The Valencia Lakes Fishing Club (VLFC)

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1 Dedicated to Fishing Education and Activities Our August meeting was one of our best! Paul Bristow, our excellent guest speaker discussed, in detail, fishing from the Skyway Pier Bridges. He discussed the following species of fish that can be caught: Spanish Mackerel, King Mackerel, Mangrove Snapper, and many more species. See page #4 of this issue to learn more of the specifics because thanks to our Secretary Donna Snider, we have her notes. Paul explained that the reef runs parallel to piers 15 to 40 yards out from pier. No licenses are required for pier fishing. The cost is $4 per person. If you have a Florida State Park Pass the admission is discounted. Paul took questions from the members and Charles thanked him for an excellent presentation. Treasury Report: July Balance = $5, with $2, held in our reserve fund. NEW: 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) 2016 VLFC OFFICERS PRESIDENT - Charlie Brown V.P. Denny Lombardi SEC Y Donna Snider TREAS. Arlene Suchman DIR. AT LARGE Seymour Shaw DIR. AT LARGE - Rich Brown DIR. AT LARGE Keith Schneider cebrownlawyer@gmail.com sdl1167@gmail.com dsniderfl@yahoo.com arlenesuchman@aol.com thepony27@gmail.com reelfunny@gmail.com shoebz@hotmail.com CHAIRMAN Gary Spieler NEWSLETTER Gary Spieler 2016 EDUCATION AND ACTIVITY garys49401@aol.com garys49401@aol.com NEXT SCHEDULED MEETING TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6 TH, 6:30PM SOCIAL HALL

2 1. SEPT. 6 TH NEXT VLFC MEETING Guest Speakers Luke and Joe Simmonds* - 6:30pm SOCIAL HALL LUKE & JOE SIMMONDS WILL BE OUR GUEST SPEAKERS FOR OUR SEPTEMBER 6 TH MEETING. WE HOPE TO GET A HUGE TURN OUT FOR THESE PRESTIGIOUS ANGLERS. PLEASE MAKE SURE TO ATTEND THIS MEETING AND FEEL FREE TO BRING A GUEST. *PLEASE VISIT THEIR WEBSITE: 2. GOLF CART FISHING By Appointment CONTACT: ALAN ( BASSMAN ) BERKOV mailto:aberkov@tampabay.rr.com 3. FISHING 101, AUG 14, 31, SEPT 14 A 3 CLASS COURSE FOR NEWBY S - GARY SPIELER - GARYS49401@AOL.COM 4. - FORT DESOTO FISHING AND BBQ DATE: TBD Chair, John Calderon, j.calderon@laneassociatesinc.com, 5. OCT. 25 th Double Eagle III Fishing Charter Contact: Shaun Webb deepseaflorida@aol.com, 6. DATE: NOV. 1 ST - SANDPIPER GRILL SUN CITY CENTER DINNER IN LIEU OF OUR REGULAR MEETING Cocktail Hour (before dinner) 5:30PM -7PM - $10 deposit to reserve Contact: Charlie Brown - cebrownlawyer@gmail.com

3 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

4 From the Desk of our Secretary Donna Snider Thank you Our featured speaker was Paul Bristow, who discussed fishing from the Skyway Pier Bridges. He discussed the following species of fish that can be caught: 1. Spanish Mackerel in the spring and fall; live bait and artificial lures. 2. King Mackerel in late March through May and mid-october through November; live bait and lures. 3. Mangrove Snapper in the summer (now); live bait; around structures on incoming and out-going tides. 4. Sheepshead in November through March; live bait. 5. Silver Trout/Spotted Trout in cold months; live bait, in deep water. 6. Gag Grouper in June through December; 24 minimum; live bait 7. Tarpon in April through October; live bait and lures. 8. Sharks all year long. 9. Squid all year with live bait. 10. Blue Crabs in May through mid- August; on outgoing tide 11. Snook; live bait around retaining walls

5 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF LOCAL SPECIES MENTIONED BY PAUL BRISTOW (Print page, place number under picture, answers on last page) 1. Spanish Mackerel 2. King Mackerel 3. Mangrove Snapper 4. Sheepshead. 5. Silver Trout 6. Spotted Trout. 7. Gag Grouper 8. Tarpon 9. Sharks 10. Squid 11. Blue Crabs 12. Snook

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9 View From Below Does Lure Color Matter Underwater? Most keen anglers have a favorite lure or fly color, and swear that their choice will out-perform all other offerings. But just how important is color when it comes to lure and fly selection? Well, according to science, not very important at all! Water progressively absorbs or blocks light of different wavelengths, meaning that colors effectively vanish one after another as white sunlight travels through the water column. The overall intensity or brightness of visible light also diminishes rapidly underwater.

10 Because this absorption is greater for longer wavelengths (the red end of the spectrum) than for shorter wavelengths (the blue end of the spectrum), perceived colors are rapidly altered with increasing depth or distance through the water. The precise rate at which this loss of color occurs varies depending on the intensity of the sunlight, whether the sun is directly overhead or low on the horizon, the amount of cloud cover, as well as the clarity and color of the water itself, and the presence of any suspended matter such as weed or plankton. Even in very clear ocean currents far from shore, less than 25 percent of available sunlight hitting the sea s surface will penetrate much beyond 30 feet or so. By the time we reach a depth of 300 feet, the remaining light may be as little as 0.5 percent of that available on the surface. In other words, it s a pretty gloomy place down there! In freshwater lakes and rivers, this loss of light with depth is even more dramatic. As already mentioned, red is the first color visible to our eyes to disappear, and is typically gone within 15 or 20 feet of the surface. Much less in turbid water. Orange disappears next, then yellow, green, and purple. Blues penetrate deepest of all, both the tones visible to our human eyes and also the shorter, ultra-violet wavelength many fish can see. This phenomenon has a profound impact on the way things look to us, and also to fish underwater. White objects will appear bluish or gray underwater, and the darkness of that blue/gray appearance increases rapidly with depth. Red objects will begin to look dark brown or even black within a few meters of the surface. Down at 40 or 50 feet, even in very clear water, the world appears to be composed entirely of shades of gray, blue, and black.

11 It s worth stressing that this loss or alteration of visible colors occurs in both the vertical and the horizontal or diagonal planes. So, 40 feet of vertical depth has roughly the same impact on light waves and color perception as 40 feet of horizontal or diagonal separation between object and observer. In other words, a red lure may look black when viewed at a depth of 40 feet, but it will also appear black, or at the least brown or very dark grey, when viewed from the side at a distance of 40 feet, even if it s traveling right up in the surface layer.

12 At face value, this phenomenon of light and color loss underwater makes a mockery of the importance of color in lures anywhere beyond shallow, ultra-clear scenarios, yet anglers the world over will continue to argue that one color is better than another, even in deep-water jigging. The funny thing is, if you ask half a dozen fishers for their opinion on the most effective lure color, you re likely to receive six different answers. Perhaps it s time we moved color to the bottom of the list of criteria when choosing a lure or fly, and placed far greater emphasis on the size, action, profile, and speed of our offerings.

13 How to Catch Bass All Summer Long Catching largemouth bass during summer months can be one of the most exciting fishing experiences anglers have all year. Warm water conditions increase a bass s metabolism, which causes it to feed more often. Bass are also very predictable in warm water conditions. With the lack of weather fronts that lead to frequent water temperature changes, bass stabilize and become comfortable in the same areas. Though bass are easiest to catch in the summer months, remember the following key factors to ensure success: know their location and determine their food source.

14 Where to Find Them To locate summer bass, you need to determine a lake s composition. Separate lakes into two basic categories reservoirs or natural lakes to establish the places largemouth bass call home during the warm water months. Man-made reservoirs present different options than natural lakes. However, a bass requires certain core items to survive: shelter, food, and oxygen. Regardless of the lake composition, bass will seek these items. Understanding the lake composition from the start helps anglers determine where to locate bass. Reservoirs In most reservoirs, bass reside on ledges and drop-offs adjacent to shallow-water feeding grounds. They travel along these areas in search of food. On the deep side of the ledge or drop-off, bass experience comfortable temperatures and better oxygen levels. The depth provides shelter while the shallow side provides food sources such as bait fish, bluegill, and crawfish. To determine where to start your search, look for ledges and drop-offs with a significant edge. The faster the drop from shallow feeding grounds to deep water, the more comfortable a bass feels in its environment. During low light conditions (typically early and late in the day), anglers should target bass on the shallow side of ledges and drop-offs. However, with significant cloud cover, bass may stay on the shallow side for most of the day. When cloud cover prevents bright sunlight, many anglers fail to capitalize on shallow-feeding bass during the mid-day hours, so savvy anglers may have these bass all to themselves. In

15 bright, sunny conditions, lures presented to the deep-water side of the ledge or dropoff will be more productive. Natural Lakes Typically, natural lakes are shallow and filled with multiple types of vegetation. Bass enjoy this vegetation for several reasons. Because natural lakes rarely have deep-water sanctuaries, vegetation provides shade and concealment from predators and a better chance to ambush prey. In addition, shallow lakes get very warm in the summer heat, which depletes the oxygen content of the water. Bass seek out vegetation because it generates oxygen. When fishing on natural lakes, anglers should search for significant amounts of vegetation. Look for places where two or more vegetation types come together or where vegetation has a distinct edge, which creates the travel routes necessary for bass to migrate in search of prey. Just as in reservoirs, bass relate to fast edges the more significant the change in type or thickness of vegetation, the more productive. In both natural lakes and reservoirs, vegetation can create very thick walls that provide a transition from feeding grounds to concealment. After a bass completes its feeding period, it moves inside the vegetation to conceal itself and benefit from the improved oxygen levels. Anglers should target bass early and late in the day with surface baits along these vegetation edges. As the sun brightens, anglers should switch to baits that can fall through the vegetation. The goal is for bait to reach the bass resting near the bottom as it waits for the next feeding opportunity. What They Eat Figuring out what bass prey on during summer months is pretty simple. As with most creatures, Mother Nature takes care of things. For largemouth bass, the case is no different. Before summer, bass are only concerned with one thing: reproduction. For the six to eight weeks prior to summer, bass build nests, seek mates, mate, and then protect their young. During this time, bass feed very little and become thin and weak. In fact, many bass do not survive spawning rituals. At the beginning of summer, several species of shad begin to spawn. Spawning shad are oblivious to the world and water around them, becoming easy targets for hungry, tired bass. Shad When water temperatures stabilize in the low to mid-70s, shad will move to shallow waters to spawn. To find shad spawning areas, be on the lake at daybreak. Most shad spawn within the first two hours each morning. Reservoir bass move

16 along shallow ledges to feed on the shad and then retreat to deep water for shelter. In natural lakes, bass will also seek out spawning grounds to feed. If there is enough vegetation to sustain shelter, they will move into it and wait for the next feeding opportunity. The shad spawning season may last for several weeks, and it is long enough to strengthen bass after their own spawning season. An angler that finds these shad spawning locations has also found bass feeding grounds. Locating shad spawning grounds is not difficult. Shad will spawn just about anywhere. Using hard surfaces like rocks, timber, or any man-made structure (such as docks), shad will group up in pods of two to 20. These groups will circle hard objects, then lay eggs and milt that attaches to the surfaces. Bass know these shad are easy to catch and seek them out every morning until the shad-spawning season is over. Anglers should start their search for shad spawning grounds based on the weather. Unlike bass, a shad will still feed during its mating season. Shad feed on plankton blown around a body of water by wind and wave action. Watch the wind forecasts the night before arriving at the lake. Search the areas the wind blew on during the night or the night before. Match the predominant wind with hard objects, and you ve found shad spawning grounds. Shad will not spawn in areas with strong wave action. If the wind is extreme, look for protected pockets with the necessary substrate During the shad-spawning season, the majority of bass already live in shallow water because they just finished their own mating rituals. The shad move to shallow water when they spawn, which reduces the effort the weak bass have to exert. Bass that have already spawned generally move to slightly steeper banks or vertical cover. This vertical cover can be anything from flooded timber to manmade structures, such as docks. Shad will also use these vertical objects to spawn, so bass will stake them out. Bluegill and Bream Next up on the bass s menu are bluegill and bream (also known as sunfish). As the summer gets into full swing, most species of sunfish start to spawn. Sunfish spawn in the same locations as bass. When the shad spawn ends, summer bass begin to feed on spawning sunfish. Bass feed on sunfish throughout this spawning cycle because sunfish drop their guard while actively spawning. As their spawning cycle comes to an end, the absent-minded sunfish are tired and weak, which makes them easy prey for bass. Seek out spawning sunfish to find an exceptionally large summer bass. Finding sunfish beds are extremely easy. Scan the bank lines between one and five feet of water. Look for several clear spots about the size of a butter dish lid. Typically, sunfish spawn in groups of 10 to 20. Each will have a bed (clear spot).

17 All these spots will be next to each other in a small area about 10 square feet. Bass will prowl the outside edges of these spawning grounds, watching for stragglers that can be easily picked off.

18 Valencia Lakes Very Own Champion Angler From the desk of Karen Stone - I attended the Ladies Lets Go Fishing Tournament held in St. Augustine on August 14 th with a girlfriend. There were 25 ladies participating in this tournament. There were inshore and off-shore divisions for the tournament. I elected to fish the inshore division. On Saturday evening, they had a lovely greet and meet with everyone bringing appetizers to share. They had raffle drawings and silent auction items to bid on. During the day on Saturday, they had an educational seminar from learning how to tie knots to throwing a cast net. I didn t attend the educational seminar. Tournament started at 8:00 am sharp on Sunday morning and we had to be back at the dock for weigh in by 2:00 pm. Our captain was Rick Mackey who has won several fishing tournaments. All the captains donated their boats, time and expertise to take all the ladies out fishing. They were wonderful. After we arrived at our spot, I caught a 26 redfish within the first 10 minutes. That turned out to be the winning inshore fish (picture below) and I was ecstatic since this was my first fishing tournament that I have ever participated in. In total, we caught 5 redfish, all slot size. Inshore fish were measured by length and off-shore fish were measured by weight to determine the winning fish. For all my fellow lady anglers, here is the link to Ladies Lets Go Fishing. It definitely is worthwhile to check out. They are going to the Bahamas September 9-11 and to the Florida Keys October

19 Facebook page: Website: If anyone has any questions or would like to chat about my adventure, feel free to give me a ring at Karen

20 ROLAND MARTIN BASS FISHING EVENT DATE, TIME, COST: TBD NAME TELEPHONE DETAILS: 1. Roland Martin resort in Clewiston which is a little under a 3 hour drive from here. 2. They said the best time for Bass and Crappie is March. Jan and Feb are OK but the weather can be a little iffier. 3. Room rates vary from $69/ night to $105/ night 4. Guide rates are $300 for half day---$360 for 6 hrs and $400 for 8 hrs.---3rd person is an extra $ person max. Also $20.00 for a dozen wild shiners. 5. Bass is catch and release and they only have 2 guides who do crappies. 6. We need to reserve by August - Sept. if we want Mar. Contact: Denny Lombardi - sdl1167@gmail.com

21 GONE FISHING! Jim Reagan with Pink Salmon caught on August 3, 2016 at Auke Bay in Juneau Alaska.

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23 GONE FISHING!

24 PICTURE OF THE MONTH * Picture taken at Skyway Bridge* * Please forward any photographs to: garys49401@aol.com * Next month, I will feature the pictures of our night fishing event at the Skyway ( ). The picture above (from that event) was promised to John Barrage by me. Gary Spieler Editor, VLFC Newsletter.

25 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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