What's New for 2023 - Village Harbour Fishing Club

What’s New for 2023

Battle on the Beach – VHFC took over officiating the “Battle on the Beach” high school surf fishing tournament in 2019. The annual contest has students from Lacey Township High School, Barnegat High School, Southern Regional High School and Mates Academy (Marine Academy of Technology and Environmental Science) of Manahawkin competing for top bragging rights on the beach in Barnegat Light. The winning school gets their name engraved on a trophy that is displayed in the school’s lobby and a $1,000 scholarship donated by LBI Surf Fishing Committee. Last year’s weather was beautiful but there were too many dogfish, skates and weeds Nevertheless, the kids were wonderful and fished non-stop until the final horn. Two stripers including a 27 1/2″ looked like it would give a victory to Mates but three bluefish up to 19″ close to the finish time sealed it for Southern Regional. The kids had a blast and the cold water did not stop them from getting wet and enjoying the afternoon. As soon as a date is announced for 2023, it will be posted and VHFC will be looking for volunteers to the officiating.

VHFC Annual Fluke Tournament – The VHFC Fluke Tournament will be held on the Saturday in July following the Friday club meeting. July 15 /16 (rain date) for 2023. Entry fee is $20 per angler with all monies returned in prizes. Following the contest, VHFC hosts a picnic / BBQ at the Mill Creek Pavilion for entrants and their guests. Please fill out the form VHFC Fluke Tournament and send it with your check to VHFC, PO Box 1026, Manahawkin, NJ 08050.

VHFC Dinner – Details are not yet finalized but VHFC will have a dinner in the fall. The last several dinners were held at Kostas Grill in Tuckerton and were enjoyed by all attendees. Always a great time and a good excuse for members and friends to gather for some fun! Further details will be provided as available.

VHFC Fall Fishing Trip – Details are not yet finalized but VHFC will have a trip out on a local party boat for a fun day fishing in October – November. Stay tuned for further details.

2022 Fish of the Month (FOM) – Several additional contests and improvements have been made including Surf Only and Young Angler contests. Details can be found on VHFC Contest Rules on the pulldown menu under the Blue Banner Contests/Tournaments across each page.

VHFC T Shirts – New T Shirts were selected in 2019 and are still available for purchase. Look for the order form in our Newsletter or order at any club meeting. Sizes range from XS (Extra Small) to 6XL and are available in nine colors. Shirts have long sleeves and feature UPF 50 Sun Protection. White is shown in the photo.

Rattlin Jack™ Fishins In My Bones™ Performance Wear Moisture Wicking UPF 50, Cool and Dry Sun Protection

VHFC Hats – New hats also became available in 2019 and we have plenty still available. Hats are khaki colored, feature a high definition VHFC patch on the front and sell for $20. See photo below.

Membership Form

Fishing Facts

Of the fifty United States, thirty-eight have a striped-bass record. New Jersey has the largest striped-bass record—a 78-pound 8·ounce whopper that was caught in 1982. The state with the smallest striped-bass record is Iowa. That landlocked striper weighed only 9 pounds 4 ounces and was caught in 1983.

There’s something fishy about beer these days. Fish Tail Ale is popular as ever, and New Jersey’s Flying Fish Brewery is one of the state’s largest specialty breweries. There’s also Washington’s Wild Salmon Organic Pale Ale, Florida’s Land Shark beer, Delaware’s Dogfish Head beer, and two versions of Stingray beer—a lighter version from the Cayman Islands and a dark beer from Canada.

The triangle fly is probably the most unusual of saltwater flies. It’s one of the few, if not only, flies tied to a treble hook. It’s also barely a fly at all, because hardly any material is used. It is complete after tying the two straw pearl twinkle flashes and the tiny tuft of natural squirrel, leaving an entire hook fully exposed. Incredibly this barebacked treble fly is a knockout when it comes to sea trout.