Tide Charts ... What to Look At

[Pferox]

Here is a screen shot of the tide chart I use.  It is for April 1st 2015.  This site adds a lot of data to the graphic, including solunar information.  This is a good example to use because even though the overall tide cycle isn't fantastic, there will be 4 tides during the 24 hour period which means that water will be moving all day long with very short times of flat dead tide.



Some days, you will have to time when you have baits in the water based on water movement, but on a day like this one, there will be so much moving water that the chance of catching fish all day long is possible.  The other things that the chart doesn't show is weather effects, like barometer, rain, sun light, and these things play into it too, although none of that means anything unless you have a good tide running.

Of course, like everything else, this is all speculation, if the wind blows right, then the tide movement won't be exact, and sometimes doesn't even happen, as an example.

[bigjim5589]

Jim, good post! A lot of folks who are not around tidal waters much don't understand the tide movements or the affect it can have on fishing. But, as you've pointed out there are other variables too that should be considered.

The tide chart I use most is on the MD DNR website & is free to anyone who wishes to use it. Of course, it's primarily for the Chesapeake Bay region. http://dnr2.maryland.gov/Fisheries/Pages/Tide-Finder.aspx

When I check the charts, I'm only looking at high & low times, which I consider a starting point for checking the other variables. Wind & other weather conditions are what I check next.

Although nothing is ever a hard & fast rule, generally the important thing is the moving water the tidal effects cause, that's when the fish are most active & often feeding. It's not always the difference in water levels that make either tide important to anglers.

Two years ago I posted about chasing Redfish with a fly rod down in VA. That week was a perfect example. The fish were coming onto a grass flat with the high tide & we would wade & wait for them. That same week there was a full moon, and the wind cooperated. Perfect conditions, but the higher tides brought about by the full moon was not a good thing. The fish were there, but since we were sight casting to them, the few extra inches of water over the grass made them much harder to spot. So, that full moon was not necessarily a blessing for us! 

[Pferox]

I have a couple of charts I use, but like this one because of the graphics, and all the extra stuff involved.  It loads good on the phone, so this way I am able to check it out when I'm on the pier. 

If your chart is graphic, you can tell when the water is actually moving, some tides had long periods of dead slack with short periods of actual movement.  The fishing duration is short, but can be intense.  Where as a tide that takes a long time to cycle, may look good graphically, but in actuality it is a slow steady movement which sometimes slows the fishing down.

Another thing to remember is the distance you are away from the tide marker and where you are oriented, if you are inland from the marker, odds are that your tide will hit dead slack and max before the actual marker does because the water has to fill up the back waters before the shoreline fills up. (hope that made sense).  We have asked NOAA people if there was a way to calculate this, and they pretty much said nothing is consistent, so no.

Boat fishing in the bays around here is pretty simple, and you can do pretty well with just a good tide chart, and weather report.  When you hit the Gulf or oceans, that is a whole nother ball of bait. 

A good swell chart is a must to have, it needs to list height AND duration.  That is a whole nother thing, and I haven't gotten to the part of fully understanding that one yet.  I do know that how you look at that information depends on your boat and a few other variables.  I have noticed that tides don't seem to effect fishing as much in Blue Water, but it does navigation, especially when you are heading out or heading in.

[Pferox]

All that yaking and I forgot to mention what I initially wanted to. 

Jim, you might be interested in this one as a cross reference, so I'll leave the link.  It covers a big portion of the world, if I remember correctly.  It is a good one if you are traveling and fishing tidal.

http://www.tides4fishing.com/


I also check a couple of the local surf reports when I'm fishing in the Gulf, they are a good reference for surf wave height, durations, and weed reports.  Surf cams help a lot too, but that is more for the fishing experience than actually catching anything.

[MCS]

Good info thanks