The Valencia Lakes Fishing Club (VLFC)

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1 Dedicated to Fishing Education and Activities Last month we had another great meeting! Former club President Charlie Brown introduced Vance Tice as our guest speaker. Vance is an icon of Florida fishing and we learned why his reputation preceded him. As a result of Vance s angling and teaching experience several VLFC members scheduled a Grouper fishing training trip with Vance. This issue features a sharing of what was learned. Access to List of members so other members could buddy up. Now available on under roster. Pass word VLFC 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 DENNY LOMBARDI sfurgang@gmail.com calmseas@tampabay.rr.com bobrace123@gmail.com pert1@aol.com sepstein50@yahoo.com tcboz50@gmail.com shoebz@hotmail.com sdl1167@gmail.com CHAIRMAN GARY SPIELER NEWSLETTER GARY SPIELER 2017 EDUCATION AND EVENTS garys49401@aol.com garys49401@aol.com NEXT MEETING is on 6:30pm, Clubhouse Social Hall

2 **VLFC Open Board meetings are held on the Thursday following the club s general meeting ---- YOU RE INVITED! ** 1. June 13 th Next meeting with Tom Ash & Chris Pratt on 8 Artifical Reefs with 50,000 Tons, Environmental Protection Commission of Hillsborough County 2. JUNE 5 TH -8 TH MAHI MAHI FISHING TRIP IN THE KEYS CONTACT: Keith Schneider - shoebz@hotmail.com 3. GOLF CART FISHING By Appointment CONTACT: ALAN ( BASSMAN ) BERKOV - Aberkov@Tampabay.rr.com KAYAK FISHING: Frank Ray (Fray1@verizon.net) and 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

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 The Skyway, Paul Bristow By Paul Bristow - May 20, Mangrove snapper action continued to improve for visitors to the Sunshine Skyway Fishing Piers this past week. One of Tampa Bay s favorite summer fish species and dinner selections continued to make pier anglers happy as both mango size and aggressiveness remained on an uptick. Some nice Key West grunts and even a few spotted seatrout joined in the action for bottom-fishing anglers. Anglers scouting gag grouper for the rapidly-approaching regional opener had plenty of fun releasing both short and (soon-to-be) legal gags. Sharks remained on a strong bite as well, with plenty of newbie saltwater anglers catching their first toothy-critter! Tarpon remain on almost every piling and the flush of both blue & pass crabs is good during strong outgoing tides. Some shrimp & squid also started to show in the lights for netters during the overnight hours. Visitors reported some mangrove snapper limits and fish gaining in both length & girth measurements over the past week. Freshly caught and iced scaled sardines & threadfin herring took most of the fish, but live or freshly-frozen shrimp performed well in areas where pinfish could be avoided. Sardines & herring are easy to catch at the piers using either a cast net or sabiki-style baitfish rig in sizes #8, #10 or #12. These baitfish are easily kept on ice in a plastic zipper bag and each decent-sized bait can give you between 3 6 cut bait chunks. The smallest sardines are also excellent and can be threaded onto the hook whole. Some anglers also praise cut bits of pinfish or ladyfish, and it seems that if you keep your bait fresh and in the 1 square size, that all of these options can produce nice snapper. Always remember that shrimp can be excellent as well just be willing to move immediately if pinfish are stealing your bait before snapper can even reach the offering.

5 Fishing the artificial reefs, pier pilings and main bridge pilings for mangrove snapper at the piers certainly does not mean that is all the species you will encounter Cut chunks of sardines or herring can produce nice lane snapper, grunts, trout, snook, grouper, flounder, sea bass, porgies and even smaller sharks & tarpon. Outgoing tides at the piers make reef fishing easiest, but incoming tides can be very effective for targeting pilings. Underneath the bridge bait-bouncing can be performed on either tidal cycle. If you encounter numbers of nice-sized grunts and enjoy eating these fish as much as your author, consider a switch to freshly cut squid strips in order to cash in on some of these tasty morsels! Scouting for gag grouper may sound like a waste of time during closed season, but for many anglers who know the habits & proclivities of this species, it makes perfect sense just a few weeks ahead of the opener for the Tampa Bay region. Gags not only gather in packs of several fish along the best structure, they have also been shown to return to that same structural element when released in the same area. Free-lining pinfish on conventional tackle is one deadly method at the piers, but perhaps diving plugs are even better for fish-scouting because they often reveal the most aggressive fish in that area. When scouting for gags, move along to your next structural option after only a few bites and/or landings. Successful live bait drifts or plug retrieves need not even involve a landed fish a very nervous baitfish or missed strike are likely enough evidence. You can return with a high degree of confidence that some fish will remain in that area. Although the artificial reefs are the most popularly fished grouper habitat at the piers, do not ignore pier or main bridge pilings or a simple change in bottom content. Remember that there are not only more artificial reefs past the closed pier spans, but also that the removed sections hold some pilings that did not break-off evenly when removed. All of these non-traditional areas will hold gags sometimes even the largest fish caught each season.

6 Anglers dip-netting the outgoing tides mostly in the overnight hours were rewarded with a few bonus catches this past week! Blue crabs are the obvious dipping targets especially on the North Pier during hill tides. However, enough anglers this past week reported plenty of pass crabs, shrimp and even some nice squid during overnight flushes. Pass crabs are primarily caught as bait for species like tarpon, cobia and permit, but a visitor this past week explained they can make very good soup or gumbo stock. You are primarily seeking flavor since this diminutive crab yields so little actual fleshly meat. Nice shrimp and squid also joined the party in the lights. When shrimp or squid are present, a smaller mesh net and a quicker eye are both required, but both can be taken readily from the piers when present. If squid start to show in greater numbers, they can also be taken by using squid jigs that catch their tentacles. Fresh shrimp & squid from the piers are great options as both the finest bait available and/or freshest seafood cookery options in the Tampa Bay area.

7 Neil Taylor: Lower Tampa Bay May 21, 2017 By Neil Taylor, Action has remained steady on the south shore. Trips have mostly consisted of large catches of trout and flounder. Schools of jacks appear occasionally. The bloom of snotty algae and something called blue-green algae (a diatom) is a pseudo nitzschia species and is considered harmless. But the fish don t seem to like it. Locations where the fishing was easy a week ago do not have the same action in the presence of this algae. It is the worst I have ever seen it this early in the year. My brother and nephew spent hours digging this stuff out from one launch location. Trout are still pretty easy to find. Redfish: Reds haven t been easy in this area for about four years now. Different theories, I think with pressure with so many more people here, redfish moved. Mackerel: They come and they go. We have caught them occasionally on trips but more are at the piers than anywhere else. From the piers: Use the Silly Willy/Teaser rig. Use 40# leader. Jig it hard and catch one mackerel after another. The Skyway Piers are very dependable for mackerel action. Call ahead to ask, they don t mind. But get down and enjoy the Skyway Piers. Pompano are still a catch from the piers. Other locations they are in the passes. South shore, count on the first 100 yards of the south Skyway Pier for your pompano opportunities. Copied from the south shore report two years ago: Profiling, if you pay the pier fee, stop and park the first Asian looking gentleman you see and you are into pompano opportunities. Those guys know how to do it and if they re there, so are the pompano. They are skilled anglers and usually willing to show you how they do it.

8 To get detailed reports, check The Skyway Report on capmel.com. Written by Paul Bristow every week, he keeps you on the heartbeat of the Skyway bite. Get out and enjoy the easy action on the Skyway Piers! Thank you Paul for dedicated, detailed reports EVERY SEVEN DAYS! Would you like to get better at fishing? Look at The Kayak Fishing Academy. There will be quarterly sessions. Feel free to inquire by or phone call. I give a four hour session on fishing and kayak fishing that would be valuable for people who do any kind of fishing. The host site is Bill Jackson Shop for Adventure in Pinellas Park. June 25 and October 1 are the two dates set for 2017 Kayak Fishing Skool is this week: Thursday the 25 th. Pompano and Black drum, perfect timing because that is going to be a lot of what we are doing in the months to come. As always: Be careful out there! Neil Taylor Owner and guide: (Cell) LivelyBaits@aol.com Owner and site administrator: Co-host: Outdoor Fishing Adventures, 8 to 9AM Sundays on 1040 The Team ESPN Radio In a battle that is never really over: The great work of FWC officers to target felony netters and keep an eye on other recreational offenders has led to better fishing for us all. Their continued efforts to catch felony netters are making the south shore region return as a great fishery again. But help them out: Keep your eyes peeled for illegal activity and make a call if you see poaching, FWCC (3922). Your tips will help make cases and you could be eligible for a reward. The fishery survives

9 the pressure of poaching, a lot of anglers and just continues to be a great location to go. Lower Tampa Bay 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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11 Had any interesting fishing experiences? Heard of any interesting fishing ideas? Would you like to see additional events, educational experiences for our VLFC members?

12 Interested in moving to the next level of Tampa Bay fishing? Tired of relying on luck rather than owning the knowledge of local fishing professionals? Ready to spend a little time and money for a REAL education? Become a graduate of the Graduate School for Advanced Fishing Techniques. See what your fellow anglers say: We spent the day with Vance Tice a truly professional instructor and fisherman. We used a very targeted technique for a specific species, which happens to be Gag Grouper. The technique along with the instruction for locating the proper bottoms conditions allowed us to have a very productive day. We landed about twelve Gag Groupers of which four would have been keepers if we were in season. Glenn Brown, VP, Valencia Lakes Fishing Club As an experienced angler and an associate professor, I tip my hat to the day I spent with Vance Tice. His clear, concise and the enjoyable manner in which he shared his 60+ years of Tampa Bay fishing taught me everything I needed to know about locating and catching keeper Grouper just a few minutes from my door. I am excited to use the information Vance taught me and I m going to duplicate the success I had with Vance. If you want to learn and therefore own the techniques that Vance teaches you MUST give Vance a call and schedule the angling education of your lifetime! Dr. Gary L. Spieler, Director of Education, Valencia Lakes Fishing Club.

13 More comments from respected anglers. For a fisherman the tide, wind and moon dictate if it will be a reasonable fishing day. For Vance Tice, the Grouper Guru, it is the team, the downrigger and terminal tackle that will catch you fish. I must admit that in 9 years of fishing in Tampa Bay I never explored the idea of trolling with down riggers. It was a success. We trolled into the incoming tide for the most successful pattern over Vance s marked bottom peaks and valleys just on the edges of the shipping channel. Glenn was able to quickly pick up the patterns and he put us on the fish.it was as if the Grouper knew they were out of season as the struck the jigs over and over. I can tell you that these were the first Gags I ve caught in the bay. I will tell you that Vance Tice has a passion for the fishing and has the technique to go with it for a perfect day. Our expectations were exceeded. Rich Brown, Board of Directors, Valencia Lakes Fishing Club Vance Tice is a true professional fishing guide, a most experienced expert old salt on fishing in Tampa Bay and the Gulf. Recently, I had the privilege along with some other members of the VL Fishing Club of spending a day with Vance on the water in the Gulf and Tampa Bay. Our objective was to learn how to fish and troll effectively for Grouper. Now, that might not sound all that difficult to learn, or be old hat for some of you, but we gained a ton of fishing knowledge on how to catch Grouper in just a few hours. Also, there is more to trolling for Grouper than one might think. Plus, we also gained greater insights and tips on how to catch Grouper with bottom fishing as well as other fish. Vance was quite patient with us amateurs, and he loves to share his knowledge and love of fishing with others. If you are ever interested in spending some time on the water learning how to be a more effective angler, then Vance Tice is the person you want out there showing you how it is really done. I highly recommend Vance as he is a true professional and a real gentleman. Our fishing trip with Vance was like a graduate seminar and practice on Grouper fishing in preparation for the June 1 opening of Grouper season. If you ever wish for a fun pleasant learning experience for yourself or family members on salt water fishing in the Gulf or Tampa Bay, I would highly recommend you consider calling Vance. Charlie Brown Esq., Former President, Valencia Lakes Fishing Club

14 GRADUATE PROGRAM for ADVANCED FISHING TECHNIQUES

15 GRADUATE PROGRAM for ADVANCED FISHING TECHNIQUES

16 GRADUATE PROGRAM for ADVANCED FISHING TECHNIQUES

17 GRADUATE PROGRAM for ADVANCED FISHING TECHNIQUES

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23 PICTURE OF THE MONTH 1 Glenn Brown Gag Grouper Photographer: GARY SPIELER * Please forward any photographs to: garys49401@aol.com

24 PICTURE OF THE MONTH 2 SUNRISE AT SUNSHINE SKYWY BRIDGE Photographer: GARY SPIELER * Please forward any photographs to: garys49401@aol.com

25 Great News!

26 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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