Fishing on one of the many Outer Banks bridges is safe and enjoyable for the entire family.

There are three things I recommend you do after you arrive at a bridge but before you start fishing. The three things are: “Observe”, “Ask” and “Try”. This is a similar technique to be used when fishing at most areas in our region.

“OBSERVE” is the first thing – try to watch what other anglers are doing. Are they casting or just dropping the baits.  What type of equipment or gear are they using? What type rig or bait are they using and are they successful with that method.

“ASK” is the next thing I do. Ask the other anglers what they are catching. What type of bait or rig works best? Your best bet for success is to copy what the others are doing.

“TRY” is the final step. Try out the information you received.  Work the bridge is some type of order. I start on one side and typically close in. I work my way out to the deeper water. Each time I move, I watch the other anglers.

A key to success on the bridge is moving around to find fish. If you don’t catch something right away or after a short period – Move. I will move many times both out and back and switching sides occasionally.

There are many reasons you will not be successful fishing on one of our local bridges. But none is more damaging than using “BAD BAIT”. What do I mean about using bad bait – its’ bait that has been allowed to sit in the sun and “cook”. Air dried and stale bait will turn off the fish quickly. Keep your bait in the shade or better yet, in a cooler.

When using fresh bait, always buy the best whether it’s shrimp, squid or blood worms. More about bait later.