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THE HARBOUR LIGHTThe Official Newsletter of the Upcoming Events
Friday August 4: VHFC Board Meeting starts at 8 PM in the Community Center's rear room. Friday August 11: Monthly Membership Meeting at the Community Center . Saturday August 19: Barnegat Bay Day Event. President’s Message
Several members have told me that the July Meeting was our best. Special thanks to Fisherman's Headquarters' Sean Murphy who told us and showed us all about seining for bait. Thanks to Ed Cherry and Greg Fedorowicz for helping out with the castnet lessons on the lawn. More thanks to Ed Cherry for arranging for Sean's appearance, Ed's table clinic, and arranging for the materials members used for tying rigs at the tables. REST IN PEACEErnie Materazzi, the Village Harbor Fishing Club's Second Vice President, passed away on Friday, July 21, 2000. Club officers attended the wake and funeral and extended the club's sympathy to his widow, Debbie, and other family members. It was a pleasure to be able to work with Ernie on the Board of Village Harbour Fishing Club. Ernie was stepping up to an expanding role on our board. He had actually agreed to become our club's president in 2001. Ernie Materazzi will be missed. Club survival is at RiskWe are at a critical moment in our club's history. The Board is very pleased that our members are telling us they are excited about what we're accomplishing in 2000. The Board is very disappointed that we have a critically serious shortage of officers. Continuation of the club after December 2000 is uncertain at this time. The Board has decided on the basic means of dissolving the club if and when we do not have an adequate set of officers. We have no 1st or 2nd Vice President. We also need to find a Treasurer to take over from Maurice Piergrossi who has advised me he needs to step down by December 31st. Finally, Ed Cherry has announced he will not be serving as Chairman of Fishing Activities, (a voting Trustee role) in 2001. During the August Meeting, we must identify the members who will fill the empty officer positions. Every year for too many years the club has scrambled to find members willing to volunteer to work on the board and to be scheduled for moving up to the president's role in the near future. In July 1998, the newsletter announced that Larry Gonnello would fill the empty seat of the 1st Vice President and become President for 1999. I was a last minute "find" in 1998 when I agreed to be second Vice President with a commitment for 2000. In July 2000 we lost our planned 2000 president with the tragic loss of Ernie Materazzi and we also learned of the need to replace Maurice. While there are many who have volunteered to help at times, and they do help a lot, I cannot report any firm member offers to step up into the management of this club. I plan to discuss this problem in depth and seek your support in closing this issue on August 11th; our last meeting of the year that gets good attendance. George Fruh's Weigh-In Report 8/01/00We have some bigger fish added in June:
Fish-of-the-Month AwardsJuly: Congratulations to Paul Turi for his 14 pound 4 ounce Bluefish.August: The August Fish-of-the-Month is Fluke. VHFC Web SiteThe site address is: http://216.156.170.52/VHFC/Save this address as a favorite or as a bookmark in your browser. Maurice Piergrossi's Financial ReportThe financial status as of 1 August is:
Raffle for 2000The $5.00 raffle tickets are selling very slowly. We have only sold 42 of the 100 tickets we set aside for this raffle. Please stop at the entrance table at this month's meeting and take another look at the rods and lines that are in the raffle. Consider buying a ticket at the August meeting. I plan to buy another myself. Fishing StoriesThis is the first of two fishing reports provided by Captain Anthony Pessolano during July. Story #2 will be shared next month.July 6, 2000: My neighbor and I left out of Little Egg Inlet around 5:15 AM on a heading of 132 degrees and arrived about 15 miles west of the Linden Kohl canyon at a position of LAT 39.00.000 and LONG 73.15.000. I then put the boat on a navigation line toward LAT 38.47.600 and LONG 73.09.00. We had gin clear water of 71.8 degrees in about 267 feet. We put out a spread of artificials by 8:15 AM and decided to have a little breakfast. At 8:40 AM just outside the 40 fathom line there was a swirl behind our spread, and in a flash, we had our first fish on! We cleared the lines and made quick work of a 50 pound yellowfin who hit a hex head red/black/white daisy chain on the outside rigger. When the fish had first come up I hit the MOB button on the GPS. I then made a slow turn back over the same exact path. Like clockwork, just as we approached the same spot, bang! This time it was the shotgun line which was set way back on a red bird with the old reliable green machine in tow. Once again we cleared the lines, but this fish was a sturdier 65 pounds and took a little longer to put in the box. But we were two for two! The same exact pattern repeated two more times with yellow's in the 65-70 pound range. Four for four and it was only 10:20 AM! We trolled for another hour or so, but the morning bite was clearly over and we were on our way back to the dock. As an interesting aside to the day, I called a friend of mine on the radio who was in the canyon and he joined me trolling in the same exact area and never had so much as a visit from a tuna. What was it? Did our hull help raise the fish? Or was it the nature of our pattern or our trolling speed? It is certainly true what they say, that it can be the slightest of difference that makes for a successful catch or just a very long boat ride. There is also a lot of debate that small boats (mine is only 30 feet) should run patterns close to the transom. I believe in variety and wider is better. Of our four yellowfins, one was on the outside rigger and the other three hit the shotgun about 250 feet back. Perhaps the teasers and baits in close help create the commotion tuna seem to be attracted to, but the baits to the rear can be very successful as well. Also kudos to my fishing partner Al Stella. We only heard of two other boats who hooked up that day near the Linden Kohl and they missed all three at the boat. Batting a thousand on fish strikes and landings can only be done with great team work. The day was really made special on the ride in when we were surrounded by a massive school of bottle nose dolphins. They ran along with us and the school was as wide as the eye could see. Nature's beauty is truly humbling. We were back at the dock by 2:40 PM, a really good day and the best reminder of all as to why we fish! Until Next Tide. Tight Lines! Barnegat Bay DayLike Great Bay Day, in this fleet activity we will be learning and teaching one another how best to navigate and fish selected areas (new to some of our members, familiar to others). These events are free to all current members; with or without boats. Planning Meeting: We had a special Barnegat Bay Event planning meeting Friday July 28th. Twelve members, half volunteers who are not Board members, worked together to plan out Barnegat Bay Day. Bill Logan stepped up and took over the responsibility as Barnegat Bay Event Chairman. Special thanks to all who made the time to make a contribution. Attendees were Mike Cifelli, Steve Cook, Pete Figlia, Ken Hansen, Charlie Kochka, Don Longstreet, Bob Mueller, Ed Sidell, Dave Sikorski and Dick Vesper.Click here for: More on Barnegat Bay Day VHFC 2000 Board of DirectorsThe members of the Board are presented below. We continue to have no 1st VP or 2nd VP. OFFICERS:
TRUSTEES (VOTING):
TRUSTEES (NON-VOTING):
Remember, the VHFC pays dues to and supports the RFA and the JCAA and would urge our members to also support these two organizations. Both of these organizations are fighting for the rights of the recreational fisherman and to protect our environment.
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