When fishing from a boat does the tide matter?
 

I have heard different opinions, but my buddy insisnt that the fish only bite during high tide, incommong and outgoing. I tend to believe when your on a boat you can go and find the fish.

The answer is that it depends on where you are fishing. Like many shore spots, some fish better on the flood, others on the ebb. The only generality is that most places do not fish best during slack current.

dosn't matter. the fish are there all the time.
you just gotta find them, and put something in front of them.

I would say that is wrong, especially if he means that fish only feed closer to high tide. I have spots that are best on the bottom of the drop, sometimes the last hour. Some are better just as the tide starts to rise. Some are best at the top... some middle.

Depends on the spot and sometimes its not that the fish are only there at that point, but it fishes best at that point. By that I mean, you can present your lure or bait best at that point in the tide.

Over the weekend, I had a slow day, but I finally got a few small fish sight casting on a flat at dead low tide in 12" of clear water.

I generally do better when the tide is moving, but that may have more to do with the fact that I'm fishing spots where the fish stage up in the current waiting for food to be washed to them. When the tide slacks, they probably are just moving to a different feeding strategy. Maybe it just makes them less predictable to find.

I really have trouble believing that a fish won't eat a live herring swimming on his nose b/c of the stage of the tide. They may be less active or harder to find.

i don' t mean the fish are in the same spots all the time. but they are still in the harbor. you just have to find them. on a moving tide i will find them stacked up in one or more of my main spots and we can usually get one after the other.
but when the tide is slack i'll go exploring to pick up one at a time.

It depends on the spot!!! I fish different locations at different tides and current (and wind)directions. There are more then one variable.

Yes I have spots were there is nothing during the slack and little on the out or in coming tides.
But I do alot of Fluking and if you troll for them insow to none moving water will get some!!

It just all depends on location and what you are fishing for.

99% catching, high out going...tide going north

55% catching, incoming..tide going south

slack suk's period.

fishing from 1 mile to 20 + outside ,,,nantucket to p-town.

It also depends where you put your boat in the water/ low / high tide.
In and out ...Some times you can not get out at low tide

2 hours before or after the tide.
Slack = 0

Good point! The reality is that it's best to fish when you can get out and go. :btu:

Catching, well that often depends on the tide.