A lot of fisherman ive met are very hesitant about fishing places that have any sort of structure, current, obstacles, debris. etc. Ive fished bridges religiously for a long time. Ive found that my largest sharks have been caught on or around bridges. landbased fishing isn't all about kayaking a bait out in the surf and waiting on a beach, theres a lot more to it. when i started up shark fishing in 2009 i would not go near a bridge or a pier for a long time. mainly because i didn't want to lose a shark after a long battle. then my friends and i took our short "beach rods" to the long key bridge and ballooned out baits, caught cuda and tarpon, and hooked up all night long. my whole outlook on shark fishing changed when i landed my first shark from a bridge.
the line rubbed the whole time with that rod. after that night i purchased a ten foot gatorglass and fished different areas.
i feel that shark fishing is a lot of thinking outside the box, and doing things that your average fishing tv show wouldn't do. florida is full of massive bridges that hold massive fish. i sold all of my rods under 9 feet long switched to senators, and filled all of my reels with monofilament. i feel that a large senator filled with heavy mono gives a huge advantage to stop that beast in the heavy current, telephone poles, and pilings. a great technique i learned is to make a long double line tied with a spider hitch or bimini twist, that you can reel into your reel when that fish is straight up and down thrashing and trying to go under. a long hosed rod is essential, and i prefer a longer butt end to gain leverage. where the big sharks are going to be aren't always going to be the easiest places to land them. adapting to that spot is what separates someone from landing that shark and losing that shark iimo.
a ten foot gatorglass in midfight. blanks like gatorglass, lamiglass, harnell. are perfect for turning big fish from underneath a bridge.
Sanibel pier during a tropical depression, when the barometric pressure dropped expentially. this drop in pressure meant sharks were there, i casted a bait out on my 14/0 and landed two lemons up to 8 feet within an hour.
here is my friend rudy on a feisty tiger shark that broke off by swimming under the pier.
my friend riley with an 8'1" bull caught from a bridge along with three other sharks.
fighting a large sandbar shark from a bridge.
monster lemons all caught with our baits straight down in the water.
a 7'8" goliath grouper. this fish was caught by john using a 150 lb mono doubled up. if this jewfish doesn't blow your mind then this one will
this is an 8'2" goliath grouper caught by Michael.
my theory on why bridges hold such massive fish is that structure holds fish, baitfish that gets eaten by larger fish such as tarpon. these large sharks patrol bridges looking for food. if you've ever been to long key and looked in the clear water. there tarpon and barracuda stacked like sardines.
its all about adapting to your surroundings.. the best part of fishing bridges is that bait is plentiful. theres always something to catch.
42" redfish
many bridges hold large jacks that school up around pilings and attack any fast moving lure.
almost everywhere holds stingrays
heres luis on one of our keys trips with two monster permit he caught. when the shark bite slowed down the bridges always hold some sort fish.
bridges all around florida have a key bait in my opinion. skyway holds large amounts of bonita and cownose in the winter. most west coast bridges are stacked with cownose stingrays. keys bridges hold barracuda, tarpon, stingray, permit, and just about everything you can think of. all of these species are stalked by sharks.
just my opinion guys 
You have caught some of the biggest goliaths and bulls I have seen from bridges.
Awesome post and pics and very on the money about the advantage of the long rod while fishing piers and bridges,structures that can cause the unprepared to lose their Dream Shark.Thanks Dylan.
ps......gave it a sticky because it's a quality informative post with pictures that prove your point
SOUTH FLORIDA SHARK CLUB -President SFSC-Founding Member est 1983 SFSC-Website Administrator BIG HAMMER SHARK TOURNAMENT -Founder Rene Memorial Sharkathon -Founder NMFS Shark Tagger
Excellent write up! Makes me want to get a 10 ft gator glass.
Dylan that is a great post!!!! It shows all different ways of how one is able to target and catch fish. Awesome Post. Impressive catches!!!! One of the best and informative posts I have seen. Yeah Buddy
We've lost some major fish around piers in Charleston trying to bring them in green. You ever have trouble landing them once they are fairly worn out?
Excellent post Dylan,me and you have fished bridges from the lower keys to the Tampa Bay Area I myself love and have a passion for bridges,first starting it years ago I hardly new anything about them over time I learned it takes a lot more knowledge and commitment to learn how to fish them correctly and be successful, I've talked to some beach goers that talk trash about 10 foot rods and bridges and what not,sometimes for me fishing a beach is to easy I like a challenge the bridge has to offer over the beach!
awesome write up!
Excellent write up! il be on sanibel march 3 for a few days. cant wait to hit the bridge and pier there
This post made me want to start fishing from bridges...... great post!
i can imagine it takes just as much time getting the fish up as it does reeling them in
Great write up man, bridges is where it's at. The bait seems to always be there and once you know a bride well enough you know where the big fish swim. I use my 10ft. Chaos unlimited with a 24 inch butt with my 14/0 and it has never failed me. Leverage is the name of the game on the bridges.
Insane pictures for the first part haha, second part is, does anyone know of any piers around Boca Raton that allow shark fishing. I went to Deerfield and they wouldn't let me on.
Thanks, Dan.