I think the answer can be fairly situationally specific. In our area we are fishing passes that are virtually unfishable with a big tide change as even with 20# cannon balls you can't make it to bottom due to the current. In that scenario my two most productive times are either the 30 minutes on either side of high or low slack on days with a large tide swing; or the period about 2 hours before slack on days with a medium tide swing. When the above instances happen at dawn/dusk are the best.
My theory is that on days with lot's of current the bait is stuck to the bottom except for the very short period around slack so during that time there is a bit of a feeding frenzy.
On medium tide days I used to fish the 30 minutes either side of slack but I always seemed to catch fish when I first arrived so I just kept going a little earlier each time and finally figured out that in the 2 hour period before slack produces, with the hottest bite being about 60 minutes before with things generally tappering of at slack. My working theory is that as the current ebbs moving towards slack the bait rises and feeding begins and that by slack the frenzy has slowed down somewhat. We catch fish around both ebb and flood slacks but prefer ebbs as the water is 20' lower making it easier to get to and track bottom. We fish the downcurrent edge of the crown of the reefs depending on if we are fishing an ebb or flood.
I've never spent much time fishing open ocean for salmon so don't have anything to ad to the thread on that scenario but would be interested to hear from others how that compares.
The Port Alberni/Barklay Sound yearly tide books have the best fishing times marked with a little fish symbol. Not sure how they arrive at them as they are not always consistent. Anyone know the criteria they use?
This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
