Halibut tide primer?

[Little Hawk]

Ok dudes - all the 'Flattie-Kings' on this forum - since I'm finally getting serious about catching my first halibut this year, how's about some 'Tide/Current Analysis-101'?

- What tables or data source on-line do you prefer?
- What do you look for when seeking the prime windows of opportunity?

Thanks in advance.

Terry



"Some could care less if there's any fish left for our kids!"

 

[Luna]

Tide and current atalas accompanied by the Muarrys Tables. Both down at Tortac. If you want the real juice offer to take Wolfie out for wings and beer, get him buzzed and the info will come. Might have better luck with Tailspin as I hear hear he is a bit of a lush.

 

[beemer]

wxtide32, free tide and current program. Take the time to set this program up on your desktop and combined with a local chart you will never need anything else. good luck

 

[wolf]

LOL yes thats true for Justin now as all he needs is one drink and hes toast!!!!! me well youll have to spend more money.

Ok on the serious side terry if you can get the nobeltec visual series its what most of us use as you can dial it in for specific areas where a current atlas is really just a base.juan de fuca east thats it for oak bay or other spots there too much of a variance

Good luck Wolf

Blue Wolf Charters
www.bluewolfcharters.com

 

[Little Hawk]

Thanks a bunch you guys.
Problem here is that if I undertook to attempt to drink info out of Wolf or Justin, I'd have to have a tape-recorder stuffed in my coat cause I'd forget it all as soon as I went for a whiz.

So I guess my request for help in interpreting the tables to ones advantage fell on deaf-ears?

Oh... how stupid of me!
That information would require a whole nother' round of drinkin'...

Would I be getting close if I was to assume that the lesser/slower tides are the most favorable?

"Some could care less if there's any fish left for our kids!"

 

[scott craven]

Terry, just drag your balls deep and you will get Halibut !

 

[wolf]

Give me a call next week bring over a FLAT</u> of the best and ill show you what little I know. I have the books and a copier ill help you out

Wolf

Blue Wolf Charters
www.bluewolfcharters.com

 

[Little Hawk]

Done!

Thanks Bro!

(Lucky?)

"Some could care less if there's any fish left for our kids!"

 

[wolf]

AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH no I live in Victoria not Cumberland LOL LOL my choice is Kieths

Wolf

 

[Tailspin]

I wish it only took one beer last night Wolf, Luna, I a mere amatuer lush puppie compared to your Dewy show

Nobeltech was out to lunch by hours last season, it was strange. Then again so was the atlas. Who's this Murray ? The atlas was the closest by far, cheap easy to use too. []

Save your Beer money Terry, the fun part is learning[8D]

www.tailspincharters.com

 

[Last Chance]

Google up tideview 2050, murray tables and tides all in one.

Last Chance Fishing Adventures

www.lastchancefishingadventures.com
www.swiftsurebank.com

 

[Sushihunter]

I just use the following government website:

http://www.waterlevels-niveauxdeau....ueryType=showRegion&language=english&region=1

I also have a direct link on my website to this page for Area 25:
http://www.waterlevels-niveauxdeau....pe=showZone&language=english&region=1&zone=12

This has always worked well for me, and I can print out the results which give me a weeks worth of tide info on one page.

The site did go down a while back and I sent several emails to them and all they said was go to the URL as I listed above. After playing that game for a while, I sent an email to the Minister and it was up and running in about 12 hours! Just have to go to the top of the food chain I guess. []

Jim's Fishing Charters
www.JimsFishing.com
http://ca.youtube.com/user/Sushihunter250

 

[Little Hawk]

Okay... Keith's it is.

One question: Do I get to drink it with ya while we're in class?

"Some could care less if there's any fish left for our kids!"

 

[Charlie]

I don’t mean to show my ignorance here, but I am assuming everyone is referring to pre-planning a departure time for halibut, which I do to determine both time and speed of tides and currents. However, I have never really considered the direction of those arrows shown on those programs referred to (while interesting), as an important factor. Time and speed, yes!

When on the water my GPS unit shows both tide and current information based on the closest station giving me time and speeds, which I use to plan when and where I want to be and do. The direction of any current or crosscurrent is instantly known as soon as you shut down the engines, drop a line, or anchor.

So the question is, am I missing something?

 

[Whole in the Water]

This is what I look for LH:
- current that is less then 2 knots, 1 knot, or less is best.
- wind less then 10-15 knots (especially if you are drift fishing).
- long periods of little or no tide. You can see these flat sopts graphed out in the Fed's tide book for both Victoria and Sooke.

I know some guys say they like more current/tide as they say it gets the hali's on the feedbag, but I find it harder to anchor up or drift and to keep my gear in contact with the bottom.

If you anchor make sure you thoroughly research how to do it first, as this can be very dangerous. Lots of info to search on this site and also at Trotac and Island Outfitters. Good luck!

Long live wild salmon!!!

 

[Little Hawk]

You're not ignorant Charlie, not at all.

I'm just looking to learn more about what to look for as far as speed of current - what's too fast etc. as 'Whole'ey' pointed out - and maybe if there's more productivity on the ebb vs the flood.

Me, I'm a newbie to flatie-fishing and I want to learn what I can, especially when it comes to the fast currents on the south Island. I've already had one 'near-death' experiance off Ambleside beach with an anchor wrapped around my prop a few years back.

Thanks all for your input here.

"Some could care less if there's any fish left for our kids!"

 

[reelfast]

all those current arrows are a good indicator of which way to set up your drift, shallow to deeper is the rule. all the tide and current books and charts are great starting places but at the end of the day, time on task, carefully observing the exact area you are fishing and how the charts apply is the one and only way to figure things out. fortunately, halibut fishing is so damn boring, you will have plenty of time to think about what is going on with the currents and their interaction with winds.

 

[wolf]

The books and guides are ONLY a reference some times there out and the only thing that makes it better is knowing the waters and how to read all the books and come up with your times we fish places that have strong currents with Force where there is no way in hell you can fish a 1 kt current as there is to much force behind it.
move a mile away and your ok.

Im only helping Terry as I know him and pass on some knowledge as little as I know LOL and hopefully he will get his first halibut.

Good luck Wolf

Blue Wolf Charters
www.bluewolfcharters.com