Sarasota seminar - A great learning experience! August 18-20, 2006

SARASOTA FLORIDA EVENT - Another great success!
Returning for the fourth year, we are pleased to have another great event in Sarasota, Florida. We wholeheartedly thank our event hosts: The Sarasota Yacht Club. The weekend kicked off with a fun welcome party. Saturday began with classes on Basics, Offshore, Inshore and Bottom Fishing. After lunch, the ladies chose from several fishing skill stations to practice hands-on fishing techniques. The program concluded with a inshore or offshore fishing trip, followed by a fillet demonstration.

Following is the fishing report:
"Ladies, Let's Go Fishing!" Fishing Report, Sunday, August 20: While the
weather was quite nice, the fish bite was a bit light. However, most boats
caught or released fish.
Shark - The ladies caught grouper, snapper and scamp.
Shark II - Pam Peters, Ft. Myers, FL caught her first saltwater fish from a boat, a 15 lb. barracuda. The ladies also caught tuna and king mackerel.
Capt. Rachel Nobbe - All of the ladies on board caught snook and spanish mackerel. Loretta Starrett, New Port Richey, FL caught her first fish ever.
Capt. Kelly Stillwell - They released ladyfish, hammerjack and mackerel.
Capt. Ric Ehlis/Findictive - Fishing the flats with live bait, the ladies caught 3 snook and a lizard fish.
Capt. Bruce Burkhardt/Casual Lies - Styles of fishing included drifting past crab traps and casting shrimp under docks. Sea trout, small grouper, small redfish and lizard fish were released.
Capt. Jim Klopfer - Ten different fish species were caught or released, including redfish, sea trout, grouper and more. They estimated 50 fish.
Flying Fish - Although fishing was slow, the ladies utilized their time to learn to rig a double hook and learn about fish from the FWC representatives.
*”Caught” could either signify boating or releasing fish.

Thanks to our Partners! Our valued sponsors help provide manpower, equipment for the skill stations and exciting products. This program would not be possible without their support! Special thanks to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Sport Fish Restoration, Mercury Outboards, Bass Pro Shops, Ranger Boats/Land O’Lakes Marina, NetBank & Beacon Credit, BoatU.S. Marine Insurance, Lowrance Electronics, Magic Tilt Trailers, Shakespeare Fishing Tackle and Gulfstream International Airlines for major sponsorships. Please patronize them! Annual partners: Florida Foundation for Responsible Angling, Minn Kota, Bob’s Machine Shop, Ocean Kayak, Maxima Line, Power-Pole, Hook & Tackle, Eagle Claw, Bacardi, Silverstar Jewelers, Pompanette, Treasure Cay Resort & Marina, Scientific Anglers, Mary Kay, Benchmark Business Systems, Image Graphics 2000 and Printing Corp. of the Americas. Event Sponsors: Mastry Engine Center, Raymond James, Bonefish Grill, 3M, Upholstery Innovations, Freedom Boat Club, Bay Harbor Ford, Aylesworth’s Fish & Bait and Dolphin Jewelers.

Thanks to our speakers: Capt. Dave Zalewski, Capt. Pete Greenan, Steve Gibson, Capt. Rachel Nobbe, Lynn Zirkle and Michelle Owen. They did a great job of showing how we can contribute to preservation of the environment.

Great Prizes! We had some great prizes, including trips to Costa Rica at Parrot Bay Village Fishing Resort, as well as the beautiful Casa Mar Lodge on the Gulf Coast, and Treasure Cay Hotel Resort & Marina/Abaco, Bahamas.

Also included were airfare from Gulfstream Int’l Airlines, tackle from Shakespeare (major sponsor!), art from Guy Harvey, Carey Chen, Terry Martin & Don Ray. Also, great items from Bonefish Grill, Eagle Claw, Lure Box, Coleman, Tropical Accent Furniture, Taylor Made, Star Brite, Aquapacs, Lowrance Electronics, DOA, Jewelry from Reyes Del Mar, fishing trips with Capt. Rachel Nobbe, Steve Gibson, Capt. Ken Hudson, Capt. Joel Brandenberg, Capt. Merrily Dunn, Capt. Ric Ehlis, and Capt. Frank Bourgeois. Thanks to all auction and raffle donors - your information was listed in the class book and your contributions help us meet growth demands.

Next Events: Islamorada, Florida Keys Seminar, Oct. 13-15. Special fishing event in Costa Rica (male guests invited) will be January 25-29, 2007. See our website for details and registration information.

Welcome, NetBank and Beacon Credit! LLGF is proud to announce a new sponsor that provides services that can save you money! NetBank and Beacon Credit.

Remember, to qualify for their cash-back programs, you must enter their website from www.ladiesletsgofishing.com. For more information, check our website!

Send Us Your Letters and Photos! Please email comments about the seminar, especially if you bought tackle, boats, fishing equipment or if you have had an interesting fishing adventure. We want to keep in touch!

Media: We were excited to have representatives of the Longboat Observer and Outdoor Florida cover the seminar.

If Your Company is a Sponsor, You Attend the Seminar for Free!
We are looking for sponsors, door prize and goody bag donors for next year.
Some sponsorships include a comp entry and other benefits. Please contact us!
Lowrance Never get lost again! Lowrance makes great products for finding fish and finding your land destinations. They have a great website that explains the basics of marine electronics and more at www.lowrance.com. You can also download a simulator where you can practice how to use a Lowrance on your computer!

A Note on Conservation: Remember, it is up to you to insure there will be quality fishing tomorrow!

Thank you, Ranger Boats, as the Official Boat of Choice for LLGF! The boat features a beautiful “wrap” provided by Image Graphics 2000. Land O’ Lakes Marina was the local dealer. Be sure to visit www.rangerboats.com.

Ocean Kayak brought some great kayaks to the seminar. Want to demo a kayak?
Contact Mary Gordon at A Silent Sports Outfitters in Nokomis at
941-966-5477 or Kim Doehleman at Osprey Bay Outdoors in North Clearwater at
727- 524-9670 for a test paddle today! To see their complete line or find a dealer near you visit www.oceankayak.com.
Freedom Boat Club offers a hassle-free approach to boating. Join today and have unlimited usage of their offshore and flats boats, deckboats, bowriders, pontoon boats, and larger cruisers at over 40 locations around the U.S. Boaters’ training courses are included! The goody bags received at the seminar included a FREE PASS that entitles you to 3 week-days of boating at no expense to you other than fuel costs. That’s a $1500 value.
Contact John Calvert at 941-993-4321 for more information or for a location in your area.
Thank you to the Florida Foundation for Responsible Angling for the nice utility trailer.
Remember how important you can be in preserving our marine resources for the future!

Comments from Participants:

“A great way to learn new things and meet new people! - “Now I know I’m not the only lady that gets yelled at by her husband when we’re fishing!”- T.Davie, Vero Beach, FL

“Well organized seminar...instructors were patient and very open to questions!” - S. Monahos, New York, NY

“Very educational and fun - I will take this info home and put it to use!” - L. Allen, Port Charlotte, FL

“Excellent speakers - everything was wonderful as usual!” - H. Peters, Sarasota, FL