By Tara Fischer

Staff Writer

(April 9, 2026) In an effort to support outreach programs for children this summer, the Ocean Pines Anglers Club is hosting a flea market this month, offering fishing, crabbing, and boating equipment available for purchase.

The OPAC is gearing up to hold its fifth annual flea market on Saturday, April 18, from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Assateague Room at the Ocean Pines Community Center. All proceeds will be spent on organizing the club’s “Teach a Kid to Fish Day” and the subsequent kids’ fishing tournament.

According to the group’s administrator, Frank Tortella, Ocean Pines Angler Club members and private vendors will be on-site on April 18, selling fishing tackle and gear, boating items, and creations related to the sport and/or the outdoors.

OPAC board member Doug Murphy added that this year’s fishing market allowed for 20 seller tables, all of which have been reserved. Six interested vendors remain on a wait list.

“This year we were lucky and filled out fairly quickly,” Murphy said. “We have six tables on a wait list. Last year we had 13 tables, and this year we maxed out at 20.”

In addition to the items for purchase, the event will include a 50/50 raffle. Ticket buyers should write their name and phone number on the entry slip so they do not need to be present when the winner is announced at the conclusion of the market.

Tortella said that the club hopes to secure about $300 to $400 from the flea market for the kids’ fishing events. The two programs cost the group about $2,000 to $2,200 total to present.

The club’s annual expenses run about $2,500 to $3,000 when factoring in their yearly project with Believe in Tomorrow, in which about 15 boat captains take Believe in Tomorrow kids and their families out on a boat for a few hours to enjoy the water, and their participation in Bay Day. Bay Day is held in White Horse Park in Ocean Pines each year in collaboration with the Maryland Coastal Bays Program.

The flea market, however, will help the organization pay for its kid-friendly events. Teach a Kid to Fish Day is set for June 20, and the children’s tournament is scheduled for July 18.

How it works is that, for the Teach a Kid to Fish event, the club will have several display tables organized to teach fishing skills, such as fish identification, knot tying, artificial lures/baits, and how to bait a hook.

In addition, the novice anglers meet with staff members from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources to learn water safety and fishing regulations.

“We also have a casting station to teach the beginners how to cast different types of tackle,” Tortella said. “After moving through the various tables, the kids are given live bait and can fish the pond for one hour. At the conclusion there is a raffle for a rod and reel combo.”

For the July contest, all contestants must register in their age groups (4 to 8; 9 to 12; or 13 to16) and are given a card to get their catch certified. Volunteer judges are stationed around the Ocean Pines South Pond.

A bait station provides both worms and minnows for each angler, and the children are allowed two hours to fish. The top three fishers in each age category win prizes such as a fishing rod and reel, and a tackle box. The biggest fish in each age group wins a rod and reel.

Tortella added that there is a grand raffle at the end of the tournament for a custom fishing rod, and all kids receive a gift set that includes a club hat and shirt.

“These events are certainly among our club’s most enjoyable and rewarding annual activities,” the club administrator said.

The mission of the kid-friendly activities is to create and inspire young anglers.

“[The events] introduce kids to the sport of fishing and all things great about being outdoors,” Tortella said. “They learn about the DNR and Maryland rules and regulations that come with the sport and, importantly, the kids learn how to participate and interact with other kids, organize events, take instruction and supervision from adults, and simply bring families together for a great time.”

Fishing enthusiasts are invited attend the community angler club’s flea market on April 18 to browse the equipment selection and support the organization’s goal of fostering a love of the outdoor sport in a younger generation.