“Honoring our past, celebrating the present, and anticipating a great future.”
Every angler has their own idea of a fishing community. Whether it is your favorite tackle shop employee who always asks how the bite was, your neighbor who joins you on a morning surfcasting session, or a new friend made on a party boat, new bonds are always forming.
The biggest way to bring together fishermen and form a strong community is through a fishing club. The Manasquan Fishing Club has been doing this for 70 years, positively impacting the community around them.
Fishing clubs don’t just bring together anglers into a fishing community, but they create a huge bond throughout their local community at large. In the Manasquan area, a club like this – celebrating 70 years this month – has a rich history to tell and it continues to live by the motto of “honoring our past, celebrating our present, anticipating our future.”
I grew up just across the Manasquan Inlet on the Point Beach side and remain a local. I was honored to be invited by the Manasquan Fishing Club to host a seminar at their club just across the Route 35 Bridge in that small historic town whose name derives from the Lenni Lenape, possibly “Man-A-Squaw-Han,” meaning “stream of the island of Squaws.” Meeting the club members and hearing each tell of their own individual passions for fishing, rod building, and conservation, to me shows what fishing is all about.
You could feel the energy and motivation behind every subject that was brought up during their meeting. From celebrating a lifetime member, to discussing the closeout of the season and prospects of a new season to come, the proper mindset is held with this club as to why they fish; it’s not for clout, but that of humble roots.
1st Meeting Called To Order
Written minutes recorded on the evening of May 21, 1951 at the very first meeting of the Manasquan Fishing Club show the meeting was called to order by Al Morrow. Morrow believed that a good fishing club was what the town of Manasquan needed as it would bring anglers together, forming a fellowship that would benefit the community as a whole. A town nestled right on the Jersey Shore and cradled by the jetty rocks of the Manasquan Inlet, was a treasure trove for anglers, whether you fished the surf or broke the Manasquan Inlet in pursuit for the catch of the day.
As the meeting carried on into the night, members were elected, the first to fill the boots of their roles within the club. Al Rose became the first president, Bill Coulter was vice president, Fred Applegate as secretary, and Al Morton the club treasurer. After filing the minutes and establishing themselves within the community, the club was officially chartered on December 19, 1955. The Manasquan Fishing Club’s mission was to promote saltwater fishing, to encourage goodwill amongst all fisherman, to support conservation, and to protect the environment. It’s a mission that continues 70 years later.
The Manasquan Fishing Club has a rich history of notable leaders who served terms of office over seven decades. Trailblazing first president Al Rose was credited with drafting the club’s first bylaws and went on to serve multiple years on board. One time club president Al Lake served as recording secretary for 21 years, Duane Danish coming in as president for 5 years, with Bill Beck serving another 6 years in that capacity. Peter Murcko was Manasquan Fishing Club’s treasurer for 11 years, with 2 years as assistant treasurer, and one year as president making him the only member to hold all four officer positions.
Other names that may appear familiar to readers include honorary members Dusty Rhodes and Pete Barrett, both of The Fisherman Magazine. Dedicated members leaving a lasting impact for the Manasquan Fishing Club, true passion that even just writing about it, screams out word for word, true dedication.
Of course as leaders within a club, members can join together to bring about a change. The Manasquan Fishing Club has had many members and many moments in which things needed to be addressed and opinions were voiced. Many oppositions were voiced through the club such as opposing conversion of LORAN C to GPS, opposing the New Jersey saltwater fishing license in 1986, and vocal opposition to DuPont’s dumping of toxic materials in 1987.
The club also voiced a lot of support for coastal initiatives too, like the removal of striper as a commercial species in New Jersey in 1989, supporting inshore protection for menhaden and standing up in favor of the rebuilding of the National Marine Fisheries laboratory in Sandy Hook in 1987. A common trend with historic fishing articles seen previously in my Monmouth Beach Cartoppers article in the September edition of The Fisherman was the battle for beach access; the Manasquan Fishing Club also faced this battle when the Inlet Beach was converted to a surfers’ beach, restricting fishing at a prime location for all year round fishing.
New matters will always arise, whether supported or opposed, and having a club come together and voice an opinion for change is strong enough to move mountains.
Small Town, Big Community
With a population of 5,925 as of 2024, Jersey Shore towns like Manasquan may get very quiet during the offseason, but the Manasquan Fishing Club does its fair share of community outreach in this tight-knit community. The club has created many new initiatives over the past 10 years including a scholarship of $500 through the Manasquan High School’s Fishing Club, teaming local youth with the club members to provide guidance and inspiration to continue to strive academically and to keep on fishing, using it as an outlet to learn, teach, and grow. The club has also partnered with Manasquan Recreation to teach three seasonal fishing courses for the community.
During the spring, the Manasquan Fishing Club teaches a course to introduce the community to fishing, and in June they host a youth clinic at the local pond. In the fall the club helps prep anglers on surf fishing. These outreach efforts, through scholarships and fishing courses, helps grow the fishing community and fosters future generations of fishermen.
Another way to bring the community together through fishing is by owning a tackle shop and personally meeting anglers, putting them on fish, and making them lifelong customers and even club members and friends. At one time, three members of the Manasquan Fishing Club ran bait and tackle shops. Clem Danish of Fisherman’s Cove Bait and Tackle, a familiar spot for anglers who fished the Dog Beach of Manasquan during a bluefish blitz may recognize the white shack now used for park system programs that was once a bait shop. There’s also Paul Schmidtt of Paul’s Bait and Tackle and Joe Graziano of Joe’s Bait and Tackle.
| HOLIDAY CHEER |
| A holiday poem courtesy of the Manasquan Fishing Club and “Club Poet” and past president Gerry Conte from November 26, 1987.
With a mighty cast from the jetty near, |
With the connection of community outreach through classes, tackle talk, and fishing of course comes down to the very important topic of conservation. The Manasquan Fishing Club is proud to support formal tagging programs through Monmouth University and the American Littoral Society. Tagging any species is an important factor to conservation efforts as it helps biologists track fish movements, migratory patterns, growth rates, population dynamics and habitat use. All of this scientific evidence informs decisions about sustainable fishing and ecosystem health.
In 2025, the commemorated Capt. Jim Freda, a contributing author to The Fisherman, for tagging 100 stripers this past season. Data from these fish that are recaptured will help contribute to a better understanding of how the striped bass fishery has been changing over time. Not just stripers either; Manasquan Fishing Club’s Fred Truex has also been tagging fluke, deploying 50 streamer tags over the course of 2025.
I would like to express my gratitude to the Manasquan Fishing Club for reaching out to me for my seminar, allowing me get to know them all at the meeting of the month, and also providing me with the resources to help share this incredible history. With less than 5 years until the 75th anniversary of the Manasquan Fishing Club we can all look forward to what achievements the club gains leading up to that landmark date, and I congratulate them on this milestone event of 70 years of dedication.
