There usually aren't many surprises from other species when jigging for stripers and blues in December, but I sure had one Saturday off Ocean County while slowly reeling a 6-inch Tsunami Shad off bottom on light spinning tackle from Chuck Many's Ty Man. As soon as I hooked up, I told Many "This is no striper. It feels like a fluke." Sure enough, it was a fluke that at 26 inches was longer than most of the stripers we were catching.. Upon hitting the deck, that greedy fluke spit out a still alive spotted hake of about 10 inches that it hadn't even swallowed before attacking the shad. The relatively slim fluke weighed 7 pounds on Many's IGFA-certified Boga Grip before being released with instructions to head far offshore to the fluke spawning grounds where it should have been at this time of year. Ironically, I had to wait until December to catch my largest fluke of the year. That was the last trip of the season on Ty Man, as it had to come out of its slip at Gateway Marina in Highlands this week. Many was also celebrating his 50th birthday. The stripers provided a fond farewell to their biggest fan who fishes for them every trip from spring to winter – and releases every one. The final release count for the day was 36 stripers, eight big bluefish, and the fluke. Swim shads of various sizes and colors were most effective, and I also caught a couple of surfacing bass on a big pencil popper. Only two of the bass were over 28 inches. Mark Roy of Warren was in the same area catching stripers from his 31-foot Century                           out of Raritan Marina in Laurence Harbor, and I joined him Sunday to make the long run again. Despite a late start, we only had to get to Mantoloking where there were birds picking over splashing stripers. We jigged over 20 bass up to 27 inches on shads while Roy added three stripers on the pencil popper -- and I used that lure to release a big bluefish. The northern Shore was dead last weekend, and skippers weren't sure if the season was over there. Yet, jigging action has returned, and is dominated not by stripers -- but rather by big bluefish. Capt. Rob Semkewyc, of the Sea Hunter from Atlantic Highlands, said the choppers were "relentless" on Thursday, making it difficult to get through to a few keeper, bonus and short stripers. Capt. Ron Santee, of the Fishermen at that port, reported one shot at bass in shallower water as he tried getting away from blues. Miss Belmar Princess made long drifts in surfacing blues while picking a few stripers that included a 34-pounder caught by an angler not in the pool. Dennis Newcombe took the money with a 17-pound blue. Blackfishing has been generally very good. The regulars at Fisherman's Den in Belmar Marina chartered Parker Pete's, and came away with limits while also releasing some large tog. Capt. Nick Alfonse returned to the marina with a limit tog catch on his Reel Mania up to a 12-pound trophy by Michael Chang. Bob Matthews reports winter flounder fishing from the docks remains very good, with some 3-to-4-pounders being caught. Surfcasting has been decent even for those, like Matthews and your reporter who never seem to be at the right place at the right time. I managed two stripers and two hickory shad (on a teaser) Thursday morning at Sea Girt after switching from the light 6-inch Tsunami Eel to the 7-inch weighted version that worked better in the rough surf and strong current. Vinny D'Anton released four small bass on the same lure, and another angler caught a fluke of at least 18 inches on a teaser. The Seaside Park tackle shops have been amazed by the abundance of blues up to 15 pounds in the surf at this time of year. Except for the occasional school striper flurry, there hasn't been much in the way of larger bass lately. Fall offshore bottom fishing has been particularly good. At Brielle, the Jamaica II had its 11th trip of the fall with 50 or more cod on Sunday's 14-hour voyage. Those cod weren't all schoolies either, as Dave Thomas of Paterson boated a 28-pounder, but lost the pool to a 29-pound cod hooked by Young Park from Howell. The cod were in addition to many limits of jumbo sea bass. Frank Pogue of Trenton had a sea bass limit that totaled 48 pounds plus three cod to 14 pounds, two 10-pound pollock and 24 big porgies. The Jamaica's trips to far offshore wrecks have been producing many sea bass limits along with jumbo porgies and quite a few cod. Macccin Korszen from Elmwood Park had a 19-pound cod plus a limit of sea bass and 11scup. Cod up to 17 pounds were included in Tuesday's catch. Those far offshore runs leave at 10 p.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays by reservation. Call 732 528-5014. Check my daily blog at nj.com/shore/blogs/fishing for both fishing information and some Christmas gift ideas for anglers.vv