Report: Ocean Fire Company#1 Annual Fishing Flea Market

[DarkSkies]

Feb.21
2010 Ocean Fire Company #1
14th Annual Fishing Flea Market
Type of Event: Fishing Flea Market
Event Date(s): 02/21/2010
Event Time(s): 8:30am - 3:00pm
Admission: $3
Location: Antrim School
Address: 401 Niblick Street
Point Pleasant Beach, NJ 08742
Email: danmiles23@comcast.net
Phone: -N/A-
Website: http://ofc1.org

[DarkSkies]

Hey people I hit that fishing flea market up today, and got a few PMs asking me where the report is.

It will be in this thread. I put too many things on my plate today, and hope to have the pics and videos up by tomorrow night. If I ran into you today and took a pic or video of you, check back then.

Sorry for the delay.

I met quite a few people and I think got a few nice interesting stories to tell. Till tomorrow....

[DarkSkies]

A little about the Flea market's history:

Ocean Fire Company Number 1 is one of the two fully volunteer fire companies which make up the Point Pleasant Beach Fire Department. The Point Pleasant Beach Fire Department protects the over 5,300 full time, year round residents and the visitors (which can swell to over 10 times the population) of the 1.7 square mile Borough of Point Pleasant Beach.

Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, the volunteers stand ready to respond to calls for service. Emergency situations handled by the Fire Department may include structure fires, vehicle fires, motor vehicle collisions, smoke investigations, gas leaks, automatic fire alarms investigations, carbon monoxide alarms, EMS assistance calls, calls for mutual aid to surrounding communities, and many other assistance and rescue calls.
Ocean Fire Company Number 1 was incorportated in 1885. This was one year before the incorporation of the Borough of Point Pleasant Beach. This was the first fire company to be incorporated in Ocean County. For almost 125 years our volunteers have provided service to our community.
The Point Pleasant Beach Fire Department and Ocean Fire Company Number 1, like most volunteer fire departments in this country are alway looking for volunteers. If you have a love for your community and a desire to be a member of a professional organization of firefighters protecting a great community we urge you to join our department.








This is the 14th year the Fire Dept is running that flea market. They say it has gotten bigger every year from its humble origins on the firehouse grounds.

All the money raised is used to support OFC #1. It's entirely volunteer, and the money goes a long way to helping with their expenses. A big hand for all the men and women connected with OFC#1 for another successful day.

[tropics]

Wish you would have stopped by,I had a table there was a real good turn out of people. Biggest they ever had..

[DarkSkies]

^ Hey Richie, I was looking to stop by but I got sidetracked. As soon as I got there, I asked people where the guy selling the lead was.

I also came upon someone who had sinkers in the hallway. I asked them if there was anyone else selling lead, or if they knew a guy Richie selling lead. They and some others directed me to the "dive team", but I never made it to that table or your table either. So I did look for ya, for about 5 minutes.

I got sidetracked doing interviews, and I honestly forgot. When ya meet me, you'll see that I focus on whatever I'm doing at the moment, and get lost in that.

And I simply forgot. I write myself mental notes to remember. I really wanted to meet ya yesterday, get some pics of your table, and put some pics up here. I'm such a goofball sometimes.

I was supposed to hustle out of there and drive up to the East Meadow LI fishing flea market as well, so I had the time factor on my brain. Then, as you said, the Point Pleasant show was so crowded that I got lost in the interviews there. I never did make it up to LI, the Point Pleasant stories were too good to pass up.

I'm not only king of the googs, but also king of the goofballs.

I'm truly sorry I missed ya. It's my fault and I apologize. Hope to run into you at another show this spring.

[tropics]

^ Hey Richie, I was looking to stop by but I got sidetracked. As soon as I got there, I asked people where the guy selling the lead was.

I also came upon someone who had sinkers in the hallway. I asked them if there was anyone else selling lead, or if they knew a guy "Richie" selling lead. They and some others directed me to the "dive team", but I never made it to that table or your table either. So I did look for ya, for about 5 minutes.


I'm truly sorry I missed ya. It's my fault and I apologize. Hope to run into you at another show this spring.

The guy in the hallway, Santa Claus beard. That was me. I had someone ask about other guys with sinkers,Sorry I did not hear my name.

No need to apologize. i am sure I have a few more shows to do.

[DarkSkies]

Tell me if you recognize your pic in one of the following pics, Richie. For some reason I had it in my head you would be in the Gym, on the left. I interviewed the Hot Wheels people, and the young kid who was makin his own teasers, so I'm thinking you had to be somewhere in that area based on your comments.

Oh well next time.

[tropics]

Tell me if you recognize your pic in one of the following pics, Richie. For some reason I had it in my head you were in the Gym, on the left. I interviewed the Hot wheels people, and the young kid who was makin his own teasers, so I'm thinking you had to be somewhere in that area based on your comments.

Oh well next time.

I had the table next to him in the hall, there was a space between our tables.

[DarkSkies]

Getting there was no problem, but on the way some locals told me parking was bad and they gave up on going inside.

The school is in a residential area, and there were some areas that had to be shared by the neighborhood people because of all the snow they had the previous week. I decided to give it a shot anyway. I'm glad I did.





As I got inside I met Bill Pierce and Mr Fox at the ticket table. I also understood that Dan Miles was the guy running the show. When I asked them, they said attendance was high this year, higher than last. No numbers, but they were happy, said it was one of the best years attendance wise. Tropics confirmed that as well.


The place was pretty crowded, with people coming and going. In addition to the tables in the gym, there were 2 hallways worth of vendor tables. The buzz was that people were happy, and walking out with good deals.

This pic here is one of the firefighters and his Dad.

[DarkSkies]

Some pics:

Capts Ron and Art from the Miss Michelle, selling some surplus

[DarkSkies]

Richie, in this pic the guy in the black all the way to the back has a beard, was that you?
















Gary and Barry, they'll be at the Lacey Elks on 3-13



Storm shad packs for $2 and $2.50

[DarkSkies]

I thought this was an interesting story. Rob is 20 and has been making teasers for 6 years with his grandfather, and selling them on his own for a year or 2. He started when he was 14, and is working hard at the flea markets to make a name for himself and get money to pay for school.



A tribute to the entrepeneurial spirit of early America, it was nice to see a younger person trying to build a business. Good luck Rob, I hope your business grows and prospers.









Most of his teasers are $2 each, or 3/$5. Some great prices there.

He wasn't sure if he was going to any more flea markets. If you want to buy from him via mail, hit him up at:
bbrown403@yahoo.com

[DarkSkies]

Tons of used plugs for reasonable prices. He puts all new VMCs and HD split rings on his salt water plugs before putting them up for sale.

A few dozen rods and reels as well.













Next shows:
Hightstown
Lacey Elks


Nice to meet ya Jeff.

[DarkSkies]

I met Connie at the Point Pleasant Fire co fishing flea market. Her Dad runs a small PA company called Tri-plex tackle making bucktails and hand tied bottom fishing rigs.

She helps with not only the rigs, but is also starting to tie the bucktails. It was nice to meet a family where 2 generations are working together to build a good business. Best of luck to you both!

[DarkSkies]

Joe has been making bucktails for about 4 years now, and fishing a lot longer than that. His favorite fish to fish for is fluke, and his stingers with the double hook help to turn that thump into a catch!

Take a look at some of the nice fluke he caught in the pics.













He also sells his own teasers. He has been fishin for 60 years, and his next flea market will be the Hightstown one. Nice meetin ya Joe!

[DarkSkies]

If you can think of a tin profile, and it can be made, Dan can do it!

He had a show special of $2 ea for blem Hopkins tins, around 2 oz, how can you pass on a deal like that? You know you're gonna lose a dozen a year if you fish hard.

He's been doing this for a bunch of years, has great prices, and fishes his products as well as selling them. He also has been fishing for over 50 years in the salt, and has quite a perspective of how things used to be before the Striped bass moratorium in the 80's.













He also carries Fluke jigs, Avas, Hopkins profiles, Charlie Graves style profiles, and Stingsilver tins.

Nice to meet ya, Dan!

You can get in touch with Dan at TINMANTACKLE@msn.com

[DarkSkies]

I met Bruce at Hi-Mar last week, and ran into him again here.

[DarkSkies]

some video

I got distracted and didn't shoot this video until it was almost closing time. You can still get a general idea of the setup and all the tables they had

[DarkSkies]

Hot Wheels fishing team is a bunch of handicapped guys with dreams to go fishing. However, instead of only having dreams, they get it done.

I ran into Wayne S maneuvering around the gym in his wheelchair, and he got to talking. He told me he just joined the Hot Wheels for fishing group that day. I went to their table, thought it was a positive theme, and decided to do a little story on it.

As I understand it, it was started by Chris C, who is handicapped and gets around in a wheelchair. He doesn't let that get him down though. He's a fishin maniac, and decided early on in his life not to let a thing like a wheelchair interfere with his fishing.

He started soliciting contributions to take other handicapped people fishing. He's friends with Kevin Bogan of Point Pleasant, who suggested Chris kick it up a notch, get legal, and try to make it into a big thing where they reach out to as many people as possible. I'm not sure, but Mark from Alex's B&T in Point Pleasant may be involved helping them as well.

"From one small stone, mountains can be moved."




Chris with Mark of Alex's B&T in the background.





Wayne S, who just joined Sunday, and was my initial introduction to the group.




Chris going fishing and getting written up in the Fisherman and the Asbury Park Press

"Hot Wheels offers Accessible Angling" the APP article written in the Hook Line and Sinker column.





In this pic he shows a longfin tuna he got.
Feb 4, 2010 edition of the Fisherman. "Hot Wheels Fishing Rolls into town"

[DarkSkies]

some shots of Chris and Wayne








www.hotwheelsfishing.com