Before size and catch limits were established for saltwater fish, the Ocean Beach Fishing Club, a group of like-minded sportsmen, banded together to preserve local species. The Ocean Beach Fishing Club was founded in 1945, 25 years before the NYS DEC. Local denizen Woody Salvan would have been 3 years old at the time.
According to the club’s constitution, the club’s goals included promoting and fostering good sportsmanship, increasing knowledge of saltwater angling methods, and promoting the conservation of saltwater fish to perpetuate saltwater fishing.
A 1957 membership list counted Mel Brooks among its 40-some-odd members. Full membership was strictly limited to men 16 and older who could afford the three-dollar annual dues.
Later, members included OB legends like John Schaffner, Lou Hess, and Bob Stern, but the clique went dormant in the 1980s.
“We just didn’t recruit,” was Stern’s guess at why the club died out.
In its heyday, the club played a significant role in the local social scene, organizing dinners, contests, and other social events for families.
A fisherman himself but never a club member, Sherwood “Woody” Salvan set out to resurrect the institution in 2008.
“I renewed the certificate of incorporation and nominated myself as official instigator.”
The club’s objectives remain basically the same. The ironic twist is that membership is now limited only to boys and girls 14 years old or younger.
Sadly, the organization is once again in danger of extinction.
Held every Labor Day weekend, volunteers are always on hand on the day of the annual snapper contest. Other than that, Salvan is a one-man show.
“I’ve been retiring for like five years, but this time I’m really going to do it.”
The biggest challenge, he said, is getting the kids signed up. Traditionally, most of the recruiting has been done by Woody from a folding table in town over the last three weekends in August. This year, he is trying a hybrid approach using posters and email.
Up to 50 children normally sign up. For $25, they get a bamboo rod, a tee shirt, bait, snacks, water, patches, trinkets, prizes, and club membership.
The competition is entirely unsubsidized by the Village or any local organization. Even so, the club continues the philanthropic spirit of the original crew, making donations to other local groups and events.
Snapper contest winners typically haul 10-12 fish in the allotted four hours.
“Except during Covid,” Woody quipped. “That year, we used the honor system. We got reports of 40-50 fish caught by some kids.”
Salvan plans and advertises all aspects of the event, from hanging posters (and removing them post-contest) to ordering the swag to collect entry fees.
“I need to pass the torch,” he sighs. I’m not good with the computer, and this process needs to be automated. I would consider staying on if I could find a couple of younger folks to pick up some slack and bring in some new ideas.”
The annual Ocean Beach Fishing Club Catch and Release contest is set for Sept. 1, 2024, and compliments the annual Steve Einig Sandpiper Run held the day before. If your child has not yet registered, or if you want to discuss helping out next season, please email Mr. Salvan at OBFCNYC@gmail.com .
