When there are waves to be ridden, I like to surf at high tide. If I’m planning on fishing around low tide, what’s my best bet this time of year? Not asking for anyone’s spots, just general info.
If you’re lucky enough to be fishing, you’re lucky enough.
The benefit of starting out on a low tide is the concentration of bait. It’s much easier to locate bait at low tide and to catch it in a cast net. Fresh caught bait has some advantages over other baits, for starters it’s free, and it happens to be what’s naturally available for forage for the targeted fish. As the tide rises, the volume and movement of the water pushes that local forage bait up against structure…oyster bars, sand bars, docks, submerged vegatation and the shoreline grass. The aggressiveness of the fish increases as the structure becomes an effective ally in herding the bait into posistion to be attacked and eaten. That optimum time will generally be about 4 hours into a rising tide, but that is VERY general…each spot seems to have it’s own peak time, and the most productive area to catch fish may be no larger than 25 yards wide. Cast your bait 10 feet on either side of “the sweet spot” and you may only be feeding the crabs. You gotta work your spots and learn the fish…time on the water=success. Good Luck.
Sol Mate
Mako 20B
225 Optimax
I didn’t address surf fishing specifically in my 1st post. Low tide is best as it affords you the chance to “read the beach”. Look for areas with blown down trees, old stumps or pillings, gullys and slews…all about contour and cover. The best surf fishing is between now and Thanksgiving. The sharks in the surf will diminish as the water temps drop, and thereby allow your bait a more sporting chance of catching traditional game fish and tablefare. Your best surf fishing is done on remote barrier islands and the sand bars and inshore reefs that surround them. Islands that have high concentrations of people have high concentrations of run off from cars, and people do tend to pollute…fish aren’t stupid, they go where the water is clean. Not to say you can’t catch a nice fish in front of a condo complex…just less likely. Cape Romain/Bulls Bay…Bulls Island, Capers Island are legendary. Early morning low tide, New Moon combination in October is about as good as it gets. Fish finder rig with 40# florocarbon leader, 20# braid, 2-4oz. of lead, fresh caught white roe shrimp on a 9’ surf rod is a deadly combo for Black Drum, big Whitting, Croakers and of course Mr. Billy the Spotail Bass. I’ve caught some monsters, and there is no better thrill than to battle a big fish in the surf. Good Luck.
Sol Mate
Mako 20B
225 Optimax