Obviously nowadays you don't need to learn any of this. Just surf the internet and rely on your contacts and cellphones to put you on fish. But if you have no friends and don't live near the canal than you can consider the following.
Current, ambush spots, and bait collectors more than tide stage are what really counts.
Don't overlook that current is often affected (or even created) by wind/wave direction, not just tide, particularly on rocky corners that end long stretches of open beach.
Big fish don't like to hold in open current, so you need something else, an edge, bar, rocks, to make a spot in current worth your time.
Currents past points often create a back eddy on the downcurrent side of the point. Don't ignore that.
Wind pushes bait. A shore that is mediocre when calm may get active after a few days of onshore wind.
Coves and bowls collect bait, but their real advantage is that they create areas with gentle water movement inside their corners where bait wanders and big fish like to wait.
Water depth is a factor if you are plugging. Shallow is OK, 4-8ft ideal, but deeper than 12-15ft requires clear conditions and minimal current if you hope for a fish to come up for your plug. Which is why chronic beginners use eels
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Weed screws you up. Wind, current, tide, and lunar stage all have an effect.
Once you are pretty sure you know when and where fish will be, you stop fishing other times and places that are not "right" and miss out on lots of great fishing.....but since you never know it you can still feel smug about what you do know. Works for me.
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