# Tide or Time of Day?



## Capt. Curt (May 29, 2014)

For our area which is better for inshore (reds, trout, flounder) fishing this time of year, an incoming/outgoing tide or time of day (morning or evening). In other words if you had to choose between time of day or tide change when would you go fishing?


----------



## Big E Nuff (Oct 4, 2007)

Scroll through this and see what it does for you...........

http://www.tides4fishing.com/us/florida-west-coast/pensacola


----------



## Capt. Curt (May 29, 2014)

Big E Nuff said:


> Scroll through this and see what it does for you...........
> 
> http://www.tides4fishing.com/us/florida-west-coast/pensacola


Yes, thats what brought me here. Take Friday for example, the tide will be rising just after noon in the Blackwater area that day. So should I get up early for the morning bite, or sleep in and head out around noon for the incoming tide? I know from experience that both are good...but which one is BEST? haha.


----------



## Big E Nuff (Oct 4, 2007)

Capt. Curt said:


> Yes, thats what brought me here. Take Friday for example, the tide will be rising just after noon in the Blackwater area that day. So should I get up early for the morning bite, or sleep in and head out around noon for the incoming tide? I know from experience that both are good...but which one is BEST? haha.


Can't help you there, you have the info, just need to go and figure it out....


----------



## MixMasterMike (Jul 5, 2016)

Great link... I'll be making a shortcut to it on my phone.

Thanks!


----------



## kanaka (Oct 3, 2007)

Capt. Curt said:


> Yes, thats what brought me here. Take Friday for example, the tide will be rising just after noon in the Blackwater area that day. So should I get up early for the morning bite, or sleep in and head out around noon for the incoming tide? I know from experience that both are good...but which one is BEST? haha.


Friday, do the dawn patrol, come home take a nap, go fish the evening bite. Best of both tides.

Then you have to figure how to fish with the wind.


----------



## barefoot (Nov 3, 2011)

I prefer a falling tide. On a falling tide, the water level is already higher, making larger fish feel safer. They have probably already moved into ambush position waiting for the dropping water to bring them food.

Incoming tide, you need to wait till water has filled some of the areas you intend to fish, otherwise...too skinny, fish are spooky.

On Friday, if you plan on black water, fish the afternoon incoming tide.
Reason: the falling tide Fri. morning starts well before daylight. unless you're fishing well before daylight, the tide has almost stopped moving just after daylight. BW is best when there is some water movement.

Just my humble opinion.


----------



## 60hertz (Oct 1, 2007)

Forget the tides. Go fish when you can. Adjust your technique accordingly.

Incoming tide is pushing bait INTO the shallows, outgoing is pushing bait off the flat into the deeper water. 

High slack tide, then fish ON the flat. 

Low slack water, then fish in the drop offs.

If there is not water moving due to tide, find water being blown by the wind.

Lastly: pay attention to the natural bait and mimic it as best as you can.


----------



## bamacpa (Nov 8, 2013)

barefoot said:


> I prefer a falling tide. On a falling tide, the water level is already higher, making larger fish feel safer. They have probably already moved into ambush position waiting for the dropping water to bring them food.
> 
> Incoming tide, you need to wait till water has filled some of the areas you intend to fish, otherwise...too skinny, fish are spooky.
> 
> ...


Bruce, I'm not on the water near as much as you or most others on hear, so I'm just looking for your input. Not trying to hijack the thread because I think the OP could use this info also. I always thought the strongest currents were a couple of hours before the low and high tides. If this is the case, would a stronger current be better in your opinion (moving bait better)? Or, has the fish already gorged out on bait by the time the tide is nearing the end of the swing? Or does the strength of the current really matter? I guess what I'm asking is if given the choice, do you prefer fishing just after the tide changes (slower current), or toward the end of the swing? I can see arguments for both. Thanks.


----------



## Ocean Master (May 20, 2008)

Big E Nuff said:


> Scroll through this and see what it does for you...........
> 
> http://www.tides4fishing.com/us/florida-west-coast/pensacola



That’s what I use..


----------



## barefoot (Nov 3, 2011)

Current & tide flow are 2 different things. On the tides4fishing app., use the left side menu, click on "Tidal Coefficient". You can see what I mean. Below is a screen shot of today's tidal coefficient.

The tidal coefficient today is 88, a high value and therefore the range of tides and currents will also be high. At noon the tidal coefficient increases to 91. The day ends with a tidal coefficient of 92.
The *heights* today are 1.1 ft, 1.0 ft, 1.3 ft and 1.0 ft referenced to _Mean Lower Low Water (MLLW)_. 
We can compare these levels with the maximum high tide recorded in the tide tables for Bay Point (Blackwater River) which is of 2.3 ft and a minimum height of -1.3 ft.



Current is formed by tidal influence, wind, items/points of interference, such as points, depth changes, weed lines, channel intersections, bridge pilings...you get the idea. one of the best places I look for are choke points, it doesn't matter if its deep or shallow, if you find a place where something forces fish to narrow and concentrate your odds are much higher on catching fish.

I don't believe fish gorge and stop eating. We've probably all caught fish that pukes up food, that's because they were gorged when they struck your lure/bait. They don't stop feeding after tide changes, they move it just seems the bite turned off.

All this stuff is just my opinion.


----------



## bamacpa (Nov 8, 2013)

Thanks Bruce. I was referring to tidal currents myself. So if I understand you right, anytime the current is moving. You have no preference to the current (horizontal movement of water) as it relates to the beginnng or ending of the tide swing (vertical movement).


----------



## barefoot (Nov 3, 2011)

bamacpa said:


> Thanks Bruce. I was referring to tidal currents myself. So if I understand you right, anytime the current is moving. You have no preference to the current (horizontal movement of water) as it relates to the beginnng or ending of the tide swing (vertical movement).


Allen, anytime current is moving yes, I prefer that over flat water. But I prefer to start fishing at the full tide just before it turns and starts dropping. 

and my apologies to the OP, didn't mean to hi-jack your thread.


----------



## Capt. Curt (May 29, 2014)

It's all good. Thanks for the info guys.


----------



## SaltySurprise (Aug 4, 2017)

I’ve started a log/journal, a practice that is probably well used by most of you guys, I have been recording all of the conditions when I go fishing. Sooner or later with enough data and research I should be able to find a positive significant correlation with atleast one variable in my research, and plan fishing days around that significant variable. It will take plenty of testing random days in order to get this info though, but it is a start, to a hopefully meaningful end.


----------



## sealark (Sep 27, 2007)

Salty you are fighting a loosimg battle. Trying to figure mother nature out. There are way too many variables to ever figure her out. Just keep going and enjoy ypurself.


----------



## SaltySurprise (Aug 4, 2017)

Well with a lot of research, and reviewing other experiments, I’ve narrowed it down to about 5 of the most “important” variables, and if I can find some sort of significant correlation between just one variable, and the amount of fish caught, be it positive or negative, I can narrow it down that much more. Keep in mind, I fish a very non tidal body of water that is relatively small. So there are a couple of huge variables that are knocked out in my fishing spot alone. Although I do understand that I’m taking on a big project!


----------



## 60hertz (Oct 1, 2007)

sealark said:


> Salty you are fighting a loosimg battle. Trying to figure mother nature out. There are way too many variables to ever figure her out. Just keep going and enjoy ypurself.


Keeping a log book is one of the things that will substantially increase your ability to consistently catch fish.


----------



## SaltySurprise (Aug 4, 2017)

60hertz that’s what I was thinking and hoping for!


----------



## lobsterman (Sep 30, 2007)

SaltySurprise said:


> Well with a lot of research, and reviewing other experiments, I’ve narrowed it down to about 5 of the most “important” variables, and if I can find some sort of significant correlation between just one variable, and the amount of fish caught, be it positive or negative, I can narrow it down that much more. Keep in mind, I fish a very non tidal body of water that is relatively small. So there are a couple of huge variables that are knocked out in my fishing spot alone. Although I do understand that I’m taking on a big project!


Actually where you are fishing is also tidal. There are tides there just not so muck moving currents. But the water does rise and fall with the tides in the bay.


----------

