Bridges:Are very productive due to the lighting above which casts shadows on the water which in turn attracts bait.Fish these shadow lines (I think this was discussed in another thread) Don't cast into them bring the offering to them using the water flow (rubber shads and bucktails are best) this way it looks natural to the bass and they don't get spooked.
The concrete foundations and any other rising structure off the bottom that the bass can use will be where the bass are hiding waiting for a meal to get washed by w/ the tide and or current.(remember tide and current are two different things.)
The bass use these structures because the water flows around them resulting in less current for them to hold and feed and also pass more oxygen over the gills. Bass love structure they don't like to leave it. On the turn of the tide they may just move to the other side of the structure they were in.They use this because it is the easiest way to feed and utilize the meal to the max by using the least amount of energy to feed.So they do not have to eat so much.Unlike bluefish that are usually eating non stop because they are always on the move and using most if not all of the energy they are getting from their food.
Keep an eye out for rips and eddies by bridges this is good structure also at certain times.One thing I like to do if I have the room is stand at an angle to the bridge and cast out in front of the concrete foundations w/rubber shads and let them sink(you will need different wts. according to current) as they drift to the bridge stantcion or even slightly under I start a slow retrieve to try and coax the bass out of hiding.I fish every one I can reach.As the tide dies and the current is still running I like to fish parallel to the bridge and see what happens then I will switch sides and cast at an angle to the stantions on that side.
If I'm fishing a bridge I will fish it hard with any method that jumps in my head if it doesn't happen I'll start fishing the shoreline with a large swimmer and try and pull something out of an eddy,rip or deep hole off the shore.This is a time when you stumble over new structure, take notes or if your young keep it in your head thats one less spot you need to find.I don't like to move much unless I'm on a beach, I feel the more time I spend in one area thats new to me
the more I learn about it no matter what the results were.You can also move away from the bridge a little and toss some bait in the water if you like.
If you frequent one spot and see familiar faces take mental notes on what they are doing and when they are doing it.Sometimes you get lucky and they will chat with you take mental notes.My cousin who started me w/offshore fishing when I was 8 always says till this day "Keep your mouth shut and your ears wide open you'll be surprised at what you learn"
Structure is part one of the bass puzzle whether it be on the beach,inlet or in a river.Learning the different structures is #1 on the list then you can start to put the rest of the puzzle together.
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Originally Posted by cowherder
