Ocean City Fishing Club Hosts 543 Visitors

The window for visiting the Ocean City Fishing Club’s first Open House in celebration of  its 100th anniversary was just two hours on a sun-washed July 7 Sunday afternoon. But 543 people, including Mayor Jay Gillian, took the opportunity to tour the iconic Ocean City pier near 14th Street and the Boardwalk.

And, heeding an appeal from club trustees, visitors brought enough non-perishable food to fill a large barrel provided by the Ocean City Ecumenical Council Food Cupboard.

“We were encouraged by the number of people wanting to learn about our great history, stroll out on the pier, and contribute to the Food Bank,” said club president Paul Keuerleber, who distributed printed information about the club at the front door.

Many club members — trustees, five past presidents, the club secretary, and others — were positioned along the 635-foot pier to explain how the club operates and how it contributes to the local community.  

At the very end of the pier, two Ocean City residents, Bill Daley and his grandson, Tyler Daley, gave demonstrations on baiting hooks and casting. Joe Hughes, a club trustee from Erial, NJ, served as chairman of the first Open House.

Sunday’s visitors represented a very diverse group, from local residents who had long wondered what it was like to walk out on the pier, to out-of-towners like Sharon Shipe of Pennsburg in Montgomery County, PA, and world travelers like Ann White, a magazine editor who lives in Hong Kong in the People’s Republic of China.

Those who missed the Open House have two more opportunities to visit America’s oldest, continuously operating fishing club and to donate food for the needy. The dates coincide with the City of Ocean City’s Family Nights on Thursdays: July 25 and August 22, from 6 to 8 pm each evening.

Other Centennial events this year include a special exhibition on the club at the Ocean City Historical Museum, which opens Friday, July 12; the 38th annual Boys and Girls Surf Fishing Tournament on Saturday, August 10; and a three-day Invitational Surf Fishing Tournament that is expected to attract 100 teams on October 17-19.

For more information about the club, go to its website at www.oceancityfishingclub.com.

— By Patch contributor George Ingram