Why should I check tides before I go fishing?
Inshore: (from TakeMeFishing.org)
"In salt water, tides affect water level so that a shallow area that might hold fish and be a very good spot to fish during a high tide might be a bare mud bank during low tide conditions. Similarly, a slough – a slight depression in the bottom - that might be perfect for bottom feeding fish such as flounder during a low tide situation might be too deep and difficult to fish on a high tide. Running tides (rising or falling) are best since they cause bait to move and provoke active feeding among coastal fish.
Checking changing tides and the best times and areas to fish is also important when fishing in brackish water – coastal water that is a mix of salt and fresh, yet still affected by tides. Brackish water is found in most tidal creeks and rivers along all coasts and can affect both saltwater and some freshwater species.
Since tides and movements are so important in saltwater and brackish water fishing, check for daily tide information in your local newspaper or at your local fishing shop. Tides raise and lower the water level approximately two times per day and affect where fish are located and how they feed. The timing of a high or low tide changes daily and is also different for each coastal area. The best fishing is almost always on a rising or falling tide – not the dead low or dead high when there is little or no water movement.
Determining the best time to fish requires checking on many fishing factors and outdoor conditions. The key to fishing success is to learn about fish and how they live."
Offshore:
"Fast tides work better for me offshore whereas slower tides are better (for me) inshore. Fast inshore tides can create a lot of turbidity. With reduced visibility, it may be advisable to switch to natural bait with smell or to a noisy lure.
Slow tide days offshore can be slow fishing days but there are a few techniques that work for me. On slow tide days, I fish the highest rocks and wrecks. The higher profile bottom sort of "compresses" the flow over it thus increasing the speed across it a little.
A change in the species targeted can produce much faster fishing also. Cobia, Mackerel, Kingfish, Trippletail, Spadefish, and Sheepshead bite fine on slow tide. Spadefish seem to bite best at absolute slack tide, unusual for most fish.
Chumming on very slow tide days will help your bottom fish catch. Grouper and Snapper will respond just fine whereas on fast tide days your chum may drift too far away from the boat to ever get to the level where they find it.
Take a look at the tide table for your area. The greater the height difference between high and low tides, the faster the tidal current. Just another point of trivia is outgoing tides flow faster than incoming tides. As the tide rises and moves shoreward, it "stacks up" or compresses against increasing land height, thus a resistance. When it begins to fall, the water is flowing "down hill" and you can get some mighty fast movement. When you have a fast outgoing tide moving against a strong wind from offshore you can have a nasty chop. Get familiar with tide tables and you! will have much more predictable fishing." - Capt Ken Roy, BigBendSportsman.com.
