The Beach Haven Charter Fishing Association will be conducting its annual Junior Mates Program once again this summer, and interested youngsters are invited to participate.

 

The Junior Mates Program is administered in memory of the late Captain John Koegler who was an outstanding charter boat captain and one of the founding fathers of the BHCFA. The organizational Meeting for this year’s program will be held at 7 p.m., Thursday, June 23, 2016, at the New Jersey Maritime Museum on Dock Road in Beach Haven.

 

The Junior Mates Program meets every Thursday evening from late June into August. Interested applicants should reach their 13^th birthday by August 1.  The classes present a variety of fishing topics taught by the Association’s captains in addition to other professionals in the field.

 

Most of the classes consist of hands-on activities such as rigging, knots, boat maintenance, and fish cleaning. Included in the curriculum are first aid instruction, boater safety certification, and a trip to the Banregat Light Coast Guard Station. In addition to learning how to become better anglers, those successfully taking the course become eligible  to obtain a paid mate’s position.

 

The course will culminate with the second annual Captain John Koegler Junior Mate Fishing Tournament. An award ceremony and pizza party will held at the Beach Haven Marlin and Tuna Club late in the summer.

 

Information about the Junior Mates Program can be obtained at www.BHCFA.net or by calling either Captain John Lewis at 609-670-5980 or Captain Jimmy Zavacky at 609-915-2498.