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Captain's Focus

Fluke fishermen have up until midnight Friday to sign up for Saturday's Jersey Coast Anglers Association Fluke Tournament which will be contested statewide at nine ports from Jersey City to Cape May with identical sets of 10 prizes at each -- starting at $1,200 cash. Beyond that, there's the opportunity to win $50,000 by boating the biggest fluke exceeding 12 pounds. Those entering can even become a big winner without catching a single fish as prizes worth thousands of dollars will be raffled off at the Aug. 10 Awards Party in Clarion Hotel, Toms River -- topped by a Starcraft/Yamaha/Yacht Club trailer rig. Visit my Wednesday daily blog at nj.com/shore/blogs/fishing for the complete JCAA press release.  The entry fee per boat (up to 6 anglers) is $160. You may sign up online until midnight Friday. For complete details and/or to register online visit www.jcaa.org or call the JCAA office at 732-506-6975. Fluke fishing in the ocean has improved greatly. Bob Matthews, at Fisherman's Den in Belmar Marina feels that last Saturday's northeast storm got the fluke moving, and most boats have been reporting some limit catches -- though he still hasn't weighed a doormat this season. White has been the hot color in Gulp. What Matthews did weigh Wednesday was the first sheepshead he's ever seen. A diver speared it in the inlet, and it was 6 5/16 pounds. There are loads of snappers at the docks, making this a perfect time to get kids down for some fast action. The northern fluke fleet is also into that revived fluking. At Atlantic Highlands, the Angler reported its best fluking of the season on Monday. Ray Slodowski of Toms River held onto his July monthly pool lead with a 8 5/8-pound fluke to win $1360, but was pushed that last day by Archie Stewart of Nutley with 6 1/2 and 7 1/2 pounders. Bill Karg of Millington, who won last year's seasonal pool, took the August monthly lead on Tuesday with an 8-pound, 9-ounce fluke, and combined with his brother Tom to catch 12 fluke over 18 inches. Some black drum broke lines Thursday, but one was caught Capt. Ron Santee watched Joe Sullivan limit on both fluke and sea bass while winning a pool with a 7 1/2-pound fluke on the Fishermen.  Santee said a slow drift hurt Thursday's fluking, but he stayed overtime as the pool fish was over 7 pounds -- and Capt. Ron Sr, had a 6 1/2-pounder. Tank Matraxia of Lyndhurst joined an open trip on Tuesday with Capt. John Contello on Just Sayin from Keyport for a run to Sea Girt Reef where Rich Bizzari boated a 10 1/2-pound doormat. Fluking was good there, but they ended up at the Rattlesnake as a boat limit of 24 fluke plus big sea bass was completed. Matraxia said he had the fluke of his dreams 3/4 of the way up when a knot pulled out.  Matraxia was back with Contello with his charter on Thursday as 15 fluke plus sea bass were caught. Matraxia was thrilled when another angler caught an 11 1/2-inch sea bass he had tagged while fishing with me and Capt. Hans Kaspersetz on Sheri Berri from Twin Lights in Highlands just a few weeks ago. The largest fluke was a 7 1/2-pounder taken by the skipper's father, but the biggest thrills involved sand tiger sharks. Three were hooked, but only one was brought alongside despite a broken rod -- and it was estimated at 300 pounds. Though their teeth look like a mako's, sand tigers are actually a lazy bottom shark that's not often caught north of Delaware Bay. Completing an exceptional day, three pelicans were spotted sitting on a buoy in Sandy Hook Channel on the way home. The Jamaica from Brielle has room on Sunday's 10 p.m. sailing for tilefish. Call 732 528-5014 for reservations. Capt. Howard Bogan has been finding some bluefish off and on, but coming up with loads of chub mackerel plus some sea bass and ling. Saturday's weather put a damper on the Beach Haven Marlin & Tuna Club White Marlin Invitational as the weights of winning fish were modest after several days of good weather. The 31 boats fishing two days only managed three released white marlin, 26 tuna, two wahoo and six dolphin. There were no bigeyes, and Jersey Nutz was the big winner with a 62.5-pound yellowfin runa that was worth $78,400. Smokin' Again won in wahoo at 32.5 pounds, and Melina took the dolphin crown with a mere 14.2-pounder. Names and other details haven't been posted as yet. The big game crowd moves down to Ocean City, Md. for the big-money White Marlin Open from Aug. 7-11. I'll have a late blog with results from that contest.

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