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The 22nd Jersey Coast Anglers Association Fluke Tournament will be contested Saturday throughout the state on Saturday, and there's still to get in on the fun -- including a chance to win $50,000 for a fluke exceeding 12 pounds. Entries will be accepted up to 9 p.m. Friday by visiting www.jcaa.org -- or calling 732 506-6565. The entry fee is $160 per boat, with an extra $25 required for entry into the $50,000 opportunity for the largest doormat over 12 pounds. This unique tournament offers prizes starting at $1200 for each of nine ports, plus optional Calcuttas both at each port and overall. The Community Fire Company of Middletown also runs their Fluke Tournament on Saturday out of Leonardo State Marina. The boat entry is $75. Call Jeff Petach at 732 291-0073. Looking ahead, the Salt Water Anglers of Bergen County runs their fifth annual Fluke Tournament on Aug. 13 from Highlands, Belmar and Point Pleasant. Call Mark Capalbo at 201 313-6576. Many N.J. boats are headed to Ocean City, Md. for the big money White Marlin Open that runs from Aug. 8-12. I'll have nightly updates on my daily blog at nj.com/shore/blogs/fishing. That sets the big game fleet up for the 25th MidAtlantic out of Cape May. Visit www.themidatlantic.com for details. The first offshore event didn't work out too well, as the bigeye tuna which had been hitting in Toms Canyon disappeared when boaters in the Beach Haven Marlin & Tuna Club White Marlin Invitational started the competition. The only entry on the first day that looked like a winner was a 46-pound dolphin on the Viking 62. That fish did stand up, but the big money went to yellowfin tuna of just 62.4 and 56.1 pounds  caught by Endless Drifter -- which ended up the big winner with $74,401.23 -- and was Grand Champion. Alyson Rose weighed a 53.9-pound yellowfin that first day and took the Super Calcutta  while finishing with $52,574. Some marlin were caught, but no numbers of releases were reported. Adam La Rosa reported a lack of tuna for his Canyon Runner fleet from Point Pleasant, but a couple of blue marlin were caught. The good news on menhaden from the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission meeting in Alexandria, Va. is that nothing was agreed on. The Virginia bunker reduction fleet was seeking a 20 percent increase in quota, but there were only tie votes on various increases and even status quo before there was finally agreement on postponing a decision until the October meeting. Capt. Ron Santee reported some larger fluke Thursday on his Fishermen from Atlantic Highlands as Billy Yurkovitch boated a 9.6-pounder to take the lead in that boat's Big Pool -- while adding others of 7.5 and 4 pounds. The Rutgers Team was aboard, measuring and logging over 150 fluke. The Fishermen is chartered Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings. The Shore bluefish fleet all had similar reports Thursday of super chub mackerel fishing along with just a couple of small blues. The Jamaica from Brielle reported having to move a few miles south to get into those fish. The Gambler from Point Pleasant had up-and-down fluking this week due to unfavorable easterly winds and a strong current, but Wednesday was better with fluke up to 6.5 pounds plus a few sea bass. The Beach Haven Charter Fishing Association has seen an improvement in fluking as those fish have started moving out of the bays. I joined Capt. Hans Kaspersetz for a short try at fluke in Ambrose Channel on Sheri Berri from Twin Lights Marina in Highlands. We found some action everywhere we tried, but only two keepers were boated along with shorts and sea robins despite good drifting conditions on a fine morning that included a close-up view of the beautiful U.S. Coast Guard Academy's beautiful sailing vessel. Vinnie D'Anton of Shark River Hills found Shark River plugging to be poor Thursday morning before trying the surf at Sea Girt to hook a 25-inch striped bass on a popper that was fought by his grandson Brandon.

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