Sunday, November 30, 2008

Fishing on the 2400 Bay Ranger

We had a great time in the Florida Keys fishing on the "Ladies, Let's Go Fishing!" 2400 Bay Ranger! We went kite fishing for sailfish and had a couple of exciting releases! Seas were calm last week and it was so peaceful, drifting along, until, wham, the sailfish grabbed the bait and did its awesome dance on the water's surface.

The 2006 2300 Bay Ranger is for sale, less than $30k and has all the bells and whistles! It has a wonderful, stable ride. Making room for the new 2410 Bay Ranger coming next year! If you know anyone who wants a sweet deal, tell them to call us, 954-475-9068. Photos are on www.ladiesletsgofishing.com.

The Islamorada womens fishing seminar Dec. 5-7 is shaping up nicely. The best speakers ever! Capt. Skip Bradeen of the famous Blue Chip Too, Capt. Hank Brown, founder of Hookup Lures, Sandy Moret who is a legend in fly fishing, Capt. Mark Johnson, Capt. George Mittler and Capt. Lee Lavery. There is still space. Great chance to have fun, learn or improve fishing skills and get great deals for the holidays at our fundraisers. Anyone can bid, just email billfishbetty@hotmail.com for the list before Weds. Dec. 3.

Monday, October 27, 2008

Fishing in Chokoloskee with LLGF Ft. Lauderdale Chapter!






The LLGF Ft.Lauderdale Chapter planned an outing to Chokoloskee Island this weekend. 16 girls showed up to fish and it was a total blast. We stayed in the trailers at Chokoloskee Island Park and chartered five boats for Saturday. [B]Capts. Herb Kehoe, Gary Thompson, Don Cochran, Becky Campbell and Ray Culver. [/B]
I was on Capt. Herb's boat with my friends Capt. Lee and Capt. Lanny. We started out the day catching bait and Lee even took a try on the castnet.


Then since the tide was so low, we decided to fish out front for the morning. My first cast of the day landed a 16 pound jack - that's one way to wake up....

After that, Lee caught a nice cobia and a redfish. We had the usual song and dance with the sharks and felt happy to get the cobia in the boat in one piece.

Things slowed down during slack tide and we had a few more jacks and some sharks,nothing exciting. Crabs were at a premium and we only had a few but on the incoming, we decided to chase the permit for awhile. 2 permit later, we were pretty happy. I thought sight casting to the pods was particularly awesome.

Next up, we only had about an hour left and no more bait (long story) so we decided to go throw some Berkley Gulps at the trout. That turned out to be a lot of fun and we had multiple trout in the 16-22 inch range. I personally don't like to eat trout, but Lanny wanted 'em, so she kept a couple.

We made the run back to the ramp, completely satisfied that we'd had a stellar day. We met up with the other girls and they all had equally awesome reports - I'm pretty sure every single person had a blast.

We had dinner and sat around the chiki hut telling fish stories till about 1 am.

On Sunday, we decided to "descend" upon the unsuspecting folks at City Seafood for some stone crabs. The kitchen clearly wasn't prepared for the onslaught of all us women combined with a couple of packs of motorcycles...They were pretty overwhelmed. My friend Amy, despite the fact that she's actually an attorney, decided to jump in and help out on the line and it was clear to us that this was not her first deep fryer rodeo! Amy stayed in the kitchen for about an hour and the rest of us drank beer and ate crabs. It was awesome.

So, now that the population of women on Choko has decreased by 50%, we are all back home and happy to have had such a fun weekend out there. All of the guides were awesome and treated the girls like gold. It was great.


~Jenn
LLGF Staff

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Fun at the Florida Outdoor Writers Convention (FOWA)

I had a fun visit to the Florida Outdoor Writers Convention in Punta Gorda, FL Sept. 10-13. Lots of interesting topics! One of the coolest things was the breakout session, where we could see the latest and greatest in fishing equipment and accessories. Toyota had a cool video setup where you can see a video screen on your dashboard that helps in backing. So, if you're hooking up to a trailer by yourself, you can actually see the ball and trailer hitch meet. No more looking in the mirror at somebody flailing their arms and screaming to move over another inch, pull forward, turn, stop, stop, stop! What I hate is when you put the vehicle in park and it rolls forward - just far enough that you have to back up again! Pure Fishing had some neat things and brought some of those very efficient Berkley Gulp products. The ladies from the "Ladies, Let's Go Fishing!" seminar will enjoy the benefits of using these versus struggling to net and keep bait alive. Thermacell had some new mosquito repellent devices that work great. Just put in butane, no flames, and within minutes all the bugs disappear from around you.

I fished the tournament with Capt. Bart Marx of Alpha and Omega charters. My co-angler was Tom Johnson who writes for Waterline and does the Fumbling Angler column for several Gulf Coast newspapers. Capt. Bart's strategy was to land us an inshore slam. Tom whooped me when we tackled the trout but I got one, he got three. Then we moved to Bart's secret snook spot, with Tom and I elbowing each other to crank on a snook. We both did well with a total of 7 snook and were 2/3 on our way to getting a slam. Then the magic happened. We switched from pilchards to shrimp and something was chewing on my bait. I set five times, missing the fish, until, viola, I released a redfish! We stayed awhile longer but Tom just didn't have the chances. We moved to a dock and released a few more snook then it was time to go in. We were almost third place in the tournament. Since it was based on total length of the fish, we were beat by boats who released sharks or stayed in one place and caught ladyfish after ladyfish. It was a fun tournament and well run.

Punta Gorda is a nice, friendly place. I had a chance to check out some sites for a future LLGF seminar. So, ladies, what do you think? Would you come to Punta Gorda for a seminar or rather have a wild, wooly adventure in Chokoloskee/Florida Everglades or what? Please give your opinion to billfishbetty@hotmail.com

Thursday, September 4, 2008

HURRICANES Cause Rescheduling of Islamorada Ladies Fishing Seminar

Concerned about the impact of this year's active hurricane season on participants, "Ladies, Let's Go Fishing!" has rescheduled its Islamorada, FL seminar from Sept. 19-21 to Dec. 5-7, 2008.

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Sarasota August 22-24

"Ladies, Let's Go Fishing!" returns to the Sarasota Hyatt August 22-24, 2008 for a weekend of fun, networking and most of all, fishing!

The fetivities kick off Friday night with a Welcome/Networking Party from 6:30-9. There is also a Silent Auction and Raffle!

Saturday morning starts bright and early at 7:20 with an introduction to conservation by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) followed by classroom instruction at beginner and intermediate/advanced levels.

During lunch there is a "Dress for Fishing Success" fashion show.

Saturday afternoon consists of "hands-on" skill stations that allow participants to practice the fundamentals of fishing with an instructor! These skills include trailer backing, spin and fly casting, knot tying, throwing a cast net, boat handling and many others.

Sunday is an optional fishing adventure. Prices depend on the type of fishing you choose to do but all boats are pre-booked and you need only pay for your spot!

For more information, visit our website at "Ladies, Let's Go Fishing!"

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Look out Stuart! Here we come!!!

The "Ladies, Let's Go Fishing!" weekend seminar will be held at Pirates Cove May 16-18, 2008.
The weekend kicks off with a welcome party Friday night with raffles, silent auction and cash bar.
Saturday morning starts early with classroom instruction on offshore, bottom and inshore fishing as well as conservation.

During lunch on Saturday, there is a "Dress for Fishing Success" fashion show and after lunch there are stand up fish fighting and fly casting demonstrations.

The afternoon consists of hands on skill stations including:
Knot tying
Spin casting
Fly casting
Throwing the cast net
Trailer backing
Boat handling
Landing your catch (gaffing)
Releasing your catch (dehooking)
Hook selection and how to hook your bait
Rigging ballyhoo

Saturday concludes with more raffles and the end of the silent auction.

Sunday is an optional fishing adventure day with 5 hours of flats, offshore or party boat fishing.

Registration is $145 and Sunday fishing is optional and extra. Flats fishing is $195 (2 persons per boat) and Sportfishing is $165 (6 persons per boat.) Party boat fishing is $45 and the boat is open to the general public. For flats and sportfishing, you DO NOT have to fill up the boat, we will do that for you. You pay individually!

Sunday concludes with a fish fillet demonstration at the docks.

Pirates Cove Resort & Marina
800-332-1414 or 772-287-2500
$127.50 per night
Rate expires May 15, 2008

We accept checks, money orders or credit cards. Visit http://www.ladiesletsgofishing.com to register or call 954-475-9068.

Beginner and Advanced instruction!

Learn at your own pace!

Meet other women who love to fish or who want to learn!

Registration ($145) includes: meals, goody bag, t-shirt, instruction and more!


http://www.ladiesletsgofishing.com

Friday, March 21, 2008

One Week Until Ft. Lauderdale Seminar!!

Next week, March 28 -30, 2008, we will be holding the 11th Ft. Lauderdale "Ladies, Let's Go Fishing!" seminar at the Ramada Inn Ft. Lauderdale Airport and Marina Bay Marina.

Friday night, we kick off the festivities with a welcome party. Betty, the founder of LLGF sings some fun, crazy songs (they sound like familiar classic rock songs but we've changed the words up just a bit) and the sailfish dancers entertain the crowd. This is a great time to get a sneak peek at the Silent Auction and we also sell raffle tickets Friday night! We have some amazing items for sale and on the raffle, this is something you really don't want to miss out on! We also spend some time acknowledging and thanking our sponsors and don0rs -without them, this program would be impossibly expensive and not very much fun. This is a great time to meet your captain, should you be taking part in the fishing adventure on Sunday and you will also be able to spot the other ladies on your boat by reading name tags throughout the evening.

Saturday morning starts dark and early (no, not bright and early - it's still dark!) with registration and a light pastry and coffee breakfast. This is when you will receive your t-shirt and goody bag. At 7:20, we move right into the learning portion of the event with a presentation on conservation by the one and only Michelle Owen of the FWC. After everyone understands how important it is to conserve and protect our beautiful environment, we start learning how to fish! The morning continues on with classroom instruction for beginners and advanced students. Before you know it, it's lunch time! We entertain you with a "Dress For Fishing Success" fashion show while you eat. There are a lot of great fashions and technical wear out there for the serious lady angler and we're here to show you how to wear it! After lunch, it's time to get your hands dirty. We move into the skill station portion of the curriculum. This is when you get to take all that classroom learning from the morning at put it to good use! Some of the stations include:

  • Stand up fish fighting
  • Fly casting
  • Bait net throwing
  • Spin casting
  • Boat handling
  • Trailer backing
  • Bait rigging
  • Knot tying
  • Hook selection
  • Conservation and release techniques

This is a lot of fun because you get to move around at your own pace and practice the skills that are important to YOU! We end the day with the silent auction and raffle drawings. For those of you fishing on Sunday, it's time to get to bed early, you have a big day tomorrow!!!

On Sunday, we all meet at the docks to board the boats. We give you very specific instructions on Saturday as to what to bring, where to meet and who to check in with. This is another early morning and we do our best to get you loaded up and lines off the dock as soon as possible! Before you know it, you're back with your catch in hand! We don't guarantee fish (if we could, we would probably charge a little bit more money) but we do guarantee a good time! Sunday afternoon is a sea of smiling faces gathered around the fish cleaning table for the fish fillet demonstration.

All in all, it's a fun filled, action packed weekend. Are you up for the challenge???

Visit www.ladiesletsgofishing.com and click on REGISTER to attend our next event!

Tight Lines!

Jenn

LLGF

http://www.ladiesletsgofishing.com

Thursday, February 28, 2008

Betty & Jenn Give Advice at the Miami International Boat Show!

The World Fishing Network interviewed Betty and Jenn at the Miami International Boat Show. Click on the link to see Betty and Jenn share their advice for women who are new to the sport of fishing!

http://www.wfn.tv/5cast/



Tight Lines!

Jenn
LLGF Staff
http://wwww.ladiesletsgofishing.com/

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Hotmail is DOWN!

Hotmail is down today! We have been brainstorming alternate email solutions anyway, but today it became clear that we need to do something soon! Anyway, if you're trying to reach us, we also check info@ladiesletsgofishing.com. Our office # is 954-475-9068.

Happy Tuesday, everyone!


Jenn
LLGF Staff

http://www.ladiesletsgofishing.com

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

LLGF at the Miami Boat Show Part 2

This is the second segment in a two-part video tour of the BRAND NEW Ranger Boats 2410. A really excited boat show participant decided to yell (loudly) in the middle of our video so we had to stop taping. This second part shows some of our favorite new options Ranger Boats has added to the 2410 bay boat.

Check it out!


Jenn
LLGF Staff

Video Tour of Ranger 2410 Part 2

LLGF at the Miami International Boat Show!

Whew! Here we are, back in the office after five ACTION PACKED days at the Miami International Boat Show! The boat show is an enormous event, one of the largest in the world and we were right there in the thick of it all! We had an opportunity to meet lots of you who love to fish or want to learn! We also got to see all of the new products on the market and we met with almost all of the fantastic companies who sponsor "Ladies, Let's Go Fishing!"

Our booth was on the skywalk overlooking the main floor of the convention center and we really had a lot of fun meeting new people and putting faces with the names of those of you who subscribe to our emails and read our blog. We hope to see all of you at one of our seminars this year! The exact dates and locations are on our website at www.ladiesletsgofishing.com.

One of the highlights of the show was touring the new Ranger Boats 2410 bay boat. Mr. Larry Jett from Ranger Boats was kind enough to show us all the new features Ranger has added. Ladies, you're going to really like some of the things Ranger came up with! There's no doubt that manufacturers are taking the needs and preferences of women into consideration when bringing new products to the market!

Click on the video below to see Betty Bauman, founder of "Ladies, Let's Go Fishing!" and Larry Jett exploring all of the exciting components of the new Ranger 2410.

Tight Lines!

Jenn

LLGF Staff

Video Tour of the Ranger Boats 2410 Bay Boat

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

LLGF in the news!

95: USCG Flash Video, Winter Bass Fishing, Women Anglers
Video sent by theboaterstv

First up, let's see what's making waves in Nautical News... the United States Coast Guard has a new tool to help them explain the amount and types of cases they have worked on in the Bahamas over the course of one year. The flash-based movie shows all Search and Rescue missions, Alien Migrant Interdiction Operations, and Maritime Drug Interdictions in cooperation with OPBAT.

Next up, in Off Da Hook... Bass fishing during the winter months can definitely be a challenge. But I know you’re up for it so I thought I’d help out by sharing some tips with you. And I found the best advice came from Pro-angler Charles Stuart in his article on BassResource.com.

Then, in Fish & Chicks... The organization Ladies Let's Go Fishing wants to make you an angler! They're the "No Yelling School of Fishing".

And finally, it's time to reveal Stacey's TheBoaters.com Sealebrity profile pick of the day, which is: James Frederick Bland and the USS Birmingham!

http://TheBoaters.TV airs every M, W & F and is available on iTunes. Please Subscribe!

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Volunteer at the Miami Boat Show!

We at LLGF headquarters are hoping some more people take advantage of the opportunity to join us at our booth at the Miami International Boat Show, Feb. 14-18, and help us pass out flyers. All kinds of interesting people stop by our booth, on the Skywalk, # 2010. We get visited by some of the TV stars such as Jose Wejebe, Norm Isaacs, Blair Wiggins, Mark Sosin, Manny Diaz the shark guru and more. We also meet the writers behind the great articles in the fishing magazines.

Our sponsors stop by, and we like to learn about any new products we can showcase, to make it easier for women to go fishing. This show is one of the biggest in the world, where you can meet people from all over who like boating and fishing. We learn a lot about the marine industry from the show, as many of the other exhibitors stop by...people who are working the show to promote boats, equipment, gear, clothing, cool resorts and more. The people who stop by can be interesting and entertaining.

We have a lot of laughs together at the booth and hear many heartwarming stories from ladies who yearn to get out there and catch something. Then, there's the pie-eyed guys who tell us all they want is a girlfriend who will go fishing with them. Even better if she has a boat.

Just next to our booth are some cool marine items. I always buy great new clothes, stuff for the boat, and cutting edge fishing gear that has just been introduced to the market. Sometimes there's a photo contest that you could enter. They are also having a silent auction in the Big Game room, a "must-see" for fishing "fin"atics.

If you want to get connected with this crowd and have the enthusiasm to volunteer, contact us at mailto:info@ladiesletsgofishing.com. If you can't volunteer but are coming, stop by and visit us!

Betty
LLGF Founder

GENERATION GAP???

Well, it has been brought to my attention by *cough* other members of the staff that NOT EVERYONE knows how to do this blog thing.

So here goes. A "BLOG" is a diary or a journal. Whenever you have a thought or a story to tell, you post a "Blog." It can be short or long or even just a link to something interesting.

If you read the blog entry and have something to say, you can COMMENT. Simply hit the "Comment" link at the bottom of the entry and type whatever you want.

Additionally, if you have any questions for LLGF Headquarters, feel free to leave those as comments too! We'll try our best to answer your questions or point you in the direction of someone who can.

HAPPY BLOGGING!!!!!


Jenn
LLGF Headquarters
http://www.ladiesletsgofishing.com

Miami Boat Show

Well, it's almost Valentine's Day and here in South Florida that means one thing. No, not chocolate hearts. Nope, not a dozen red roses. It means it's time for the Miami International Boat Show. So, if you've ever had the unfortunate experience of dragging (and I do mean dragging) your children through hours of boat show boredom (for them, of course) then I have the perfect idea for you! I came up with this a couple of years ago when my husband and I were shopping for a new flats skiff. We wanted to cruise and peruse the show but our plans were met with a chorus of "boos" from our three kids. At that moment I had a day-saving revelation and I'm going to share it with all of you other moms. I've seen you, yes I have, with that look of tired frustration on your face as your husband chats with a salesperson and your precious little monster tugs at your arms and whines and basically just acts miserable.

Here's what I came up with. Stop by any store that sells film (Walgreens, Target, whatever...) and grab disposable cameras - I have three kids so naturally I grabbed three. Then make a list. You can certainly tailor it to fit your age group but here's the basic jist of what I came up with. (My kids were 6, 7 and 9 at the time.)

BOAT SHOW PHOTO SCAVENGER HUNT

  • American Flag
  • Pirate Flag
  • Person wearing blue mirrored sunglasses (you can't throw a rock at the boat show without hitting one of these!)
  • Mercury engine
  • Race boat
  • Sailboat
  • Dog
  • Baby in a stroller
  • Someone drinking a Coke
  • Taxi

So, you get the picture. The longer the list, the better. You can enlist the help of your husband - mine came up with some very creative ideas! Whoever got the most pictures of items from the list would be the winner. And for the rest of the day, they were completely occupied! And...let me tell you, the price of getting those cameras developed was worth the priceless stack of photos. Seeing the boat show through a child's camera lens is really something!

I hope this tip helps you navigate your way through the boat show. Be sure to stop by the "Ladies, Let's Go Fishing!" booth to say hi.....In fact, make sure it's on the Scavenger Hunt list!

Jenn

LLGF Headquarters

http://www.ladiesletsgofishing.com/

Friday, February 1, 2008

LLGF Headquarters Works to Serve YOU!

Most people think we go fishing all the time. HAH! Wish it were so. However, the action never stops at LLGF Headquarters where Betty Bauman/Founder, Lisa Steinberg/Vice President and Jenn Weiden/Marketing Director spend lots of hours to make the seminars beneficial for particpants and sponsors and to handle administration. Karen LeFleur works part time in the office and helps to streamline our operation.

Much of our time is spent on seminar logistics, database management, planning, production of printed materials, website updates, promotions, product warehousing and funding development to pay for all of this. Each seminar is the result of more than 600 labor hours. We maintain a bank of computers and our five phone lines are constantly busy.

What's cool is this 11-year-old operation came from nothing to a program recognized around the world, by media, government and the industry, as the leader for bringing women into fishing. The donations and support from our sponsors and donors keep the wheels turning. It;s almost impossible to comprehend the interest of hundreds of entities who have contributed to make these opportunities possible.

LLGF is turning heads within the fishing industry, and this attention will bring more fishing products designed for women in the future (maybe a TV show with real women who like to fish?) If we don't stand up and be recognized, we won't be counted! Go, girls!

http://www.ladiesletsgofishing.com