Manual pedal propulsion offers hands-free control in current; this is an ePDL+ drive from Old Town, with power-assist and cruise options handy for longer trips.
August 06, 2025
By Blake Abbey
Snook have a tendency to stick very close to the pilings and fenders of bridges, waiting for shrimp or baitfish to get swept by in the current. Snook are an ambush predator, so presentation is the key to a successful day on the water.
One of my favorite lures to use when fishing for snook around bridges is an old school Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap . These are the baits my grandfather and uncles were throwing in Florida 40 years ago for snook around bridges and docks in the Halifax River. Besides a red-and-white bucktail jig or a silver spoon, a lipless crankbait is the most universal lure for me when bridge fishing.
The thing I love the most about a Rat-L-Trap is that there are so many ways to present it. You can cover lots of water to locate fish. I primarily use the ½-ounce, 3-inch Rat-L-Trap in the Electric Chicken or White Zombie color patterns.
When targeting snook, I use a 3-foot leader of 30- or 40-pound-test monofilament or fluorocarbon with a 7-foot, 6-inch medium-heavy rod and 4000 series spinning reel. The Rat-L-Trap a very powerful search bait to have in the box and will catch multiple species of fish.
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When I set up my kayak to fish a bridge, I like to keep the stern facing down-current so I can cast my lure slightly in front of the target, allowing the current to carry my bait straight into the fish. I hold my kayak in position by pedaling against the current. The Old Town PDL pedal drive is exactly like pedaling a bicycle. I’m most successful when I sweep my bait into the structure with the flow of the current. This is accomplished by casting up and across the current. Another productive presentation is running my bait parallel to any shadow lines created by the bridge columns.
Kayak Fishing Special The June issue of Florida Sportsman magazine featured the Kayak Fishing Special, a series of tactical and gear-related articles to help you maximize your success with your new fishing kayak. Also in the series:
Schooling Snook Blake Abbey with a photo-and-release-class snook caught in Northeast Florida. Snook often stage in schools. When I locate one fish I will repeat the same cast, allowing my Rat-L-Trap to fall through the water column like a leaf falling from a tree. Occasionally they will snap it on the fall. This is my favorite kind of bite. I love feeling that thump and knowing they don’t even have a choice to react by the way I’m laying it on their nose. When the fish are very aggressive or feeding in the top of the water column, I will use a medium-fast retrieve.
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The current plays a major role in the way I present my bait. I have a tendency to hone in on my best bite window on the last two hours of outgoing tide or the last two hours of incoming. I like to call this a “trickle tide,” as that’s just what my friends and I say when the tide is perfectly trickling around the pylons.
At left, Abbey and fans with keeper-grade fish before the summer season closure. Bridge (above right) looming over the Intracoastal Waterway in Florida? Snook evolved to live in tangled mangrove thickets—they love structure like this. Lipless crankbaits such as these (bottom right) are among effective snook lures. One of the many advantages to kayak fishing is the ability to position your kayak parallel to the structure and hopping your lure in the strike zone. Often times I find myself bumping against the fenders which isn’t a big deal in a kayak but can be catastrophic to the finish on your boat. If you’re not getting your lure hung up a few times on a fishing trip, you’re more than likely not close enough. So many times I find myself getting bit in between the fenders or extremely close to the concrete lips on the pilings. Taking that risk of putting your bait where it seems impossible to pull fish out of will often pay off big time.
Another way to locate fish around a bridge is by trolling. Trolling a lipless crankbait can be highly effective and lots of fun on a kayak. The vibrations and rattles will call up fish even in a very tough bite window. When I’m fishing a low bridge you can really hear the rattle reverberating from the underside of the bridge which makes it extremely exciting when your lure just stops in its tracks and a giant snook breeches on the end of your line.
Casting up and across the current, allowing the lure to fall through the water column, often results in a bite. If you’re seeing schools of mullet, trolling a lipless crankbait right through them with a kayak can often stir them up, triggering a feeding frenzy and giving you an almost guaranteed hookup. When trolling deeper waters, I sometimes switch to a 1-ounce Trap. I cast behind my kayak, let it sink to the bottom, then give 4 or 5 reels to run the bait about 1 or 2 feet off the bottom.
Fishing around bridges can be dangerous, so it’s important to take certain safely measures. I use a YakAttack Visiflag with Mighty Mount that I attach to the rear of my kayak. When fishing early mornings or at night, it’s a good idea to have navigation lights. Always wear a PFD.
Editor’s Note: Snook season closed June 1 on Florida’s Atlantic coast. Season closed May 1 on the Gulf side (which includes Florida Keys). See myfwc.com for complete regulations and updates on regional management zones.
This article was featured in the June 2025 issue of Florida Sportsman magazine. Click to subscribe .
