Best tide for fishing

I've noticed a lot of people fishing the low tide recently. Can anyone clarify the best tide to fish or does it differ depending on what species you are targeting.

generally would be an incoming tide, but depends what species you want to catch, also other things affect what you can catch like shallow or deep water, surf or calm conditions, clear or coloured water, fishing on a sunny day or night fishing, fishing over rocky ground or sand etc... the list could go on and on.. :lol:

Thanks for that Nialler, thats what I thought.

Nialler, I am new to sea fishing, and like the OP here, have struggled to understand the best tides to fish.

[quote]generally would be an incoming tide, but depends what species you want to catch, also other things affect what you can catch like shallow or deep water, surf or calm conditions, clear or coloured water, fishing on a sunny day or night fishing, fishing over rocky ground or sand etc... the list could go on and on..

I would be grateful if you could explain a bit more your above comments.

Thanks :wink:

hi lads, best tide times to fish are very mark dependent, for example fishing a mark like dalkey sound during the main run is nigh on impossible to hold bottom therefor areas around slack water create the best of catching a fish. recently was told by a very good match angler that on open beaches a retreating tide is best for flounder in the gutter as the backwash of the waves creates more disturbance than an incoming tide. when fishing for bass around my local area the last two hours of the flood, over slack water and the first of the drop seem to produce the best results, as it allows the fish to move in root around the rockpools which are only fully submerged over this time. when fishing very open sandy beaches like sandymount the fish retreat into gullies and channels e.g cockle lake area, while the tide is out concentrating them and hence making them easier to find.

shamoo when the sea is coloured fish feel more relaxed about being out in the open than when its clear due to predation by other animals it could also mean that there has been recent rough weather meaning that there is an abundance of churned up food for grabs, competition for this food usually means they are trying to eat as fast as they can before it disappears, at these times tide run becomes secondary on many marks in respect to good fishing.

eric, thanks for the tips.

Am I right in thinking then that during/after rough weather, ie high winds etc, that the fishing would be good.

I have recently tried Killiney beach (my very first outing), started an hour an half before hightide and were out for around 4 hours. Hightide was 7.47pm.

We drew a blank!!!

Using mackerel/squid/sandeel on a basic 3 hook rig.

Was I unlucky or simply using the wrong bait/tactics?

eric, thanks for the tips.

Am I right in thinking then that during/after rough weather, ie high winds etc, that the fishing would be good.

I have recently tried Killiney beach (my very first outing), started an hour an half before hightide and were out for around 4 hours. Hightide was 7.47pm.

We drew a blank!!!

Using mackerel/squid/sandeel on a basic 3 hook rig.

Was I unlucky or simply using the wrong bait/tactics?

for me personally i hate fishing rough weather as im rubbish at it, i couln't catch a cold if i tried, i prefare fishing the day after a spell of rough weather when its calmed down a bit but the water is still coloured.

killiney can be very temperamental, where you fishing on Thursday last week i think i might have past you by on the way to whiterock :D conditions where not the best for fishing, surprised the whiting didn't come in after dark. best bait on day like that are lugworm tipped with maddies as the water was clear, 3 hook flapper was bang on. im fishing there tomorrow if your off drop down

Wasnt me sorry eric, I was out 2 saturdays ago.

But yeh I'm off tomorrow and was planning on heading out early afternoon, I think hightide is mid aternoon!?

Maybe I'll bump into you, a few tips ould be really handy.