A 5-gallon bucket with a utility lid is a valuable tool for the bridge fisherman. No one needs a hook in the face, and you don’t want your rod ripped out of your hands. Also, keep watch for small boats that might run through the shallower gaps in bridge pilings. With any bridge fishing technique, avoid fishing directly into a busy boating channel. In areas where grouper frequent rock piles, reefs or channel edges, let the tide drift a diving plug about 50 to 60 yards downstream, then point your rod at the water and reel to pull the plug across the strike zone. Kiting up in the water, the spoon resembles a fleeing baitfish and tempts the toothy fish. Carefully cast the lengthy rig (look behind you first), let the weight drop to the bottom and then reel fast. When mackerel, bluefish, barracuda and other high-speed predators abound, modify the basic Carolina rig by pegging the weight against the bead with a bobber stop, extending the leader to 4 to 5 feet and replacing the hook with a silver spoon. First, consider that angled structures extend much farther than their surface position, so allow appropriate spacing to avoid immediately snagging on barnacles and accumulated sea growth. That being said, while bridge pilings, abutments and fenders (structures guarding the main channel) attract fish with their current breaks and abundant food sources, fishing near these structures requires measured casts and constant attention. In other words, rather than fishing at a sharp angle beneath the bridge, switch sides (when possible) and fish out and away with greater control. Equipped with stainless steel split rings and 4X-strong VMC treble hooks, Kastmaster XL is deadly for stripers, bluefish, bonito, albacore, seatrout, salmon, spanish mackerel and other gamefish. Tide direction will switch throughout the day, so always work with the water for the most natural presentations and the lowest risk of entanglements. Precision machined, Kastmaster XL is equally effective whether cast, trolled or jigged. Check daily tide charts and plan your trip around the optimal flow and consider that the strongest tides occur during the full and new moon cycles, while quarter moons typically bring lesser flow. If you must fish strong tides, make an uptide cast under the bridge and let your bait drift naturally away from the structure. Moderate tides are usually the most productive because too much current makes it hard to target specific areas, as your bait moves through the zone too quickly. Generally, fish bite best when the water’s moving, as the tides bring food past bridge pilings, channel edges and any adjacent structure, like construction rubble.
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