There's not a lot of variety in local winter fishing, but blackfishing has remained pretty consistent when the wind is west. Wednesday wasn't very good for the Ocean Explorer and Big Mohawk from Belmar in a lumpy sea created by a northeast wind, but it should pick back up again with calmer seas. The far offshore wrecks aren't as effected by the seas, and the Jamaica from Brielle found plenty of life out there last Saturday with big porgies along with some cos, pollock, mackerel, bluefish, ling and a big silver eel (conger). That trip will be run every Saturday through February at 2 a.m. by reservation. Call 732 528-5014. There are many attractions coming up for anglers this winter.The Canyon Runner Seminar at Atlantic City on Jan. 28 is almost sold out. Call Adam La Rosa at 732 272-4445 The New York Boat Show runs at the convention center from Jan. 25-29. The Raritan Bay Fishing Flea Market will be held at the Rutgers Student Center on Feb. 4, while the Hi-Mar Striper Club's flea market is on Feb. 11 at the Port Monmouth VFW. The Jersey Shore Surfasters Surf Day is on Feb. 18 in Brookdale Community College. The New Jersey Boat Sale & Expo runs from Feb. 16-19 at the N.J. Convention & Expo Center in Edison. The big show for saltwater anglers, the Saltwater Expo, moves into the Garden State Expo Center at Somerville from March 17 to 19.  George Poveromo's Salt Water Sportsman Seminar is set for the Linwood Country Club near Atlantic City on Feb. 25. The $55 tickets can be ordered by calling 800 448-7360. There's been no encouraging news about fluke management except that the state has been standing firm on its position in favor of status quo regulations. However, it will be impossible stay with that unless the ASMFC adopts status quo as an option. As noted in a recent column,Congressman Frank Pallone sent a letter, cosigned by other representatives plus Senator Cory Booker, to Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker requesting that she have NOAA Fisheries adopt status quo for summer flounder. Not surprisingly, there was no reply from her during the dying days of the Obama administration. Pallone will resubmit that vital request to the new Secretary of Commerce, and there is hope that the Trump administration's emphasis on jobs will produce a friendly approach to the only action that can prevent the economic disaster of a 19-inch minimum with a very short fluke season. Those tired of cold weather and limited fishing can get a break with a quick trip to the Florida Keys. I fished Monday with Capt. Rick Stanczyk in his flats boat out of Bud N' Mary's Marina in Islamorada as he ran far out in the back country where we fished light spinning tackle with small jigs topped with live shrimp to release snook, redfish (red drum), black drum, spotted sea trout, ladyfish and mangrove snappers .The isolated back country is a world of its own, where crocodiles are commonly spotted in the mangrove creeks. Stanczyk can be contacted at 800 72-7945. The marina has a big fleet of flats guides plus offshore charter boats -- plus lodging both on land and in houseboats. Those willing to go overseas can't go wrong with sailfishing in Guatemala, which is the most consistent I've ever experienced. The follow release from South Fishing tell the story: 2016 CVL Billfish Season The final tallies of the 2016 Casa Vieja Lodge Billfish Season are in and they are breathtaking. Drumroll please:   28,051 raises 23,535 bites 13,949 releases All of these numbers can be found on our daily fishing reports HERE, where you can search by date, boat, or even species. A disclaimer that not all 9 boats of the fleet fish everyday either. A large portion of these numbers come in the bulk of our season January-May, and then again October-December, so these numbers truly are spectacular and made for a lot of rigged bait! Compare that to the 2015 total of 18,250 raises, 14,627 bites, 8,250 releases, and 2016 proved to be a recording breaking year in Guatemala.ALERT: Last minute openings- In January and February these are the only dates we have available. Please call us at 1-866-854-4665 to reserve these dates immediately.Jan 17-19: El Cadejo (35' ST Contender)Feb 6-8: Spindrift (38' Stolper), El Cadejo & Pez Raton (35' ST Contender)