fishing the tides

[skinner]

Is there a period of time when the tide goes in or out that would give better fishing results?

[rip316]

Most fish like moving water. So I always try to fish 2 hrs before high, the slack and the first two hrs of the outgoing. If water temps are cold in the bay most of the time the outgoing will bring warmer water from the river. The incoming will fill in areas of channels ledges, holes, and pockets. Just what I have learned and experienced. Others may have different opinions.

[jonthepain]

Others may have different opinions.

they might, but they would be wrong. :d

[DarkSkies]

That might be true for a lot of areas, but sometimes you can do well around slack on low tide. The difference here is you have to know the water you're fishing a lot better. You want to be near a point, outflow, near a place where the water is deeper and it matters less, the bait is concentrated in an area, or you won't be fishing efficiently.

[jonthepain]

you have to know the water you're fishing

point

[bababooey]

Crazy Alberto is big on the slack thing. He says that the biggest bass move from place to place at opportune times, and the slack is when most of them will be on the move. Again, it depends on where you're fishing. On a boat, we like moving water. I like to call it steady water, or current. We catch more fish when the tide is moving, strong current. You may have to wait 2 hours into the tide cycle for that to happen.

[rip316]

Alot of people get confused when Alberto talks about fishing the slack water. As he explains it, slack water is not slack tide (the period of the tide in between tide shifts). He says slack water is 3 1/2 hrs into the tide. I don't think it mattered which tide. It may have been 3 hrs and 20 mins. I went to his seminar last spring and not sure but I am close. Did not have the time to put the theory to the test though.

[clamchucker]

Again, it depends on where you're fishing.

I think that is a good way to look at it. If you are fishing an inlet or source of current from shore, you want to fish moving water, but time it so the current is not that strong. When I fish the surf, I have had some success right before or after the top of the tide. You will also catch some fish close to the bottom. My success has been greater toward the top, so I tend to concentrate on that, unless the presence of bait changes the equation.

[dogfish]

Fish the top, you will get fish. Fish the slack at both ends, you will pull large. Alberto knows stuff.