Tie your boat to bridge pier without banging it to bits

[hdhntr]

have had several occurances where only place we got into fish over last couple months was fishing bridge piers but tieing up was a chore and don't think we did it well. Tied rope to a life jacket and tossed it over concrete shelf connecting the bridge piers and then went on other side an pulled it in and tied it up. kept having to move it back to position as waves kept moving us back. I know there has to be a better way. His aluminum boat took quite a pounding but he was good with it. Know others with fiberglass fish those too and just looking for different methods. thanks guys as always.

[crappie wrangler]

As far as I know the easiest way to tie to a bridge is as follows.

1. Tie a rope to a smaller dock pad for throwing.
2. Throw dock pad and rope past the bridge post on the up wind side.
3. let the wind blow dock pad and rope down wind of the bridge post.
4. Use an electrician's "gopher pole" to reach out and catch rope and dock pad.
5. Pull rope and dock pad to boat and tie off as needed.

Additional dock pads may be necessary between boat and bridge post.

A gopher pole is a collapsible pole that extends out to up to 27' depending on which model you purchase.

[Atimm693]

Unless the wind is blowing hard I usually don't tie off to them, just use the bow TM to adjust my position.

Otherwise, I just tie off the bow (with it pointing into the wind), and let the boat drift back a few feet. Of course this will only work well if you're fishing solo.

Most boats that I see fishing them with more than one person tie off both the bow and stern, and let the wind keep the boat away from the pier.

[crappie wrangler]

The doc pad is used to throw the rope around the bridge post because it has weight to it and can be thrown with distance and accuracy similar to a horse shoe.

[Alphahawk]

I saw a boat below Pickwick that I should have taken a pic of. The guy had a cage...roll bar if you will.....all around the boat and motor. It was all removable.....must have been made of aluminum. I’ve always wanted to ease up to the wall and vertical jig there but did not want to scrape up by boat....lot of fish there. I’m hoping to run into the guy again and take pics and ask lots of questions.

Regards


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[steve64116]

what is a dock pad?

[Grainraiser]

I fish alot of bridge pilings and carry a extendable aluminum pole in my boat at all times. I have boat bumped tied the end of a line and simply toss it pass the piling and use the extendable hook to grab it. It's hard has hell to get the line around the piling without the hook.

[wannabe fisherman]

what is a dock pad?

not sure, but I think they're talking about boat bumpers that you drop over the side when docked to keep your boat from banging against the dock.

[Redge]

not sure, but I think they're talking about boat bumpers that you drop over the side when docked to keep your boat from banging against the dock.

X2 on I think it’s a boat bumper


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[CrappiePappy]

not sure, but I think they're talking about boat bumpers that you drop over the side when docked to keep your boat from banging against the dock.

Yeah, they're called "mooring fenders" .... Attwood makes one - 5" x 22" - Walmart priced @ ~ $7.00