Meyer really works over bridges for more bass

Cody Meyer not only fishes bridge pilings in the winter, he completely fishes them, with a shaky-head technique that covers the entire water column.

Bridges are one of FLW Tour pro Cody Meyer’s favorite winter targets, recognizing the value of hard structure with varying depths, lots of food, and proximity to deep water.

Drop-shotting is his choice for picking apart the key spots, but his presentation repertoire is anything but a one-size-fits-all approach.

Armed with 7-foot, medium-light Daiwa spinning outfit with 6- to 8-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon, Meyer’s first shot will be long cast with a 1/4-ounce tungsten weight down the side of the bridge piling. He’ll let his bait quickly reach bottom and then work it along the face of the structure.

“The next cast will be with the same setup, but with an 1/8-ounce weight,” Meyer said. “I use the lighter weight because I’m going to pendulum swing the bait all the way back to the boat for fish suspended along the bridge pilings.

“For the last cast, I’ll use a 3/8- to 1/2-ounce weight and I’m going to pitch it to each corner of the piling and the middle of the piling. I’m going to let the bait free fall to the bottom and draw a reaction strike.”

As Meyer notes, this plan allows an angler to efficiently work a bridge scenario with a single rig. Simply slipping off one weight and adding a different one — or keeping multiple drop-shot rods rigged and ready — keeps the process moving until you determine where and how most of the fish are positioning.

About David A. Brown 142 Articles
A full-time freelance writer specializing in sport fishing, David A. Brown splits his time between journalism and marketing communications.

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