Following is Friday's column as submitted: SL1-17-14RISTORI FOR FRIDAYFLUKE REGS CREATING A LIVELY DEBATEby Al RistoriThere was lots of anger over restrictive fluke regulations at Tuesday's Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) public hearing in Toms River, but most of those present opted for a continuation of conservation equivalency rather than regional management. Almost everyone present disputed the catch data which had N.J. well over quota last year (with 1,197,457 fluke harvested -- by far the highest of all states) requiring a 21 percent reduction in 2014. Party and charter boat skippers, tackle shop owners, and private anglers all wondered how we could have caught so many fluke after Sandy's devastation resulted in marinas being destroyed along with hundreds of boats. Participation was way down, and there was widespread complaint about not being able to catch a 17 1/2-inch keeper, yet we'll be facing the same prospect this year.It could be even worse with a regional management that would join N.J. with Connecticut and New York -- and provide an 18-inch minimum, with four fluke in a 128-day season -- an option clearly designed to aid N.Y. that would soon lead to higher minimums for Jersey anglers. On the other hand, the favored Status Quo Option 1 has a similar coastwise season while allowing for conservation equivalency.  According to the Division of Fish & Wildlife representative at the hearing,  the alternatives to be presented to the public under that option will probably be (all based on a 5-fluke bag) the same 17 1/2 inches as in 2013 with a 94-day season; or 18 inches for 120 days; or 18 1/2 inches for 184 days.      Option 2 is designed to work with Option 1 to provide utilization of quota not required by other states for those that have to take reductions. In 2013, that enabled N.J. to extend it's fluke season while N. Y. was able to reduce its minimum by a half-inch.The lack of support for regional management will be a big disappointment to N.Y. Senator Chuck Schumer who's been pushing that concept on the ASMFC, and has even introduced a bill to require it. Unfortunately, regional management by states makes no biological sense. That concept could work if it were based on combining areas with similar fisheries rather than observing state lines.  Comments can be e-mailed to krootes-murdy@asmfc.org through Jan. 24. There will be more about prospects for fluke and sea bass in future columns plus my blog at nj.com/shore/blogs/fishing -- which will revert to the winter weekly schedule next week. Capt. Hans Kaspersetz of Weehawkin fished aboard Capt. Chad Hacker's Tagged Fish from Bahrs in Highlands yesterday and came up with not only his tautog of a lifetime -- but also the boat's largest ever. She hit a whitelegger crab, and was weighed on the dock at 16 pounds, 9 ounces. Kaspersetz said he would have released the very old tog if it hadn't been quickly gaffed. He also boated a 15-pound cod, and noted that blackfishing was good along with some ling and a few small cod. The Jamaica II from Brielle had good fishing for ling up to 5 pounds on its last Mud Hole trip, along with a few pollock up to the pool-winning 16-pounder by Ray Bryant. They'll be sailing at 5 a.m. Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays for ling and cod -- and at 3 a.m. Saturdays on a 14-hour trip for cod and pollock.    The melting snow and ice has driven inshore water temperatures very low, but there's still hope for some school stripers. Joe Melillo, at Castaways Tackle in Point Pleasant, reported that Mickey Sweeney plugged a 22-incher yesterday morning -- the first report since before the snowstorm. There's still hope since school stripers hit throughout January last year even in very cold waters. I actually had good action last Jan. 17, releasing five bass from 16 to 27 inches between Sea Girt and Point Pleasant that afternoon on the Tsunami 6-inch Eel and a black Mambo Minnow. My final bass last winter was a 17-incher on Jan. 29. The Canyon Runner Tuna, Marlin & Sword Seminar, set for Jan. 25 in Atlantic City, is almost sold out. Every offshore angler can benefit from that full day of seminars, and there are new subjects included every year by the pros who accounted for 158 bigeye tuna in the canyons last year along with two major tournament wins. Call Adam La Rosa at 732 842-6825 for tickets and information. The Canyon Runner fleet is also almost sold out for the late winter bluefin tuna fishing off N.C. that's the best action for that species all year -- but they've added another boat to handle their overflow. George Poveromo will be returning to the Shore with his Salt Water Sportsman Seminar Series on Jan. 25. The location is the Performing Arts Theater in Long Branch Middle School from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Among the local experts on hand will be Captains Lou Grazioso, Steve Purul, Bryan Di Leo, and Austin Perelli -- plus Nick Honachefsky. The $55 tickets can be ordered by calling 800 448-7360. There wasn't enough space in last week's column for the  "conclusion" of last year's review -- which follows:The pattern of hot striper fishing between the channels in the fall continued each morning as anglers enjoyed great sport jigging and casting among swirling bass while those seeking meat could limit out quickly by trolling rigs on wire line.  Party boats did best on the roughest days as the bite would last longer with few boats around. Gary Quon of Tady Lures in California fished aboard Sheri Berri from Baker's Marina on the Bay in Highlands with his friends from Brooklyn on Nov. 5 to demonstrate how well those metal jigs worked on stripers feeding on sand eels. Once again, it was a red hot bite for the first half-hour or so as I slow-retrieved the Heavy (7 ounce) Chrome Tady to quickly release five legal bass while Quon and his crew utilized other Tadys just as effectively.Stripers were fussy on metal when I  fished Nov. 11 with Chuck Many of Annandale  and Nellie Greer from Bethlehem, Pa. on Many's Tyman from Gateway Marina Highlands, but the 7-inch Tsunami Swim Eel was hot until big blues ate my supply. Many added a split-shot ahead of the lighter 6-inch Tsunami Eel to get it down where it worked as well. I also had some surface action with pencil poppers on bass  up to 37 inches off Sandy Hook that day. During another trip aboard Tyman on Nov. 22, Brad Knecht of Nazareth, Pa. made his first cast off Sandy Hook on light spinning tackle with a diamond jig that snagged a 6-foot sturgeon in the pectoral fin before the mystery fish was  released after a long battle. We  ended up releasing 59 stripers up to Greer's 37 1/2-incher, but most were shorts that day. Eeling in the channels was disappointing, but I got in one short trip with Gene Graman on his That's It from Twin Lights Marina in Highlands as Fred Fessel and I caught four bass and a big blue on Nov. 6 despite very rough conditions and voracious spiny dogfish.   By the time I made my last boat trip aboard Sheri Berri on Dec. 4 it was all small shorts for Joe Blaze of Brielle and Dave Cheli from Spring Lake until my 50th bass turned out to be a 37-incher on the same Tsunami 6-inch Swim Eel that was attracting the schoolies. Blaze released 26 bass on a fly as the count ended at 110. END