Ocean City Fishing Club

What Ocean City Fishing Club does

Ocean City Fishing Club (OCFC) is a private, member-based recreational fishing organization founded in 1913 and incorporated in Ocean City, New Jersey, recognized as the oldest continuously operating fishing club in the United States. Its core asset is a fishing pier at 14th Street and the Boardwalk extending approximately 635 feet (expanded by ~113 feet in a 2020-2021 project, reaching roughly 750 feet) over sand into the Atlantic Ocean, with clubhouse, deck, storage, bait facilities, and an outer T-platform. The club serves adult anglers, youth (ages 8-16), families, and inter-club competitors through recurring tournaments, community open houses, and educational programs.

The business operates three primary revenue streams: recurring membership dues, transaction-based tournament entry fees (team $70, individual $15, youth free, optional $10 Calcutta), and donations collected at open houses for the Ocean City Food Cupboard. The flagship offerings are the Annual Surf Fishing Tournament (56th edition in 2025, 105 anglers across 17 teams and 12 individuals), the free Boys and Girls Surf Fishing Tournament (99-118 youth participants annually), and inter-club pier tournaments run in coordination with the Association of Surf Angling Clubs (ASAC), where the OCFC Blue Team has won four consecutive championships. Distribution is entirely regional (Northeast US / Tri-State Area), executed via direct member access, public registration, and grassroots marketing through Facebook, local press, and community events.

The organization is independently governed by members and a board, with no parent company, no external investors, and no funding rounds. Headcount is in the 11-50 band; revenue is not publicly disclosed. Ancillary programs — annual $500 scholarships (running 14+ years), NJ WAVE medical-need youth outings, and Food Cupboard drives (2,203 visitors and $2,243 raised across 2024 open houses) — underpin its community-organization identity rather than a commercial growth posture.

Name

Ocean City Fishing Club

Legal name

Ocean City Fishing Club of Ocean City, New Jersey

Website

https://oceancityfishingclub.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1913

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Ocean City Fishing Club is a private, member-based recreational fishing organization founded in 1913 in Ocean City, New Jersey, operating a Boardwalk pier and hosting annual adult and youth surf fishing tournaments, inter-club competitions, and community open houses in the Northeast US.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Recreational Fishing Club Services

NAICS

Marinas (713930)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Fishing Charters & Angling Experiences (Deep Sea, Sportfishing, Fly Fishing) (THAJAJAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Surf Schools & Surf Camps (THAAAKAC)

Keywords

• Recreational fishing club
• Surf fishing tournaments
• Fishing pier access
• Angling community events
• Youth fishing programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Ocean City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Revenue generated from club membership fees
2. Tournament Entry Fees: Teams pay $70, individuals pay $15, youth under 16 fish for free. Optional Calcutta entry $10 for biggest fish prize.
3. Donations and Community Support: Open houses collect food and cash donations for Ocean City Food Cupboard; sponsors donate prizes for tournaments

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Ocean City Fishing Club is a private, member-based recreational fishing organization founded in 1913 that operates a fishing pier at 14th Street and the Boardwalk in Ocean City, New Jersey, extending roughly 750 feet over the Atlantic Ocean. It sells annual memberships granting pier access, hosts the Annual Surf Fishing Tournament, the Boys and Girls Surf Fishing Tournament, and inter-club competitions with regional angling clubs, and supports community programs including public open houses and an annual scholarship.

Product overview

The Ocean City Fishing Club is a private community fishing organization founded in 1913, offering member access to its fishing pier, hosting annual tournaments (Surf Fishing Tournament, Boys and Girls Tournament, and Inter-Club tournaments), conducting open houses for public tours, and providing scholarship programs for local students. The club does not offer technology products or services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fishing Pier Access (Membership)

Quantifiable outcome

• ASAC Blue Team won 4th consecutive championship with 110 points in 2024, beating second place team by 5 points
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Ocean City Historical MuseumminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013During the 2013 centennial celebration, the Ocean City Historical Museum mounted a special exhibition focusing on the Club's 100-year history. The museum also restored the Ocean City Cup trophy in 2004 and displays it in a prominent case.
• Association of Surf Angling Clubs (ASAC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOCFC tournaments are held in coordination with ASAC. ASAC-approved tournaments follow ASAC rules. OCFC Blue Team competes in ASAC tournament series and won 4th consecutive championship in 2024 with 110 points.
• Cape Hatteras Anglers ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOCFC sends teams to the Cape Hatteras Anglers Club Invitational Tournament as part of inter-club competition network.
• Ocean City Department of RecreationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Boys and Girls Surf Fishing Tournament and other events are held in cooperation with the Ocean City Department of Recreation. The city provides complimentary one-day beach driving permits for tournament participants.
• Margate and Ventnor Fishing ClubsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOCFC participates in inter-club pier fishing tournaments with Margate and Ventnor Fishing Clubs.
• Ocean City Arts CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Ocean City Arts Center chose the fishing pier as the subject for its monthly art exhibit in January 2013 as part of the centennial celebration, featuring artists from the Ocean City Fine Arts League painting the pier plein aire.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Others

• International Game Fish Association (IGFA): Global authority on recreational fishing records, ethics, and conservation. Comparable in mission to OCFC's advocacy and educational role (e.g., the OCFC Scholarship Program in ocean-related sciences), but operates at international scale rather than as a local club.
• Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation (RBFF): National nonprofit focused on growing recreational boating and fishing participation in the U.S. While not a club operator, RBFF pursues the same downstream goal as OCFC's youth and community programs — recruiting and retaining recreational anglers — making it a thematic peer in the recreational fishing ecosystem.
• Association of Surf Angling Clubs (ASAC): National governing body for surf angling clubs; OCFC tournaments are ASAC-approved and the OCFC Blue Team competes in the ASAC tournament series. ASAC is an industry/ecosystem partner rather than a competing club, but is directly comparable in surf angling domain.
• Coastal Conservation Association (CCA): National marine conservation and recreational fishing advocacy organization with state chapters that run tournaments, banquets, and youth outreach. Shares OCFC's recreational angler and youth development mission at a much larger, multi-state scale.

Direct peers

• Cape Hatteras Anglers Club: North Carolina-based surf angling club that hosts the Cape Hatteras Anglers Club Invitational Tournament, in which OCFC teams regularly compete. Runs a similar member-based competitive surf fishing model, extending OCFC's inter-club competitive network down the Atlantic coast.
• Ventnor Fishing Club: Adjacent New Jersey shore fishing club that OCFC competes against in inter-club pier fishing tournaments. Similar in size and mission — a private member-based organization running surf fishing events and youth engagement programs in the same coastal geography.
• Margate Fishing Club: Neighboring New Jersey shore fishing club that participates in inter-club pier fishing tournaments with OCFC and competes in ASAC championships. Operates a comparable member-based surf fishing model targeting adult and youth anglers in the same Mid-Atlantic region.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/OCFishingClub
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ocean-city-fishing-club

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ocean City Fishing Club