Weather, tide conditions how do you choose to go out ?

[Slabbedout]

I am sure this has been discussed before but what apps, sites or sources do you use to determine when is safe and worth fishing ?

I am currently using the weather network app for wind and direction and then navionics to determine tides / currents for where I plan to fish. I know some guys use Big Wave Dave. Also I am trying to determine where is best to go dependent on the wind and wind direction as to be somewhat protected. I mostly fish Church rock to Oak Bay Area and launch out of esq anglers. I usually go out when I have time not when the conditions are ideal, so just looking to find places to go if the wind is kicking up out front. I find that 10-15 k winds are the max I would really want to be out in also depends what the tides are doing though.

If there is a somewhat current thread on this please point me in that direction.

 

[Saxe Point]

I use Windfinder.com. But unfortunately the accuracy of any predictions by any service are what you’d expect, namely hit and miss. Sometimes bang on. Other times way off. Living in Sooke, when it’s not obvious by looking outside and at at the Gordon’s Beach web cam on bigwavedave, I often just take my boat out [I am moored, so it’s easy] and head out and go around Whiffin Spit and see how it is.

Sometimes gale warnings are in effect, but we’re out fishing because it is very flat. Other times there’s not supposed to be any significant wind and it’s a no go. It’s healthy for my motor to be run regularly, so I like this system.

The Windfinder.com site and their app have a regular forecast and a very detailed “super forecast”. It offers hourly predictions, tides etc. I find it to be reasonably good. I find the Weather Network and the Marine Forecast from Environment Canada to be too general and often just wrong. The Marine Forecast seems to always show a gale warning. I’ve fished during some of these and it’s like a mill pond.

The web cams and the ability to go out and see are great for those days where forecasts are borderline.

 

[Aces]

I find a subscription to Buoyweather is worth the money

Extremely accurate

 

[Slabbedout]

I use Windfinder.com. But unfortunately the accuracy of any predictions by any service are what you’d expect, namely hit and miss. Sometimes bang on. Other times way off. Living in Sooke, when it’s not obvious by looking outside and at at the Gordon’s Beach web cam on bigwavedave, I often just take my boat out [I am moored, so it’s easy] and head out and go around Whiffin Spit and see how it is.

Sometimes gale warnings are in effect, but we’re out fishing because it is very flat. Other times there’s not supposed to be any significant wind and it’s a no go. It’s healthy for my motor to be run regularly, so I like this system.

The Windfinder.com site and their app have a regular forecast and a very detailed “super forecast”. It offers hourly predictions, tides etc. I find it to be reasonably good. I find the Weather Network and the Marine Forecast from Environment Canada to be too general and often just wrong. The Marine Forecast seems to always show a gale warning. I’ve fished during some of these and it’s like a mill pond.

The web cams and the ability to go out and see are great for those days where forecasts are borderline.

Yeah I find this happens to me somewhat frequently. Haul the boat down, launch it and come out from the breakwater at esq anglers only to find it to bumpy to go and then other times find out I should have tried to get out when the forecast was not great.

 

[fishin solo]

I find a subscription to Buoyweather is worth the money

Extremely accurate

What’s the cost of that ?

 

[SpringVelocity]

I look at the wind direction and which way current is running. Sooke is a classic example of this scenario.

Jdf is easy in south. All you need to watch is the pressure gradient data on BWD. If the pressure gradient is large and swings it will be windy.

 

[fish brain]

I use https://embed.windy.com/ I find it to be quite accurate even several days out. As SV says current is just as important in your area. Windy has a wave prediction feature that is quite handy, there is a drop down tool bar under the little wind symbol in the top right corner. You can toggle the layers on or off

 

[Aces]

What’s the cost of that ?

Here’s the link. You can get a taste of the site for free on 2 day forecasts

http://www.buoyweather.com/

 

[Ryan A]

I use Fish Weather myself in Area 14 and it’s usually pretty accurate. The nowcast portion updates every 15min and the wind map every hour.

 

[Ground Tackle]

I always check the Environment Canada's Marine Forecast site and go with that.

 

[RogersonCrusoe]

Www.windy.com seems to pull wubd data from a number of weather models. Haven't seen it dramatically wrong in a while.
And for currents I use dairiki.org

 

[littlechucky]

I use windy.com,fishweather and enviro Canada. Between the 3 you get a pretty good sense.

Also important to understand the current and tides in your area and how the wind will impact the water conditions where and when you plan to travel.