Pier & Shore Fishing Outlook 12-10-25

Pier & Shore Fishing Outlook 12-10-25

By David “The Pierpounder” Thornton

We entered meteorological winter in early December, and this mid-month fortnight features the Winter Solstice on the 21st,, also the shortest day of the year. Local fish species and other sea creatures adjust to fewer daylight hours just as they do to cooler water temperatures, by slowing their metabolism. That means natural food is less active and less abundant, and fish have evolved to not feed as often. They are often content to hunker down when the weather is gloomy and cold, but will be more in feeding mode whenever the sun comes out and the water warms up a few degrees. Even a slight increase or decrease in water temp can stimulate or shut off a bite for temperamental winter fish like sheepshead, pompano, whiting, and drum. Anglers need to pay attention to details so they are in the right place at the right time with the right setup in order to catch fish consistently this time of year.
The weather is more unpredictable now with periods of clouds, wind, and rain every few days punctuated by the passage of cold fronts which usually signal a sharp drop in air temperature for the next few days. Eventually the cold air mass moderates because of close proximity to the relatively warmer Gulf, typically in the upper 60s in mid December.
These days can feature sharp temperature contrasts between air and water, leading to sea fog shrouding the coastline. Or, the air may be extremely clear, allowing the sun to penetrate into shallow waters and warming them. This period (usually lasting only a day or maybe two) is when fish generally feed more actively and shallower. But it ends when winds swing around to onshore and dingy the Gulf waters or the sky is gets cloudy again.
Coastal tides figure into the equation as well, and this fortnight begins with a NEAP tide centering on December 12th.
The following week will see much more diurnal tide variation, until waning before the next NEAP tide after Christmas. The average is lowest tide in the morning with an rising tide in the afternoon into evening. This routine can actually aid anglers in choosing more favorable times for gathering bait like ghost shrimp (morning low tide), and fishing the surf zone (afternoon/evening rising tide).
On days when Gulf is fairly calm, an increase of even a foot deeper water in the nearshore trough provides whiting, pompano, and drum with a sense of relative safety to feed closer to shore. That makes them easier to reach for surf fishers especially with lighter tackle which provides a stealthier presentation.
Make no mistake, these fish can be extremely skittish at these times of clear, calm water. This is especially effective for locating whiting schools, but may be applied to actively feeding pompano, black and red drum too.
Remember, the Alabama Marine Resources Division produces a fine calendar each year with monthly tide graphs that can greatly assist anglers in determining these tide trends, and they are FREE! Some years, these are available before Christmas and make great stocking stuffers for shorebound fishermen!
Traditional double drop pompano rigs are more productive in the morning when cast farther from shore, even beyond the longshore sandbar. Though breaks in that sandbar provide ingress and egress for the fish you are seeking. Synthetic bait strips (Fishbites or Fishgum) are probably best suited for casting farther distance with heavier gear. But fish still often respond faster to fresh dead shrimp, and especially to ghost shrimp, so bring the Magic Thread. Often times, experimenting with bait choice and presentation is as important as changing your location to find cooperative fish.
But if you aren’t getting bites within 10 to 15 minutes in one location, don’t be afraid to adjust your casting distance from shore to find feeding fish before relocating. This method of ranging is especially effective when the water is calm but dingy, when water depth cannot be easily determined from shore. In such conditions, even determining (geographically) which areas along the beach are associated with geology (points or troughs) can generally indicate the bottom depth you are fishing, and how far from shore to start fishing. But periodically moving where your bait is relative to your position, or relocating can help you be more productive even as conditions of tide, water, or weather evolve through the day.
Hard structures provided by the jetties of Perdido Pass and the Gulf State Park Pier piling offer refuge and feeding opportunities for other species such as sheepshead, and access to them by shorebound anglers, especially in the case of occasional red snapper at the Pier. As inshore waters cool into the 50s, more sheepshead filter into the relatively warmer nearshore Gulf waters, where they tend to aggregate around these hard structures.
Though their numbers at any particular spot wax and wane depending on environmental factors as much as their natural response of being pressured by anglers. Periods of inclement weather with rough or dingy water tend to relocate individual fish, providing anglers opportunities to find new sheepshead at these same locations as conditions improve.
Anticipating when waters will clear is the best way to be onsite, rigged properly, and be more successful. Anglers who catch the most fish consistently are the ones who are onsite before word spreads that fish are biting there.
Good eating fish are not only found in the deeper water around the Gulf State Park Pier in winter. The shallow end of the pier offers reasonable opportunities as well, though fish like pompano and whiting may show a marked preference to feeding there on one tide phase over the other. Identifying which tide they prefer to feed on can help eliminate fruitless hours of fishing empty water.
This even holds true for more specific locations like Little Lagoon Pass where wade fishers are generally more successful in the late afternoon into evening when currents provided by rising (incoming) tides get speckled trout, redfish, croaker, and flounder more in a feeding mood. And don’t forget that flounder (legal sized) may once again be retained in Alabama.
The west jetty at Perdido Pass provides a lot of structure for sheepshead to graze upon or seek refuge from stronger currents. Most anglers gravitate to the end of the jetty, but the current is most focused there, as it is along the seawall near the bridge.
Savvy anglers know to only fish these locations around the tide change or on the days near a NEAP tide when currents are not too swift. Otherwise, they have specific spots scouted out during stronger current periods that provide eddies or breaks in those currents to allow sheepshead or other fish to congregate there.
Bluefish are another great winter target species around the jetties. They may even be caught on lures (hard or soft) at times, though they always seem to intercept some of the live shrimp intended for sheepshead.
Winter bluefish are a lot of fun on medium class tackle and are fine for eating as well. They are best when bled out and quickly iced to help the flesh from degrading and flaking apart.