For the best catch, time your trip with the optimal tide

Tides are a critical element to fishing success. When targeting Trout in the fall, I prefer the first half of the falling tide. As the tide falls, Trout take up stations in creek mouths and marsh drains to feed. Typically, a lure cast into the feeding area will be quickly inhaled by a hungry Trout. Timing your fishing trip for the optimal tide is often the difference between catching and fishing.

However, sometimes the only time you can fish is during a not so optimal tide. This was the case on a recent trip with my friends, Julian and Kent Levin. We met at the boat landing on a windy and cool afternoon. A light rain was falling when we launched the skiff into the last half of the falling tide.

A less than optimal tide plus bad weather usually equals a tough fishing trip. Unfortunately, this equation held true for Julian, Kent and me. We fished for about 3 hours and never really found a good concentration of fish. The most consistent bite we encountered was on a shallow oyster shelf that fell off into deeper water. At the higher stage of the tide, most of the Trout were positioned on top of the oyster shelf. Our best producing lure was a Z-Man MinnowZ Houdini. A small hop and long pause retrieve produced most of our fish (with the strike occurring during the long pause).

As I was bemoaning our lack of action, Kent said “it sure beats sitting at home.” I thought about this for a second (remember it is cold and windy with a light rain) then had to agree. While we did not catch a lot of fish (17 Trout and 3 Flounder), it was fun to spend the afternoon with good friends.

Contact Captain Greg Peralta at captgregp@gmail.com or call (843) 224-0099.