Following is Friday's column as submitted: SL3-7-14RISTORI FOR FRIDAYANGLERS HOPING FOR END OF ICE AGE WINTERby Al RistoriThis bitter cold and snowy winter has been one for the record books, but there's hope ahead. Milder temperatures should permit fishing this weekend, and stripers could be biting within  a few weeks even though snow melt-off will keep water temperatures low for some time.Our early run in Raritan Bay consists of Hudson Rver stripers that don't have far to go when conditions become favorable for feeding. After a couple of poor years, that fishery improved greatly last spring -- which was fortunate because the ocean fishery was generally poor. Stripers Forever, the no-fee e-mail group fighting to make stripers a game fish all along the coast, reported 78 percent of its members said they caught fewer stripers last year compared to just 4 percent who caught more. I was among the latter, but mostly due to the Raritan Bay fishing. The 362 stripers I caught, including 159 over 28 inches which were almost all released, was a big jump from 120 the year before -- but still well below my best volume year of 755 in 1998. What we'll see out of later ocean runs coming up from Chesapeake and Delaware bays is something else. The Virginia winter fishery was a disaster, as the prime December open season produced few trophy bass while most anglers were shut out. Consider that in 2012 the Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament gave 107 citations for stripers 50 pounds or more which included 11 of 60 pounds or more -- and the 74-pound state record. After the open season in the bay ended on Dec. 31, there was a similar situation in the still open ocean waters. The Jan. 9-11 Mid-Atlantic Rockfish Shootout had a  $217,000 purse, but it had to be drawn for as not  a single bass was weighed.Chuck Many of Annandale moors his Tyman in Cape Charles for the often sensational catch-and release fishing during the bay closed season, but the several runs of up to 150 miles a day he made were virtually fruitless. Where the Chesapeake spawners were hiding was a mystery. Yet, after four tagging trips (starting Jan. 27) for the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries without even seeing a fish, the Midnight Sun from Ocean City, Md. got a tip about birds on fish off the Chesapeake Light Tower -- and went out to the federal waters where they had permission to tag. Despite rough conditions, they tagged 116 stripers the first day and 274 the next -- when 68 were over 40 inches, including 15 to 20 over 50 pounds. The largest was a 56-incher pulling the scale down between 74 and 75 pounds!  Hopefully, those stripers will have a successful spawn to maintain the long-time viability of the stocks. The 2011 class was one of the best ever, but the last two were poor. The ASMFC has put off any action to tighten regulations until 2015. The 9th Somerset Saltwater Fishing Epo will run from next Friday through Sunday, March 14-16, at the  Garden State Exhibit Center, located off Exit 10 of I-287. I'll be providing a seminar on Raritan Bay striped bass fishing at 11:30 a.m. that Saturday, during which Tady Lure Co. from California will give the first 100 attendees one of their jigs which owner Gary Quon proved to be effective on stripers between the channels when he fished with me and Capt. Hans Kaspersetz in November. The Marine Fisheries Council approved a new winter flounder season of March 1 to Dec. 31 at yesterday's meeting in the Galloway Township Library. The only problem is the paperwork that has to be accomplished before it becomes official. Therefore, the opening probably won't happen until the previously-established March 23.  The limit remains two at a 12-inch minimum.Paul Haertel of the JCAA reported from that meeting that nothing could be done about setting the fluke season until there's a March 13 conference call among the states in our new region (N.Y. and Ct.) to iron out details. This will be taken up at a special Marine Fisheries Council meeting on April 3 at 4 p.m. in the Stafford Township Municipal Building. Check my blog at nj.com/shore/blogs/fishing for more information.   Capt. Howard Bogan reports Saturday's offshore wreck trip with his Jamaica from Brielle only produced a pick of cod and pollock. Carlos Gonzalez of the Bronx won the pool with a 25-pound cod over a 20-pounder by Mike Vastola from Lavallette. Rob Finkle bagged both an 18-pound cod and a 10-pound pollock. In addition to tomorrow's 1 a.m. offshore wreck trip, Bogan has added a 3 a.m. mid-range wreck sailing on Sunday. Call 732 528-5014 for details.Capt. Butch Egerter is at the Dauntless dock in Point Pleasant Beach every day, but has only been getting out on weekends for a pick of ling and an occasional cod in very cold waters.Bob Matthews, at Fisherman's Den in Belmar Marina, reports the Ocean Explorer has been picking some ling and cod in 200-foot depths.  Matthews is working hard to get his skiffs in the water in time for the upcoming winter flounder season. Capt. Pete Wagner left continued hot sailfishing in Los Suenos, Costa Rica on his Dream Girl in order to get some work done on his Hyper Striper which will begin sailing out of Twin Lights Marina in Highlands for stripers on April 6. While we've been setting records for cold, it's been just the opposite in the Florida Keys. Capt. Jeff Pfister says there's been a early run of big tarpon at the Islamorada-area  bridges he fishes with live mullet in the middle of the night, when there's no competition.  Permit have also been plentiful, but the spotted seatrout bite has been slow so far.  He can be reached at 305 451-5903.  END