VHFC Area Tournaments

This page features upcoming tournament information and results from previous tournaments.

2024 VHFC 8th ANNUAL FLUKE TOURNAMENT – The eighth annual VHFC fluke tournament will be on Saturday July 13th with a rain date on Sunday the 14th. Please complete the form when available and send it in with your check to VHFC PO Box 1026 Manahawkin,
NJ 08050 ASAP. All entrance fees will be awarded as prizes. Following the tournament, there will be a BBQ with VHFC providing the food (burgers, dogs, soft drinks) at Mill Creek Park in Manahawkin. Please fill out the form VHFC Fluke Tournament and send it with your check to VHFC, PO Box 1026, Manahawkin, NJ 08050.

2023 VHFC 7th ANNUAL FLUKE TOURNAMENT – The VHFC Seventh Annual Fluke Tournament was held on Saturday July 14th and was an outstanding success! This year’s turnout was the largest yet with 28 entrants and that was without the Leary clan who had a
family reunion event. Fortunately, mild winds made fishing outside doable for anyone wanting to travel to the reefs. Here is the complete list of winners:
                                         Will Kresge 3 lb 12 oz First $280
                                         Brian Larkin Jr 3 lb 8 oz Second $168
                                         Bill Dabney 3 lb 6 oz Tied Third $56
                                         Phil Simon 3 lb 6 oz Tied Third $56

2022 VHFC 6th ANNUAL FLUKE TOURNAMENT –The VHFC Annual Fluke Tournament was held on Saturday August 13th and a great time was had by all! Normally scheduled for July, several members had COVID forcing the tournament to be moved to August. Unfortunately, strong Northeast winds made fishing outside very difficult for the 27 entrants. However, there were weigh-ins to claim the $540 in prize money. Here is the list of winners:
                                            William Dabney 5 lb 2 oz First $270

                                            Will Kresge 2 lb 9 oz Second $162
                                            Wally Jones 2 lb 2 oz Third $108

2021 VHFC 5th ANNUAL FLUKE TOURNAMENT
The 5th annual VHFC fluke tournament was held on Saturday 10 July followed by a lovely BBQ/picnic held at the Stafford pavilion on Mill Creek Rd.  There were 28 anglers @$20 each resulting in a total prize payout of $560 awarded as $280 for First, $168 for Second and $112 for Third. Taking the honors and prize money were Joe Filice with a 3 lb 7 oz fluke for First, Ron Roshelli with a 3 lb 4 oz fluke for Second and Larry Leary with a 3 lb fluke for third.

2020 VHFC 5th ANNUAL FLUKE TOURNAMENT
Unfortunately, due to COVID restrictions the tournament was cancelled. 

2019 VHFC 4th ANNUAL FLUKE TOURNAMENT 
The 4th annual VHFC fluke tournament was held on Saturday 13 July. There were 26 entrants @$20 each generating $520 in prize money. Bill Dabney took first place with a 3 lb 10 oz fluke caught behind Holgate, Cherie Hebert took second place with a 2 lb 12 oz fish caught off the South jetty and third place went to Will with 2 lb 6 fluke also caught behind Holgate. Following the tournament, a barbecue at the home of Donna and Vic Harris was attended by club members / guests and their families who enjoyed burgers, dogs, ribs, sides, soft drinks, beer & wine. 

2018 BHMTC – VHFC INSHORE & BAY TOURNAMENT  
The BHMTC – VHFC Joint Fluke Tournament was held on 30 June. Unfortunately, only one fish was weighed in by the six VHFC boats entered- a 2.4 lb 19 inch fluke caught by Dave Spendiff. BHM&TC took 1st, 2nd & 3rd places for the largest fluke and have all the bragging rights. Heaviest Flounder was a 4.36 pounder caught by Mark Parker aboard the ABC. Second biggest fish was 3.62 pounds caught by Tanner Johnson aboard the Shore Thing. Third largest fluke was Sweet Marlyn’s Brendan Graham who caught a 3.1 pounder. It was still a fun tournament and hopefully we will do it again next year.

2018 VHFC 3rd ANNUAL FLUKE TOURNAMENT 
The 3rd annual VHFC fluke tournament was held on Saturday 14 July. There were 34 entrants @$20 each generating $680 in prize money. Marty Friedrich took first place with a 3 lb 14 oz fluke, Bob Klebosis took second and Bill Dabney won third. Following the tournament, VHFC sponsored a barbecue at the home of Donna and Vic Harris. There were 50 members and their family who enjoyed burgers, dogs, ribs, sides, soft drinks, beer & wine.  Click here for more details

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.

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