of professionals. The meeting went very well and we thank Keith for organizing it. IF YOU HAVE AN IDEA FOR A WORKSHOP, PLEASE CONTACT GARY garys49401@aol.com If you learn of any member, or their immediate family, have had a hardship or a blessing, let us know so we can pass the word on to: Charlie Brown - cebrownlawyer@gmail.com. The Valencia Lakes Fishing Club (VLFC) 2017 VLFC OFFICERS PRESIDENT STU FURGANG V.P. GLENN BROWN SEC Y BOB RACE TREAS. DAVE PERTL ASST. TREAS. STEVE EPSTEIN DIR. AT LARGE TOM BOSWORTH DIR. AT LARGE KEITH SCHNEIDER DIR. AT LARGE BRAD TAYLOR sfurgang@gmail.com calmseas@tampabay.rr.com bobrace123@gmail.com pert1@aol.com sepstein50@yahoo.com tcboz50@gmail.com shoebz@hotmail.com sbsbtaylor@gmail.com CHAIRMAN GARY SPIELER NEWSLETTER GARY SPIELER 2017 EDUCATION AND EVENTS garys49401@aol.com garys49401@aol.com NEXT MEETING is on Sandpiper Grill, Sun City Center.

2 **VLFC Open Board meetings are held on the Thursday following the club s general meeting --YOU RE INVITED! ** November 7 th In lieu of our usual meeting, we are meeting at the Sandpiper Grill, in Sun City Center for our annual social. See next page for details! DON T MISS THIS VERY INFORMATIVE MEETING! 1. GOLF CART FISHING By Appointment CONTACT: ALAN ( BASSMAN ) BERKOV - Aberkov@Tampabay.rr.com KAYAK FISHING: Brad Taylor (sbsbtaylor@gmail.com) Frank Ray (Fray1@verizon.net) Joan Komorowski (joank2@hotmail.com) Had any interesting fishing experiences? Heard of any interesting fishing ideas? Would you like to see additional events, educational experiences for our VLFC members? Garys49401@aol.com The Valencia Fishing Club Newsletter is provided as is, without any guarantees or warranty. Valencia Lakes Fishing Club makes no endorsements or warranties of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, of title, or of noninfringement of third party rights. Use any print material, product, techniques or idea s in this Newsletter by a user is at the user s risk.

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5 YOUR GO TO PLACE FOR WHAT S UP! The VLFC is proud to debut our new website: Much thanks is due Allison Davis, our new webmaster, for her tireless work to get this up and running. The website is still under construction but please check it out and send your comments to Allison: allison0929@gmail.com. This is a very valuable asset, and it s yours! ***** Great videos, pictures of our members ***** Contact Information for all VLFC Members *** Issues of VLFC Newsletters *** TURN UP THE AUDIO, THERE S MUSIC, TOO! WEBMASTER- ALLISON DAVIS - allison0929@gmail.com

6 GETTING EXCITED YET..? In just a couple of months, preparation will begin for our Joel Linky Grandkid s Fishing Derby. It s the fishing event of the year at Valencia Lakes. This year, Chris Bosworth will be organizing this annual gala annual event. Below is a picture of Rich Brown (previous event organizer) doing his thing at Emerald Green in Upstate New York.

7 Best Trick for Catching Sheepshead On 01/25 by GHMOF Team posted in Saltwater Fishing, How-to Fish, Sheepshead Learning to bury the bait. It s wintertime, and wintertime means Sheepshead. If you love these tasty species as much as we do, you know that they re not that easy to catch. You can spot five pounders and throw baits at them to no avail. They ll watch the bait and almost look at you while they swim away. They re not easy to fool, and even harder to hook; their hard parrot-like mouths are difficult to hookset and the fact that they can spit a bait out faster than you can feel them pick it up makes them a real challenge, especially if you re new to the fishery. There s a saying among old timers that a good Sheepie angler can set the hook before the fish bites the bait. This image from the national archive was done by a guy named Hugh McCormick Smith, and is an excellent drawing of this challenging species. But we have a better way than a psychic ability to know the fish is about to eat the bait. We call it burying the bait. You can see from the image below that under normal circumstances, we fish with shrimp in the wintertime, and we hook the shrimp in one of two ways. We generally use either a 1/0 or a #1 hook, running the hook through the tail or the horn near the head (hopefully without piercing the brain, which you can see through the shell, since doing so kills them). We then use a split shot or light sinker, and drop the bait alongside a sea wall, piling dock, oyster bar, or other structure likely to hold the challenging fish.

8 And we miss half the strikes we feel. If you re good, you miss half the fish. Why? Their mouth structure, their feeding habits (they taste the bait by smelling it before they crunch it quickly, drop it, and swim away), and your ability to sense them coming close makes it tough. Instead, try this. 1. Buy frozen shrimp. Or freeze the ones you don t feed to the Sheepshead. 2. Take the meat out of the tail and, instead of using a 1/0 hook, use a # Bury the tiny hook in the meat you pulled from the shrimp s tail. 4. Put it where the fish are. 5. When you feel the bite, just pick up. Don t set the hook, just start reeling. This works well with J-hooks and the fish won t swallow the bait. These are a sustainable species you should try eating. Chumming with the Shells Since you re taking the tail meat out of the shrimp, you have the heads, feet, and shells left over. Put them in the water. If you want to be even more effective, try freezing them and putting them in a small mesh bag and making your own chum blocks. They ll work to get the Sheepies to come eat that small soft bait so you can easily pick them out of the water.

9 Fall Stripes - Silence of the Sheeps On 12/07 by Julie DeStefano posted in Saltwater, Sheepshead Thank you, we like the title too. Nods to the great Anthony Hopkins et al. Well, the magic of fall's cooling temperatures sits right at the tipping point, contingent upon Mother Nature giving the nod to send the first series of cold fronts to Florida's coastlines. Reminiscent of a schoolroom clock, ticking away reliably, summer has dragged on and on. Awaiting that magical bell are all of the wonderful fall migratory species waiting to be called in from their summer destinations. Fall is a ripened season, and anglers are ready to harvest the bounty. For this article, we shall take a look at the jail-striped sheepshead. This often underrated fish possesses some very desirable qualities. Sheepshead spawn offshore in the spring and return to the inshore bays and estuaries for the fall and winter months. Juvenile sheepshead are most abundant in grass flats and over muddy bottoms. As they grow, they'll leave the grass flats and congregate with adults around jetties, breakwaters, piers and wrecks. Jailbait species is a lot of fun to pursue in coming months. Their crustacean-based diet places them in areas where this food source is abundant. Their human-like set of teeth is a dental smorgasbord of incisors, molars and rounded grinders that enable them to crush shellfish and barnacles. Oftentimes, they can be audibly identified as they contentedly crunch upon the feast of barnacles growing on dock pilings and the like. Any sort of structure hosting barnacles or oysters are a good place to look for these fish, as well as rocks, seawalls, docks, pilings and oyster beds on the flats. Most often found in sizes of approximately 12" (minimum keeper size) to 14", weighing around one pound, they grow to an average adult weight of four pounds and larger. On the coldest days of winter, structures that retain heat are good targets to seek (such as concrete bridge structures and rock jetties). To catch them, many anglers take a scraper or shovel and "chum" by scraping the barnacles or oysters off the pilings and into the water. If the weather is right, the fish will simply be there and these measures will not be needed. For bait, any sort of crustacean bodes well: fiddler crabs, sand fleas, clams, shrimp, mussels, oysters, etc. If using shrimp, go with small pieces and utilize sharp, small (size 1 or 2) hooks.

10 Ahhh, good eating tonight! Tackle Tactics With the "J" hook, it is important to be ready to respond to the first tug on the line that you feel. Its angler's choice as to "J" or circle hooks, although the latter are becoming more and more popular inshore in Florida. With all of those teeth crammed in there, this species has a small, tough mouth opening. They take the bait quickly and are often called "bait-stealers" which puts them properly dressed in their jailstriped skins. The circle hook will penetrate one of the few softer spots of the sheep's mouth, being the corner, making de-hooking somewhat easier in eliminating the dreaded "gut-hook". The tactic to use the circle hook is slightly different. Use about a foot of leader and add an egg sinker above, with just enough weight for the current. Don't reel down on the first nibble. Allow some slack for a few seconds as the fish takes the bait -- and then react -- the fish will hook itself. Challenge Yourself with Sight-Casting Pursuing the skittish sheepshead in clear water is certainly a challenge -- but it's a big blast when you're successful and on the fly as well. Finding them is not very difficult once you know where to look catching them is another story. Chumming is nearly essential for sight-fishing. Captain David Rieumont tosses a lot of dead shrimp into the water to get the bite going and uses the thinnest diameter leader so that the sheepshead are least likely to detect the water moving across it. Make long casts to these very nervous and clear-sighted fish, especially in the gin-clear waters of wintertime. My Little Sheepshead.

11 Another opportunity to locate them will be to go out at a low tide. Captain Rieumont looks for bare patches in oyster bars and barnacle stoves where the striped fish have been gnawing away. On a high tide, cruise residential docks and docks with mangroves nearby. Mangroves hold bunches of shrimp, crabs and other small crustaceans that the sheeps will be fervently hunting. Sheepshead will also show up tailing on the flats when they are nose-down and feeding from the bottom. Make long casts uptide of them and work your bait back. A perfect opportunity for sightcasting. Once You Catch Some Sheepshead Some anglers scoff at the idea of sheepshead as table fare, perhaps discouraged by the challenge they present to filet. True, there is a technique to it, but once you get the hang of it, it becomes almost mechanical in nature. Poultry shears can neatly eliminate the very unfriendly spines that will obstruct fish cleaning. J-Hooks and Circle Hooks require different techniques. The sheepshead's crustacean-based diet lends a delicate, crab-like flavor to flaky, white filets that are delicious prepared in many ways. A prolific species, their generous 15-per-day harvest limit will abundantly feed a hungry gaggle. Affectionately dubbed the "Poor Man's Lobster," it would be entirely possible to list a Bubba Gump-like list of preparations: boiled, fried, broiled, grilled, Sheepshead ala Bama', and so forth. Fishing for sheepshead are a a wonderful diversion for children also (just watch those spines), and an enjoyable way to watch the days grow shorter in the clear fall sunlight. These are the simplest times and from them, the best memories. Filleting video:

12 HOW TO ANCHOR ON THE MARKED SPOT BOAT HANDLING AND EQUIPMENT: Drifting and Anchoring There are a few boat handling techniques useful for grouper fishing. ANCHORING: The key to anchoring is identifying the drift direction. It is helpful to start by dropping an marker buoy where you want to position the boat. Next, pull up next to the buoy and let the boat drift away from it. After drifting ft head back to the buoy noting the compass heading, Keep going past the buoy on the same heading until you are a distance 2-3x the depth of the water away from the buoy. You can monitor the distance by marking where the buoy is on the gps and using the gps to do the measurement. Put the engines in neutral and wait for the forward progress to stop. At that time drop the anchor. Allow the boat to drift back while playing out the anchor rode. If the drift is slow use the engines to power back. Feed the rode out as the boat drifts back towards the buoy. Once or twice, cleat the rode to bury the anchor in the sea bottom. When the anchor is holding the boat will swing, aligning with the current and the rode will pull firmly. Let the boat drift to a postiton just upcurrent to the buoy. Keep the gps track on to make sure the anchor is holding. DRIFTING: To drift a spot, either mark it on the GPS or with a marker buoy. It is best to always have a GPS mark to help locate the marker buoy for retieval. Another useful procedure it to use the GPS tracking function. Tracking is the same as breadcrumbs, a real-time continuous line on the gps map showing where you have been. Using tracking enables adjustments to the drift starting point to ensure covering the area thoroughly. Start with a drift to carry the boat dead center through the marked spot. On the next drift, adjust the starting point so the new drift is parallel but offset from the prior one. When you find a track that produces fish focus on that area.

13 When drifting, turning the engines (which are not running) hard port or starbord will force the boat to drift in a sideways manner. Depending on the size of the boat and engine configuration this will have a varying effect. Experiment on the optimum enginne postion for your boat. Obvioulsy you will want to fish on the side of the boat opposite to the direction of the drift, MARKER BUOYS: Home made: A very useful device to bring along is the marker buoy. This is a float attached to a weighted line. Marker buoys can be rigged up using a plastic jug and heavy sinker or dive weight. Wrap about 120' of string around the jug and tie the weight to the end. When thrown overboard the jug will spin until the weight hits bottom, marking the spot. Commercial marker buoys are available and worth a look. Some have a ratchet line dispenser stopping the line as soon as the weight hits bottom. This keeps the buoy directly over the spot. The gold standard for this buoy is Suremarker.

14 HOW TO MEASURE YOUR CATCH Overview Most finfish size limit regulations of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) use either Fork Length or Total Length. These measurement methods provide a consistent, well defined measurement technique. These methods encourage angler compliance with fishery management regulations. Using a flexible measuring tape and following the contour of the fish will result in an inaccurate measurement that is greater than the actual straight line measurement. I want to measure... Total Length Fork Length Lower Jaw Fork Length Stone Crab Spiny Lobster Total Length Measurement Total Length is now measured from the most forward point of the head, with the mouth closed, to the farthest tip of the tail with the tail compressed or squeezed, while the fish is lying on its side.

15 Total Length Species Include: Snapper Family Grouper Family Red Drum Black Drum Snook Spotted Seatrout Weakfish Tripletail Bonefish Sheepshead Flounder Several ornamentals (Angelfish, etc.) Fork Length Measurement Fish regulated by fork length are measured from the tip of the jaw or tip of the snout with closed mouth to the center of the fork in the tail.

16 Fork Length Species Include: Amberjacks Bluefish Rudderfish Hog Fish Dolphin Cobia Mullet King Mackerel Spanish Mackerel Permit Pompano African Pompano Lower Jaw Fork Length Measurement (Billfishes) Fish regulated by lower jaw fork length are measured in a straight line from the anterior most part of the lower jaw (tip of the lower jaw) to the fork in the tail. Lower Jaw Fork Length Species Include: Sailfish White Marlin Blue Marlin

17 How to Measure Stone Crab and Spiny Lobster Stone Crab Measurement Stone Crab claws must measure at least 2 3/4-inches in length measured by a straight line from the elbow to the tip of the lower immovable finger. The forearm (propodus) shall be deemed to be the largest section of the claw assembly that has both a moveable and immovable finger and is located farthest from the body of the crab. Spiny Lobster Measurement Spiny Lobster must have a minimum carapace length of greater than 3-inches and the measurement must take place in the water. The carapace is measured beginning at the forward edge between the rostral horns, excluding any soft tissue, and proceeding along the middle to the rear edge of the carapace. For more information please visit the Fish Length Measurement FAQs

18 Spanish Mackerel The Spanish Mackerel, Scomberomorus maculatus Dark above with silvery sides. Many spots, which are both yellow and brown. The body is proportionately deeper than with juvenile King Mackerel, and the yellow spots appear rounder and brighter, but if in doubt, the only true identifier is the lateral line, which tapers rather gently from front to back with no severe dip. SIZE: Common at 1-3 pounds; not too unusual at 5-7 pounds; maximum potential over 10 pounds. World record 13 pounds; Florida record 12 pounds. FOOD VALUE: If you like rich, rather dark fillets, they are great broiled or skinned and fried. Good smoked, too. GAME QUALITIES: Outstanding on light tackle; very fast runs. TACKLE AND BAITS: Spinning, baitcasting and fly out- fits. Spinning is often best because the faster retrieve of a spinning reel is sometimes needed to move a lure at a pace that will interest the Mackerel. Best lures are small white nylon jigs and silver spoons, but many oth- ers work, including topwater at times. Flies should be small with lots of flash. Best baits are small silvery baitfish, live shrimp and drifted strips. FISHING SYSTEMS: Drifting;Trolling; Still Fishing.

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21 FROM PAUL BRISTOW For Reef Fishing: TIPS ON FISHING THE SKYWAY The reefs primarily hold grunts, porgies, snapper and grouper. They can hold trout & snook as well as nearly anything passing nearby. I like 1/0 to 2/0 octopus, bait holder or circle hooks. I use 1 oz /2 oz. egg sinkers above a #7 or #5 swivel and about 18" of 25 lb. or 30 lb. fluorocarbon or monofilament leader material. For bait I like squid, sardines or herring cut with a scissor into 1" square bits. Frozen shrimp work fine as well when threaded on the hook. The cheap scissor you can get at Dollar Tree is perfect for cutting bait - and is way better than a knife. For grouper, the pinfish & pigfish caught on the reefs can be free-lined on heavier tackle with about 80 lb. leader material and a 5/0-7/0 hook. This just involves hooking them near the anal fin and letting them swim out with the tide. For Mackerel Fishing: Spanish mackerel at the piers are very susceptible to fast-moving shiny offerings like Gotcha lures and silver spoons. Gotcha lures are perhaps the easiest to use and most-effective. Silver or gold spoons are also very good and are usually fished behind a 2 oz. or 3 oz. trolling singer and about 6 feet of 25 lb. or 30 lb. fluorocarbon or monofilament leader. The Gotcha lure only needs about 12" of leader material in the same test. Sometimes people use a bubble float or popping cork ahead of the spoon or Gotcha lure to keep it near the surface. Some folks also free-line live or cut strips of scaled sardines with a long shank 1/0 or 2/0 hook and either a split-shot sinker or popping cork for depth control. It is also possible some king mackerel are in the area and single strand wire leader with a single or twohook stinger rig is most often used for kings.

22 For Multi-Species Jigging: The approach sections from the tollbooth to the dumpsters have a variety of pompano, mackerel, jacks and ladyfish right now. Banana style pompano jigs in the 1/2-3/4 oz. range (with or without a fly teaser) are perhaps the best way to connect with various species. Nylon hair jigs in various styles are also very good. During the outgoing tide (that we will have) cast to the main Skyway Bridge pilings and jig back to yourself. You can also work the jig out with the tide until it bounces out too far to control. Things to consider bringing: 1/0 or 2/0 octopus, bait holder or circle hooks 25 lb. to 30 lb. leader material #7 or #5 swivels 1 oz /2 oz. egg sinkers Gotcha lures or copy 7/8 oz. or 1 oz. Silver or gold single hook spoons Trolling sinkers 2 oz. - 3 oz. Pompano jigs (1/2 oz. - 3/4 oz.) & teasers Bait scissor Bait - frozen squid, sardines, shrimp Many of the above are available on-site

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26 SKYWAY FISHING PIER EVENT alencia Lakes Fishing Club (VLFC), like many other organizations, depends on volunteers who help each other. There are many, many members who have answered the call to roll up their sleeves and help out. I apologize to those who I have not acknowledged but the failing is all mine, and I have not forgot who you are and you are always in my mind and my heart! On 10/26/17, we had our Skyway Fishing Pier Event. Like a well oiled machine, Pete Sackmann arranged and organized this very much appreciated event. Too often, we get wrapped up in our lives to give credit to those who continually answer the call. Pete Sackmann, chairman of the Skyway Fishing Event, year after year, has done just that. Below are just a few pictures of our Skyway Fishing Pier Event The entire VLFC, appreciates your efforts and says thanks, Pete Sackmann!

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29 PICTURES OF THE MONTH (AFTER A LONG DAY ON THE WATER) Artistic modifications applied to this picture (I COULDN T HELP MYSELF CATCHING THIS MOMENT OF RELIEF!) Photographer: Gary Spieler * Please forward any photographs to: garys49401@aol.com

30 RESOURCES 1 #1 Resource HOW TO, WHERE TO CATCH SALTWATER FISH ING OUR LOCAL WATERS The Online Fisherman CURRENT SOLUNAR CHART FOR OUR LOCAL WATERS CURRENT INFO FOR OUR LOCAL WATERS KNOT TYING GENERAL LEARNING INFORMATION FLORIDA FISHING RULES/REGULATIONS WADE-FISHING SLOTS, BAG LIMITS OTHER If you would like to add to this list of resources please forward your suggestions to: garys49401@aol.com

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