How to: Reading the water

[surfstix1963]

I'll just give a quickie on inlets because I cannot educate NJ jetty jockies. I may learn much from you guys.

An inlet is basically a hwy from the bay to the ocean for bait and fish to get from one to the other.

Current is the big factor in the inlets.

It brings the bait to the fish where they lie to feed in the various structure...rocks, eddies, and rips.

The fish will feed on the inside when the current is moving in and vice versa when going out.

What you need to know tide and current are 2 different things.

I don't know how many times someone has come up to me and asked why the tide is going in or out.

It was supposed to be doing this at this time according to the tide charts.

Well it is doing that, but the current continues until the bay water and the ocean water equalize or level out. The tide may be changing, but the current will still be running for another 1-2 hrs. Depending on the size of the bay it is filling or emptying.

I think the best fishing for me is the 2 hrs. from tide change to the current change as the flow slows down

I feel this is also when the fish are on the move opposite of where they were. I'll let the jetty guys fill in the spaces.