The weather is getting colder and the Fall Run is ending, but there is a lot of fun fishing still left in the last month of the year...

Photos and Story by Bob Misak

Cool days and empty beaches...

December has rolled in. The hustle and bustle of the tourism season is just a thought, and the beaches are now barren. Even the many beach replenishing efforts seem to have slowed, and a light snow may cover the white sands. The fall run is all but over, and most have gone off hunting, or are putting their rods back up over the garage rafters. But, it's far from over here at the Jersey shore. December, especially in the past few seasons, has been the time when bass move onto the surf in numbers, and can be caught quite easily. These are not the cows everyone chases during the spring and fall, but shorter, cleaner fish. Most are in the 20 to 24 inch range. But, as the past few summers have been warmer going into the winter, masses of sand eels frolicking in the suds have kept the little liners around, and there is a ton of fun to be had along with, yes, a keeper, if you stay at it long enough.

As fall turns to winter and the beaches become empty, fishing opportunities still exist.

Traveling light...

In December you really don't need that big cooler of bunker, you don't need 30 clams in the shell and you don't need an arsenal of forty wooden plugs. I like to pack my pockets with Ava 47's, take a good long flipping stick and walk the sands. Though some sharper surfcasters like to change their tube colors to red or chartreuse, I stick strictly to black...this is the ultimate sand eel imitator. Some of the new cutting edge eel imitators are taking the bass world by "Storm" (pun intended...lol) and, yes, even the Storm company has good stuff to catch post-season stripers. Goggle eyes and other super cool looking sand eel imitators are donned and guys are stationed sporadically up and down the beaches. Bait fishing is not out of the question, but most that do, just put a whole sea clam on and wait. However, bait fishing in winter means you will be sitting, waiting on a cold bucket. Therefore WARM dressing is a must. Fish are sluggish too, and take baits ever so slowly, bouncing the rod so little that sometimes you don't even see it. Walking the beach actually gives you a little blood flow, making things a tiny bit more comfortable. But again, there are keepers in the mix, and a cold water 28 incher on a cold windy December day is just what the doctor ordered for a sweet, clean meal of fish after the "fall melee" has come and gone.

Dan Radel shows off one of several shorts caught on Ava's on a cool December day.

One last shot...

I, for one, never hang up my stuff at all...even in December. I get those black Ava's out, (they fly forever and you can carry 20) and I walk the sands casting. On good days I can catch up to 20 or 25 fish in a morning. It's a blast, and of those 20 fish, I can usually muster a 28 incher to make the effort well worth it. Of course, as in all fishing endeavors, there will be slow days; sometimes I will only get one or two fish, and on rare occasions, none. But after the big striper rush is over and boats are sitting high and dry at the marinas, I'm out on the beach enjoying these important things; tranquility, bass on the hit and if I'm lucky a surprise December meal of bass.

It's all good...

As December rolls along and those short fish get thinner and thinner, I start to think, "Where can I go now?" What to do? Well, as a hunter I have other plans and since I've been doing what I love the most, walking the beach, I am behind. I need to get those deer stands up, trapping season's coming, my buddies are calling me to go rabbit hunting...I am compelled to move on. But, just one more. One more bass. Just one more. I finally feel a good pull on that line. It's a bigger bass. I have to get him in. He rolls up onto the sand and I can see that it will keep. It's a 30 inch fish. It is now December 28th. I fished it out until the last fish. My work is done. Time to go hunting. Good luck and great fishing.

FishinJersey Tip from Bob: When most anglers believe the season is done and no more bass can be kept, it is still legal to fish for striped bass 0-3 nautical miles from the beach in the Atlantic Ocean. Usually fishing with clams or bloodworms will allow anglers to continue to legally catch striped bass.

Those anglers who may continue fishing in bays, rivers or estuaries are required to release any striped bass "bycatch" unharmed. The Striped Bass season is closed in those areas until March 31. Always check the NJ regulations to ensure compliance with applicable state and federal laws.