A series of fluke tournaments begins this month, starting with the 36th annual Sandy Hook Bay Anglers Club two-day contest out of Atlantic Highlands on July 15-16. Call Brian Dunn at 732 787-4008 for information. The Raritan Bay Anglers Club holds their 27th Charity Fluke Tournament out of Perth Amboy that Saturday, July 15. The entry fee is $120 a boat, and the captains meeting is on July 13 at the Moose Lodge in Perth Amboy. Visit www.raritanbayanglersclub.com for registration. The 23rd annual Point Pleasant Elks Fluke Tournament will be contested on July 22, with the captains meeting the previous evening in the Elks Club. The entry fee is $145 per boat with up to four anglers. Visit www.pointpleasantelks.org. The Jersey Coast Anglers Association's Jersey Coast Fluke Tournament will be run statewide on August 5. The boat entry fee is $130 until July 24 -- and then $160. There are also early entry prizes for those signing up through July 24. The entry fee covers up to six anglers, and there are nine ports to choose from. Many Calcuttas are available to build up the prize pot which includes 10 prizes at each of the ports. For information visit JCAA.org -- or call 732 506-6975. Hopefully, fluke fishing will remain open for all the tournaments as the state has been out-of-compliance with ASMFC regulations all season. The DEP has made its case with Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, and it's up to him to take action at this point. We wouldn't have had a shot during the previous administration when environmentalists were in charge and the NMFS director didn't even answer a letter from Democratic Congressmen requesting status quo for fluke until a new stock assessment is completed. With the new administration's emphasis on jobs and economic growth, there's a good chance that Ros may put off closing the fishery until after the season ends. National recreational fishing groups have heaped praise on him for his appointments to the fishery management councils. It also may help that he's a native of Weehawken Capt. Stan Zagleski can testify how important that 18-inch minimum is. He had a hot bite last month when fluke moved into Shrewsbury River one day, and he counted 60 keepers on his Elaine B II from Bahrs in Highlands. Yet, if the DEP hadn't held out for the 18-inch minimum only three of those fluke would have been legal in the ASMFC 19-inch regulation. Ocean fluke fishing has been improving when drifting conditions are right, and the two sea bass per man presently allowed has helped provide some meat for the table. That even applies to the bluefish boats, as they are filling in with sea bass when choppers are scarce. Doormat fluke have been even scarcer than normal so far, but Dave Lilly of Hazlet took a run offshore Sunday morning and boated a 29-incher that pulled his Boga Grip to 10.2 pounds. The Angler from Atlantic Highlands had a new monthly and yearly pool leader on Wednesday when Ray Slobowski from Toms River boated a 27.5-inch, 8 5/8-pound fluke. Jim Hutchinson Sr. reports summer has arrived in Beach Haven, and the fishing action is improving for the captains of the Beach Haven Charter Fishing Association. He notes that "Water temperatures in both the bay and ocean have climbed back to near normal levels, and the summer flounder are responding in a big way. The black sea bass season has re-opened, making trips to inshore wrecks and artificial reefs more interesting. In addition, the offshore waters are becoming active with catches of tuna, mahi-mahi, sharks, and billfish becoming more common. The Beach Haven Marlin and Tuna Club held its annual "Fluke A Mania" fishing tournament last Saturday, July 1, and the junior mates of the BHCFA were on hand helping out cleaning fish. Captain Ray Raymond had Irmee Lopez, Andrew Goldman, and Max Goldman out on the Miss Liane fishing the tournament to help benefit the fight for a cure of Cystic Fibrosis. Despite foggy conditions, the crew fished local spots and wrecks in the ocean where Irmee Lopez caught a 22 inch fluke weighing in at 3.44 pounds. This earned her second place in the woman's category./p> Captain Gary Dugan of Irish Jig Sportfishing is very pleased over his fishing results of the past week. He notes the fishing is "progressively getting better." He recorded a 69-degree temperature in the ocean which he termed a huge improvement."