Flagler Memorial Bridge?

[Trickerie]

Hey all,

Been awhile! Been getting more into inshore fishing, and heard Flagler bridge was pretty awesome for snook. Any advice in where and how to fish it? I'd be fishing on foot

Thanks!

[Bassn Blvd]

I've fished the the West Palm Beach bridges for 35 years and might know a thing or two. I fished the Okeechobee Blvd bridge all the time during Snook season. My personal favorite time to fish the bridge is the last 2 hours of the incoming tide and/or the first two hours of the outgoing tide. I prefer the last 2 hours of the incoming. Why? No reason. I guess I like facing north when I fish, lol.

The two most important factors of catching Snook from the bridge are lights and moving water. Dont waste time on slack or dead low tide and don't waste your time if the lights are out (rarley do they burn out). Concentrate on the edge of the shadows. Work your bait along the edge of the shadows, most strikes are going to ocurr there.

I prefer live bait, a 8-10' heavy bridge rod and straight 60 pound mono, or #40 mono with "60 momo leader. I like the long rod so I can hoist (flip) the snook up from the water. You can also make a bridge gaff or buy a bridge net.

You can use artificial but you will need a bridge gaff or bridge net to get your snook up.

I like the Okee bridge better than the Flagler bridge because it's been recently rebuilt. The sidewlk is wider (safer), better lights and easier to fish. But both bridges hold lots of snook and are good to fish. I believe the Flagler bridge is being rebuilt or they are going to build a new bridge next it.

[Trickerie]

Thanks for the info! I'll try both. I've designated Thursdays as my "go fishing no matter what" days so ill hit them in the next two weeks. Whats the most cost effective way to get some live bait? I'm not real experienced in the salt side of fishing (thats weird since I've lived in south florida all of my life, eh? Lol)

[Bassn Blvd]

The best way to get your bait is with a castnet. You can also use pieces of cut shrimp or squid to catch live sandperch and croaker, but castnetting mullet is the easiest, fastest and most effective.

[SirSnookalot]

Bassn is right on.

I do it different, I only fish artificial and do not fish bridges. I fish the sea wall about a 1/4 mile noth of Flagler bridge on the Palm Beach side, you can legally park on any residential street and you are very close to the water. I walk the bike path fishing both the seal wall and cast along side the many docks. Snook are not my primary target there, this area is known for really large jack crevelles and believe they show up. I'll fish snook until about 20 minutes before sunrise, I then put on my top lure (grab a heavier rod too) and wait for the jacks to show up. If they show up, which may not always happen, they crash the sea wall, it looks like a tsunami. Jacks are in out and gone..............You may have less than 20 seconds to hook one, if you happen to nail a 20 pounder or more, it's well worth the time.

[Trickerie]

Went out and checked the places out on Thursday. Liked the seawall area, was awesome, but definitely need to bust the surf caster out for that area I think! I just so happen to have one at my disposal.

For the bridges, I honestly had no idea how to even fish them, where to fish, or even where to park! Everywhere I could see I could park, was quite a ways from the bridge. Then, what spots do you even fish, along the path on the top over the side? All the bridges I ever fished there was bank underneath you would fish.

[Bassn Blvd]

Haha, that's why the Okee bridge is better suited for fishing. The sidewalke is wider and the lanes are wider. Much safer than the other bridge, but both hold plenty of snook. I fish the forst two lights on either end of the bridge. I get dizzy fishing from the draw span. I hate heights and get anxiety hanging over the edge, looking down at the ripples on the water. My mind starts to wonder and I feel like I'm going to fall in. LOL, i'm such a puss.

[SirSnookalot]

I don't fish atop the bridges, but the bridges that I do fish at I can cast to the catwalks. At the end of most catwalks are lights and they attract the snook, plus there is current and snook like that too. The distance is too far at Flagler bridge to cast out to the catwalks, I fish it from the side, Flagler may be one of the lower bridges if I'm not mistaken.