Back-bay summer flounder action is a great wayto introduce the next generation of anglers to the fun and excitement of shallow-water fishing. Photo by Pete Barrett.

Want to catch plenty of fluke? Try fishing Jersey's back bays; after all, our back bays give up good catches of dinner-sized summer flounder.

Want to catch big fluke? Jersey's back bays are still a good bet. Over half of the winning fish entered in the annual Jersey Coast Anglers Association's statewide fluke tournament are caught inside the coastal inlets in relatively shallow water. The Garden State's back bays are virtual fluke factories. Let's check out seven hotspots that will put more, and bigger, fluke in your cooler this summer.

Over the past few years, all the attention on deep-water fluke fishing has left some of the best back-bay areas with fewer fishermen, more elbowroom and some exceptionally good fishing opportunities.

Reduced competition from fellow anglers makes your recreational experience much more pleasant, and also puts the odds of a good catch more in your favor.

To further improve your chances, time your fishing trips when tidal currents serve up a buffet of grass shrimp, baitfish and crabs for summer flounder to feast upon.

Some seasoned anglers prefer the incoming tide because it sweeps fresh, new water into the many miles of marshes and salt creeks bordering Jersey's coastal back bays.

Yet an equal number of fluke experts believe the falling tide is the better time to fish because as the tide falls, it flushes bait from the shallows.

For trophy catches, concentrate on the first and last half hour of every tide stage. Unlike the smaller fluke, those big bad 5- to 10-pound fish don't waste energy chasing bait that sweeps quickly past them in a fast current. The big ones are opportunistic feeders. They'll eat most aggressively just after and just before the tide change -- when the currents are still swirling, but at moderate speed.

Light-tackle techniques are an advantage for back-bay fishing. Take a tip from the fluke pros and lighten up a little. You'll catch more fluke and have more fun doing it!

Avoid stiff, heavy leaders that make the bait act unnaturally. Use 15- to 20-pound-test monofilament to tie up rigs with more flexibility. That imparts more enticing action and enhances your bait's motion.

The reduced visibility of lighter-test lines helps prevent wary fish from being spooked.

A 2/0 hook is a better choice than a heavy, bulky 6/0 size. Circle hooks are beginning to find great favor among the best fluke anglers and charter skippers. With these hooks, all you need is a slow, gentle lift of your rod tip to make the line come tight and hook nearly every fish that sniffs the bait.

With regulations that require the release of so many short-size fluke, straight-shank J-style hooks are falling out of favor. But the traditional Kahle hook, similar to a circle hook and also known as the English bend hook, is still popular.