I did a lot of searching and couldn't find any information that talks about how SB relate to different tides. I'm sure that bass relate differently under different situations, but is there a general rule?

I think I gleaned that bass hit better in the moving tide not during slack - accurate? Does it matter if the tide is moving in or out?

When do the tides move? Tide charts give time for dead low and dead high tides, correct? If that is true when is the tide moving? Does it move slowly inbetween high and low, or does it rush in or out mid way between the tides?

I know these are pretty basic questions, but I think they are so basic that they are not ever talked about and therefor un-searchable.

Thanks.

Youll find that bass will hit just about any time..moving or even slack. Certin spots usually have a tide that is better tho, you just gotta figure out which one it is. generally tho, if your fishing an outflow, outgoing is the time to be there. The bass wil setup and wait for bait to get brushed past them. Slack can also yield big fish, especially in a place where the current is ripping during the other parts of the tide..if there are big baits there the gurls will move in and hunt for them when it doesnt require alot of effort.
Bass will usually stick with a tide for a while..meaning if they hit on the outgoing last nite theyll probably be hitting on the out going for a while..maybe a month..maybe a week, but they do seem to like to stick to a certin tide out of habit.
The tide is moving any time its not slack..as soon as the tide turns its moving again and it builds in intensity as the tide wears on.
Hope that helps ya a bit.

libassboy is right on! Spending time in various locations will teach you when is the BEST tide stage to fish each spot.

G2327, as you said, bass relate differently under different situations, and also different areas. But generally fish are
more active in movingwater, as the bait is being moved by the current, and they can lay and wait till the bait comes to them. Fishing 3 hrs before and after high is ageneral rule, but i know guys who love low in certain areas.

If your fishing an inlet an out going is good as the bait is being carried outwards. If your fishing a beach the incoming may be good as the bait may be moving in with the tide.
The tides move between slack high and slack low and visa versa. Best thing to do is scout the area you fish, under all tide phases ,to see where the structre is and how the moving water affects it at different phases.

General stuff, hope it helps, i'm sure some other guys will add to or subtract from it.

The best time to fish is anytime. :hihi:

Woops, i'm slow libassboy beat me to it. :)

Thanks for the info guys. I know I'm going to have to put time on the water to really know how to actually catch stripers, not just fish for them, but I'm hoping to limit the learning curve as much as possible. I'll keep my eyes peeled for a good book or two as well.

Thanks again.

Just to be clear, tides and currents are different animals. The times listed in the tide tables for high and low tides are the times when the water column is at its highest or lowest. Generally the currents are still moving at those times. If you want to know when there will be no current (slack water) you have to consult a current table. Generally the time of slack water will be sometime after the time of high or low tide.

what I dont understand is how the wind effects fishing so much?

SW seems to be the best why??? Is wind more of a bait/weed factor thing? I've never really noticed much of a difference in wind direction (only more weeds) vs catching..unless its blowing hard NE...but even then Ive had success at the same spots that are reportedly good on SWs. why do so many say wind effect fishing, or spot specifics...so much

weather it be a gentle or stiff breeze for a few days or shift from NE to SW whatever...i dont understand how yall figure out what / where / when / how it effects fishing..is it bait related? Doesnt the tide carry em in and out? ah im confused w/ wind and its effects..

also...barometic pressures? myth or truth?

sorry to jack your "tide" thread up..i just figured some answers would be good info and its all sort of related in a way..so they say.
:hidin:

Moto, if the wind is blowing say more than a few miles an hour, itll start pushing the bait around. Over open water the wind is amplified. Wind generates current, and the current in turn pushes the bait, the bait in turn brings in the bass, and if the wind is blowing onshore well...wind onshore..current onshore..bait onshore..bass onshore. depending on where you are on the coast, the best wind for your area will vary.
About pressure im a believer that it turns on the fish bigtime. Why? cause ive seen it more than a few times, a front rolls in and a slow pick of fish turns into crazy deal. Im certin they can sense the drop in pressure but i cant give ya a difinative as to why it amps up the bite..maybe they know that its gonna get real messy in the surf and they wanna eat while the eatins good..who knows.

The moon turns the tides.. pay attention to different phases of the moon ..New and full moon the tides are higher and lower .. the currents are stronger. (inlets,ditch)
I'd pay more attention to prevailing winds than wich way the wind is blowing that day .. whats it been doing the last week ? wind blows the fish in .. I like to feel it blowing in .. sux for casting though.. and eventually the wind blows the weeds in too ..

You can use the tide chart high, low to determin slack tide on beaches . Near inlets slack may be slightly different than high low.. Hull gut is 5 minutes different than Boston thats right next to it ..

If your talking the ditch the top and bottom of the tide are way different than slack due to 2 totally different tides joined in the middle ,(buzzards bay and cape cod bay).. Thats another whole can of worms and suggest you pick up a cc canal tide book for that ..

On top of all that you have to learn bait patterns ,,when they run ,,where they run .

When you have everything in the whole enviorement all figured out ... you still get skunked . :bc: thats fishing