impact of high tide

[Kieran Hanrahan]

Hi all

 

Have a day's fishing coming up and there is a big tide expected. Fine weather forecast too!

 

I have never bothered being that scientific about the size of the tide before but as I will be pioneering some new rocks marks (and possibly a beach) I wondered what people felt in relation to the impact on fishing of the size of the tide?

 

Most of the tides I have fished recently have been quite small, not neaps not spring, but the one I will be fishing next (all the day down and all teh way up again into darkness) will be around the 5 metre mark. Fishing in NW Ireland as usual...

 

Thanks

[Socksy Squirrel]

Hi there,

 

This is something I should think about as we have large tidal flows and big differences between neaps and springs.

To give you an example;

 

Saturday March 12th 11.0m difference between high and low water

Saturday March 19th 2.0m difference between high and low water

 

There are places that can be fished for longer on a neap as the currents are smaller. Some fish only feed in certain states of the tide.

[Spur-Hound]

Not always the case, But for many species, particularly in rock hoping areas where there is no real tidal rip, bigger tides fish much much better. Bait fish are usualy much more active on bigger tides, and so too are there predators... There comes a time when you will know which marks to fish on the smaller tides and which ones are better on the springs.

 

Shaun

[A Norfolk Boy]

It is a major factor here. Generally, the bigger and stronger the better. Also, we talk of beaches being best at stages of an ebb or flood rather than somewhere being a high or low water mark. Such are the differences in fishing around our coasts.

[kentangler]

Spring tides are best for most species, the problem you have is fine settled weather, ie. high pressure. High pressure affects fish to a high degree. It puts them off feeding. The best time to fish is as the pressure is just starting to fall.

I have been thinking of only going fishing when the conditions are going to give me the best chance of catching, and resisting the urge to go' just for a day out'. It is a waste of bait and petrol. Metcheck gives pressure readings. So the best times are around big tides, and with low pressure, or falling pressure, and an onshore wind, as long as it isn't from the East. That's the theory anyway, wether I will stick to it is another matter!

Having said that, I have caught more flatties around low water. I suppose it depends on the mark really.

 

[ 21. March 2005, 09:29 PM: Message edited by: kentangler ]

[Socksy Squirrel]

Fished Saturday night at St Catherine's, small tide, details above and warm settled weather, 20C the following day.

Caught 17 dogfish and 2 pouting in a five hour session.

[M.P]

I'm afraid i disagree with all the tide theory's.

I have had some of my best fishing on small tides, especially when it is rough.

One of my local venues gives the Best Bass fishing at low water, when the surf is breaking over the sand bars.

 

IMHO, if you feel like wetting a line, do it whatever the tide or weather is like.

[Ken Davison South Wales]

I have fished Cefyn Sidan from end to end for five years, sometimes four or five times a week on all states of the tide, and I still have a long way to go before I know what makes it tick.

 

I have come to the conlusion that it is a combination of tide, wind and pressure plus a good dose of luck.

 

I nipped of last year in July for a couple of hours during the evening, the tide was small and on half flood when I started and the sea was like a mirror. One of the best two hours I have ever had, nothing big but as soon as the lead hit the water another bite. Mostly bass ranging from 6" schoolies up to just under 2lb. I could not tell you how many fish I caught as I lost count.

 

Had I had a choice of time and tide etc. I would have given that evening a wide berth.

[Stoaty]

I think it's the actual movement in the water that is more important. Big tides seem better from shore marks because you get more movement in the water closer in, for longer. If you could get further offshore in the neap tides and pick up some movement that's where you'll find the fish. If your going to fish from the shore in a neap tide try to find somewhere that gives some flow to the water. If the tide is slack then the scent trail from your bait is going nowhere.

[sam-cox]

Neap tides can give clear water so lure fishing is often better on neaps.

Springs or making tides often give couler so bait fishing is best.

These are not hard and fast rules you will learn to know what marks fish best under what conditions with practise and time spent angling.