The 2007 fishing season is here. And it's going to be interesting to see what's in store this season for anglers seeking the big five: stripers, blues, weakfish, summer flounder and tuna.

Once again, recreational fishermen have been made to pay -- not only for the sins of commercial fishermen, but for the incompetence of both the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), this time with the summer flounder (fluke) regulations.

As of a March 1 vote, the New Jersey Marine Fisheries Commis-sion unanimously voted on the new summer flounder regulations. The 2007 season will run from May 26 to Sept. 10, with a 17-inch minimum size limit and an eight-fish-per-day bag limit.

Fortunately, the Magnuson Act --the federal legislation that deals with saltwater fisheries -- was renewed. As part of the revamped act, three years were added on to the current Fluke Management Plan, and this gives recreational anglers a reprieve from the unreasonable quotas that NMFS was originally demanding (5.1 million pounds for 2007).

Under the new Magnuson Act, the fluke quota was set at 17.1 million pounds for 2007, 19.2 million pounds in 2008, 21 million pounds in 2009, and 24 million pounds in 2010. While recreational fishermen will still have to take a hit, at least it won't come close to shutting down the season, as was originally thought.

Fishermen have every right to be disgusted with both federal agencies, the NMFS in particular. They're to blame for a Summer Flounder Management Plan that had unattainable goals.

The fluke biomass is in very good shape. Even with the ludicrous MURFS study, the fishery is better now than it was 10 years ago and continues to grow. However, expecting it to reach the 215 million-pound biomass by 2010 was doomed from the start. Because of all the uncontrollable factors involved, fisheries simply don't grow that fast.

There is no need for further restrictions on the recreational fishery. And if the 2006 regulations are kept in place for several more years, the fluke population will continue to grow.

When it comes to the fishing in 2007, the other joker in the deck will be the weather. Last season saw a good spring that produced some very good striped bass fishing. And a decent summer served up some exceptional bluefishing and decent fluke catches.

What does the weatherman have in store for us this season? It's anybody's guess. So keep your fingers crossed that Mother Nature deals us some good cards this year.