Doc's Perspective on the Tides

Anyone who has ever fished in saltwater knows that the tides are probably the singlemost important factor in determining fishing success. But it is amazing how few fishermen actually understand why this is so. The effects of the tides are evident to even the most casual observer. When the tide is low, sand bars and other structure are readily visible and there are obviously no fish present. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that if the water's gone, the fish are too. The fish then move with the tides.

Tidal currents, the horizonal flow of tidal waters, is vital to all forms of marine life. As the tide ebbs, it pulls nutrients out of coastal marshes to nourish the nearshore zone. Along with these nutrients, small juvenile fishes and shrimp which use the marsh interface as a nursery area, are also drawn out. The resulting smorgasbord is a feast that gamefish like trout and reds have learned to enjoy.

Similarly, when the tide is incoming, hungry gamefish are given access to these shallow waters that are teeming with prey. Of course they take full advantage to cruise this new territory for easy pickings. As the baitfish and shrimp move, the predators follow. And any fisherman intent on catching them will follow suit.

The question of whether fishing is best on a rising or falling tide is academic. Along the front beaches, the fishing is clearly better on the rising tide, if for no other reason than on the ebb the feeding fish are moving farther and farther away from the casting angler. At some point, the shore-bound fisherman will no longer be able to reach the feeding fish as they recede with the tide. Fishermen in a boat, on the other hand, will be able to continue to take advantage of the tidal flow and good fishing conditions by drifting with the outgoing tide. The advantage of having a boat is considerably less on a rising tide when the action moves steadily shoreward.

If front beach fishing is generally best on the rising tide, then one might also generally say that bay and backwater fishing can be best on the falling tide. The constant flow of fresh water from the bays, bayous and tributaries produces a seaward current of its own; and a tidal flood current will be somewhat cancelled out by this seaward flow of water. A falling tide, on the other hand, will produce a synergistic effect as these two currents join in a combined effort to move water out. Fishing near the mouth of a small bayou where this effect will be most evident can be truly spectacular. Oftentimes as bait is sucked out of the marsh, schools of trout, reds, Spanish mackerel and other gamefish will station themselves nearby to take advantage of the disoriented prey.

It is key to saltwater fishing success to know and understand that fish and their food start moving in and out of the nearshore zone as soon as the tidal current has reached sufficient speed to force them in the direction of flow. Obviously, in shallower water this effect will be more profound and felt sooner than in the waters of the nearby channel. Still, the fish in their deep water stations will be affected too. The exact time of such effects is something a fisherman needs to ascertain for himself. It is unique to any given location in any given body of water. A tide table or tidal current chart can help get you in the ballpark, but only experience at fishing each location will provide you with the information you need to consistently use the tides to your advantage.

Doc's Coastal Fishing that appears in the Friday Marquee Section of the Mississippi Gulf Coast's Sun-Herald newspaper will provide you with some of the basic tidal current information, but you can get additional details on this important factor for fishing success along the entire Gulf Coast in:

Harold Wells' Gulf Coast Fisherman With Well's Daily Fishing Forecast 401 West Main Street Port Lavaca, Texas 77979 512-552-8864

With a little practice, you too can improve your fishing success considerably by fishing the tides. The predatory species that you're trying to catch do it all the time...