Joe Melillo, at Castaways Tackle in Point Pleasant, said boaters did very well with fluke Thursday in Manasquan River. Tank Matraxia joined a friend from Lyndhurst on his trailered boat Thursday as they caught seven keeper fluke up to 22 inches between Shewsbury River and Ambrose Channel.

Paul Haertel of the JCAA details Saturday's contest as follows 22nd Annual JCAA Fluke Tournament - 50K Prize - 8 6 16 50,000 Cash for the largest fluke over 12 lbs in our doormat fluke category Drawing for G-3 boat, Yamaha motor and trailer 1200 cash first place prize for the largest fluke in each of our nine ports regardless of the number of entrants. The surf is about the same with good numbers of kingfish being caught, a lot of fluke (mostly shorts) at The Point, and some spike weakfish.

The unexpected gusty northeast wind put a big dent in morning fishing along the Shore, but Capt. Ron Santee said it worked out just fine in Raritan Bay as there were lots of keeper fluke on his Fishermen from Atlantic Highlands. That was quite a contrast to the Shore, Vinnie D'Anton and I were casting from the shore into Shark River as we watched the Big Mohawk from Belmar head out with a big Monday crowd of fluke anglers -- only to watch that large party boat return a half-hour later.

Fluke fishing was very good today in the Raritan Bay area. At Seaside Park, Betty Nick's reports good fluking in the surf along with small blues on mullet as there's lots of bait in the surf from Midway Beach south. Night sharking is producing some browns and sand tigers. 

The drift over rough bottoms was no good for fluke, without even a short being hooked, though we ended up just one sea bass short of a boat limit during the current two per man regulation before Joseph returned a bit early in order to deal with filleting hundreds of fish. The 5th annual Salt Water Anglers of Bergen County Fluke Tournament is coming up on Saturday, August 13, with weigh-ins at Twin Lights Marina in Highlands, Fisherman's Den in Belmar Marina, and Clarks Landing in Point Pleasant.