I have always heard that you should fish as the tide comes in. Do you catch anything when it is going out?

Answer 1

Beach fishing is best done as the tide comes in. Fishing when the tide is going out is rock-pool hunting for any trapped crabs or small fish, the collecting of shell fish etc.

Answer 2

I grew up in SE Alaska and spent most of my childhood fishing beaches and the ocean. I mainly fished for salmon and halibut.

When out on a boat, my father and I mostly went out about 3 hours before low water and fished the incoming tide. The reason? It is easier to take the boat out at the launch ramp at high tide than low tide.

I've fished both tides though. To be honest, I recall doing better on the incoming tide than the outgoing tide, but not what I would call a significant difference.

When I fished halibut, I usually fished the outgoing tide as it is easier to keep the line near the bottom then in my opinion. If you are using a lure to catch halibut where you are working the rod up and down, it is definately easier to keep the lure down.

When I fished on the beach during spawning season, I always fished from 1.5 to 2 hours after high water to low water. Why? At high water, there was no place to stand on the beach I fished at. Fish tend to circle close to the beach at high water and they tend to pool in deeper water during low water.

In conclusion...I have never noticed a terrible difference between the incoming and outgoing tide. I think there is a "hot" period during each tide where fishing is good.

Good Luck. A bad day fishing is still better than a good day in the ofrice.

Answer 3

One hour before and One hour after high tide is supposed to be the best fishing time. But I can assure you that I have caught fish during any type of tide.

Right place Right Time and you will have success no matter what the tide is like.

Answer 4

It depends on many things, your location, bait, and what you are fishing for. But in general yes you can catch fish on an out going tide as well as an in coming tide. It will help to fish out going tides near an inlet.

Answer 5

The 2 hours before high tide and the 2 hours following high tide have been best for me on the east coast. Although the incoming tide gets more publicity it can be just as exciting on the outgoing tide. Slack tide, when the tide pauses at high, can be boring.

Answer 6

I have fished the East Coast in the surf, on boats and from most of the mid-atlantic piers. I run a tackle shop on a pier in Va. Beach, VA and must admit that most fisherman subscribe to the theory that the hours before and after hightide are the most productive.

The baitfish, like minnows and mullet in saltwater, tend to be pushed toward the shore where they can find areas that provide some escape from predators. This also gives larger fish the opportunity to pick off the fish on the outside of the schools.

Rough water can disorient the smaller fish, but is also a magnet for bottom feeders( like Spot, Croaker, Red Drum, and Pompano) to feed on the food that is churned up.

This can occur at any tide because of factors such as wind direction. Keeping a record of your fishing trips can come in handy from season to season.

Basically I suppose if I have the opportunity to fish the hours of flood or hightide I will, but I don't limit myself to those hours. I have caught some of my most memorable fish at dead lowtide.

I tell the customers at my location to go fishing when they have the chance, because it gives them the chance to enjoy the outdoors in solitude or with family and friends.

You usually can't catch them without a line in the water!

Answer 7

2 hours either side of the high tide are the best times. You can still catch fish at any time though.

Answer 8

I am not sure about the tides. But I do know that when my husband and his friends go fishing, they say the best time to catch any thing is early in the morning. They start about 4:30 A.M. to 5:00 A.M. And they have pretty good luck.

Answer 9

I have been fishing for 45 years and the BEST time to fish is on a FALLING tide.

Answer 10

alot depends on what kind of fishing your doing. surf and river fishing ive never really noticed much difference. now if you fishing an inlet where the water is moving its actually better to fish the outgoing tide for the currents will drag all the bait off the shallows.