Fish On Flounder season is almost here RON NUZZOLO All we can do now is wait for water temperatures to rise as New Jersey charter boat captains and anglers prepare for striped bass andwinter flounder fishing to turn on.With bass season already on, winter flounder season in the Garden State starts March 23through May 21 with a 12-inch minimum size and a 10-fish limit. Now is a good time to reflect on what we learned from last season and how to make this season more productive. I look forward to a healthy 2008. To find out where and when the bass and flounder turn on, log onto NJSaltWater-fisherman.com Weather is probably more on my mind, good, bad or otherwise. The reason is simple whether it be hot or cold,wind velocity or direction, precipitation amounts and or forms, and cloud cover or a lack there of, they will all play a major roll on the day's fishing strategy or the next or so on . So with that being said, every trip starts with a good understanding of the weather for that day. The next step is always insuring equipment (boat, tackle and rods) is in tip-top shape; it is accomplished easier to always maintain your equipment at all times. Depending on the type of fishing, bait should always be secured one to two days ahead of time, especially if it happens to be specialty bait [live bait]. If your bait is fragile and does not hold up well, this is where weather comes back into play as making a special bait order with impending bad weather can put you in a bind with the bait shop. Mornings come real early depending on the time of the year. Somemornings start as early as 3:30 a.m. I will usually be at the boat 45 minutes before departure, getting some last-minute details finished all the while rechecking the weather for any updates that could impact the day's plan.Once the clients arrive and welcomed aboard and their gear stowed, there is a quick safety course on locations of personal flotation devices, fire extinguishers and safe casting techniques until it is time to push off and see what the sea will give up that day. I must admit as much as I love to be out on the water, as much as I am there it is always a little angst until that first bent rod or the silence is interrupted by "fish on!" There is nothing likewhen your trip has just started and your clients are high-fiving each other, laughing and having a great time catching fish after fish until arm weary! Then there are dayswhen you can feel something is amiss and each fish is going to be hard earned, each missed hit could make or break a day. For instance, I have had days where the only fish boxed was a single 40- plus-pound striper (yes, it is a catch of most people's lifetime) but that one fish, if lost, could have been catastrophic! There is a saying, "Abad day's fishing is better than a good day atwork"; yes this is a true statement unless your job is fishing. Still, every day is a blessing that I love to be part of