Improving Saltwater Results Part II: Tide and "Temps"

Tides, winds and seasons determine saltwater action. Tide books help you plan trips months ahead, but wind and weather often suggest last-minute changes. Realize that while local peak periods may differ, a few general rules remain.

1. Big tide changes improve results. The difference between high and low water keys the action. The bigger this difference the more baitfish move and the better your chances of finding action.

2. Moving water helps. "The last two hours of the incoming and the first two hours of the outgoing tide" usually present the best fishing of the day. Slackwater is, except in special cases where, for example, a very low tide has pushed fish off flats into holes and channels, a slow period best used to move from incoming to outgoing spots.

3. Most areas have a peak period that's either on the incoming or outgoing tide. Incoming tides bring fish up into flats to feed. Areas where clammers have disturbed the bottom seem particularly good.

4. Extreme tides help. The highest tides of the month can bring schooling fish up over bars into bays. The lowest tides flush fish off flats and concentrate them in pools or channels. Such periods are usually, but not always associated with extreme changes.

5. A bit of wind helps, much wind hurts. Just enough wind to riffle the water keys results in most places save for tropical flats where windless periods help you spot fish like bonefish. Winds blowing in the same direction as the tide seem less a problem that opposed wind/tide that tends to steepen waves and cause whitecaps which, in shallows, muddy the water.

TIP: Do check for early and late calm periods.

6. Rain doesn't hurt, and with species like salmon or steelhead can help bring more fish into bays.

7. Seasons don't vary much in the order in which fish appear. Steelhead follow salmon or, for example, Jack smelt action peaks in San Francisco Bay around "President's Days." Fortunately, you can check on this ahead.

8. Water temperature can be critical. Very warm water can, in El Nino years, completely change the mix of saltwater species. Albacore fishermen, for example, simply head off the California Coast until they pick up the temperature line that is usually about 100 miles offshore. In El Nino years, it may be barely off harbors. So get temperature preferences for the species of choice -- see www.finefishing.com -- and adjust your target species and rigs accordingly.

Go To Page: 1 2

Articles in this Topic    Discussions in this Topic