ok, so I’ve always known that fishing at high or low tide isnt the best in the world. and that fishing outgoing tide is always better than incoming.
but why? is it fishie siesta time at slack tides?
is it increased water pressure or some other scientific thingie?
is it the 11th commandment? thou shalt not fish slack tide!
??
Most saltwater gamefish are ambush predators. When there is flow there is bait swept past points etc and this makes an easy target for a lazy fish. Well, maybe not lazy but wanting to use the least amount of energy for the most caloric intake. At slack tide, there is little flow and everything slows down. You can still catch fish at slack but generally you want to slow way down.
Incoming can be just as good as outgoing depending on the spot. I think many (including myself) find out going easier because spots to target are more obvious, like feeder creeks spilling out.
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Originally posted by stackzok, so I’ve always known that fishing at high or low tide isnt the best in the world. and that fishing outgoing tide is always better than incoming.
but why? is it fishie siesta time at slack tides?
is it increased water pressure or some other scientific thingie?
is it the 11th commandment? thou shalt not fish slack tide!
??
livin life
To a five year old… go a bunch kiddo and experiment with everything you can think of at all stages of tide!
I’ve Probably had 70% better luck on incoming tide. As to slack tide, I’ve got a couple of holes that get land locked and the trout fishing is crazy good and flounder bite isn’t bad. Done the best on slack tide (high/low) for sheeps. Done well on slack low with blues and shark. The best I’ve done during slack High is working close to the grass and pitching a grub, live shrimp on a gig, or popping a cork with live shrimp or minnow under it. Biggest thing to remember on slack high is the simple fact that fish are spread out over a much vaster area.
Bottom line (IMO) is knowing the area, time of year, and going often to learn feeding habits. You catch it right and no matter what you do you’ll catch fish. Catch it other times and you may have a 30min tidal window that they are feeding in.
Stackz, the best advice is go often and learn the area. If you don’t have someone experienced with your area to take you or go with you, consider paying a little and go with a guide. A day spent with a professional fisherman can be priceless… if you pick the right one:wink: Remember even the best fishermen can have a “skunk” day.
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Well, maybe not lazy but wanting to use the least amount of energy for the most caloric intake
I used the term “democrats” to describe this phenomenon to my youngest son.
“Apathy is the Glove into Which Evil Slips It’s Hand”.
DFreedom, you should go and clarify this for him. See if one fish wanted to have the other fish go get the high, medium, AND low calorie meals for him. Then take only the choice of what he wanted to the point of gluttony, and then threw the balance on the bank for the coons to eat, all the time crapping in the water and tell them it smelled like roses, THEN my friend you have a liberal/democrat/union organizer/the view watcher/cnn fan/…
And it depends on what you are fishing for and where… So far, my largest Striped Bass on the Chesapeake have all come right at slack tide. Big female rockfish are lazy and seem to eat at low current conditions - I’ve seen the same patterns with bull reds in the harbor.
Dear stackz…The wind, the tide, the moon, the water temperature, and the time of year are all critical components in assessing the conditions for fishing. The tide to me has a few elements that are critical to fishing success. 1st…If I want to fish with live bait, low tide makes it easier to catch. 2nd…Low tide reveals the oyster bars, slews, drainage’s, mud flats, tidal pools, etc. that are way points for present or future fishing attempts. 3rd…The rising tide begins to create pathways, and ambush points for foraging fish. Example…Once the rising tide reaches the base of the marsh grass, the marsh grass becomes a “wall” to drive the bait up against. If I want to fish with artificial bait, the low tide isn’t as critical. The higher tide will afford me access to spots where water flows OVER oyster bars, it will allow me access to mud flats, it will let me get “up in the grass” to sight fish. And of course a falling tide will act as a giant flush, pulling bait out of the grass and towards fish staging in eddy’s and slews that concentrate the feeding opportunities. It’s really simple to explain, but for some inexplicable reason it doesn’t ALWAYS work, but it generally does. That’s the learning curve, and mine lasted about 10 years. How long have you been learning?
Sol Mate
Mako 20B
225 Optimax
All excellent advice above. Can’t add much more to that.
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How long have you been learning?
Pushing 60 years for me and I still get skunked on occasion, just not as often as I used to 
Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats
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