When you say 'the tides are good', what do you mean?

[Nemytalu]

Bait gets pushed by current, fish hold on the lee side of structure, back eddies are created...
Every area is different. Keep a detailed log. You will start to see the patterns.

I think Tips Up is pointing to the holy grail of fishing: to be able to read structure and tide/currents to predict where the fish are at. I need to understand these principles more (how bait fish are moved / how they react to structure, salmon behavior on the lee side etc.), then have a hard look at 'hot spot' fishing locations to see how these principles are playing out. Like what is actually happening Sidney Spit or the Nose at Renfrew? If you understood that, you wouldn't be limited to fishing where others are. Study some charts, look at some tides and you're off blazing trails.

 

[gone fishin]

"Tides are good" means different things to different people at different locations and for different species. All based on experience.

 

[Salty338]

Totally agree on good tides for different areas and how they flow over structure however sometimes I think good tides can be at prime bite times like for Chinook being early morning changes or closer to dusk changes.

 

[Aces]

I think Tips Up is pointing to the holy grail of fishing: to be able to read structure and tide/currents to predict where the fish are at. I need to understand these principles more (how bait fish are moved / how they react to structure, salmon behavior on the lee side etc.), then have a hard look at 'hot spot' fishing locations to see how these principles are playing out. Like what is actually happening Sidney Spit or the Nose at Renfrew? If you understood that, you wouldn't be limited to fishing where others are. Study some charts, look at some tides and you're off blazing trails.

One of the key principles

 

[SpringVelocity]

One of the key principles

Yep

 

[Ancient Mariner]

"Tides are good" means different things to different people at different locations and for different species. All based on experience.

Experience is the key. The only time you learn about what is a good tide, current, location is when you catch something. The rest of the time is a waste of time. The more success you have the more you can try to figure out things like tides and currents.

 

[seahorse]

On a similar note, someone told me the secret to fishing is to go where the fish are …

 

[Bill 310]

On a similar note, someone told me the secret to fishing is to go where the fish are …

and my dad would always say, "and catch some."

 

[ship happens]

On a similar note, someone told me the secret to fishing is to go where the fish are …

The fish show up when we show up

 

[leaseman]

Some great info!

 

[outbeen]

That tomorrow I'll be saying "should of been here yesterday"

 

[MRWood]

On a similar note, someone told me the secret to fishing is to go where the fish are …

And the fish are generally where the baitfish are. So if you can figure out how the baitfish move with the tides then your odds increase.

 

[Fishalot]

That tomorrow I'll be saying "should of been here yesterday"

Or at daybreak or……

 

[searun]

Great topic -someone could probably write a book on it mostly because different structure fishes best at certain current created by different tides. Way too many variables to have too many hard, fast rules. There is no simple answer because the tides and current change daily. General rules of thumb for me:

1) 2 hour rule - always be in known best bet locations for 2 hour window on either side of the slack tide.
2) location, location, location - this is because tide - current direction work differently for structure, but points of land are perfect fish (bait) traps - same too for underwater reefs

For halibut - I look for tides that will generate decent tide flow. Too heavy or too slow can be problematic, so timing when to drop the hook is all about looking at how heavy the current will be at certain points in the tide.

 

[ship happens]

Great topic -someone could probably write a book on it mostly because different structure fishes best at certain current created by different tides. Way too many variables to have too many hard, fast rules. There is no simple answer because the tides and current change daily. General rules of thumb for me:

1) 2 hour rule - always be in known best bet locations for 2 hour window on either side of the slack tide.
2) location, location, location - this is because tide - current direction work differently for structure, but points of land are perfect fish (bait) traps - same too for underwater reefs

For halibut - I look for tides that will generate decent tide flow. Too heavy or too slow can be problematic, so timing when to drop the hook is all about looking at how heavy the current will be at certain points in the tide.

There is a few books written on that one. Big topic 100 percent

 

[profisher]

Best bets Sooke...daybreak, tide changes (short bite periods typically) and last half of the flood from peak flow velocity to high slack. Best bet Sidney..tide changes. Fish can be caught anytime if you are fishing the right place during certain tides. Fish in Sooke try and hold on the ebbs to prevent being sucked backwards from their intended direction of travel...which is normally to the east and the Fraser River as an example. So on the ebb look for back eddy edges where just like a bolder in a river fish can sit, rest and dart out at food as it sweeps by close enough to grab. On the ebb you could have many passes over the same fish as they won't move around to much. So you just have to wait them out. On the flood they will be on the move and active (active means they will also feed) but you may only get one stab at them as they pass by you (often in 3 mph plus moving water) ..unless you can get back downstream of them and pick them up again before they exit your fishing spot.

 

[tubber]

If I'm alone in my boat, I like to fish salmon at first light until the end of the next slack. Then go jig or try for a hali. Then go in for fuel and clean the fish and get ready for the evening bite.
Inevitably, rum, dinner, and fatigue get in the way and I never get out again till morning.

 

[sly_karma]

If you can see the bait
You got up too late.

 

[Reeltime]

Looking back in the, log book, top producing tide has been flood to high slack locally, still hit fish through out other tides..

Find T10 to SandHeads you can almost fish any tide, but the flood again always gets things going..free ride for the fish

 

[searun]

If I'm alone in my boat, I like to fish salmon at first light until the end of the next slack. Then go jig or try for a hali. Then go in for fuel and clean the fish and get ready for the evening bite.
Inevitably, rum, dinner, and fatigue get in the way and I never get out again till morning.

Your killin me there...rum, dinner, sleep, repeat. Sounds like a typical Barkley day