Inshore fishing presents another set of problems. With reference points all around you, it is very easy to see whether your boat has moved. So the drifting issue is not one we need to address here. The entire issue with inshore fishing surrounds the tide and tidal currents.
Some anglers feel very strongly one way or the other that fish always feed on an incoming tide or that fish always feed on an outgoing tide. The truth is that fish will feed on either tide or on both tides. The real key is moving water.
Fish are smarter than most people think. They want moving water because it’s that moving water that brings their food. Baitfish school and move in or out with tidal currents. Fish will position themselves to take advantage of the food coming their way, and the savvy angler will learn just where those places are located.
In general, if the inshore bite shuts down, it will be because the tide has stopped and/or turned the other direction. That necessarily means that the bait will be moving in a different direction, and that in turn will move the fish.
I have numerous fishing spots – some are good on an outgoing tide and some are only good on an incoming tide. It is a matter of where the bait is moving and what direction the current takes.
Can you use this information in your own circumstances? Actually you can use it successfully more quickly than you think. I developed my fishing locations over years of trial, error and learning. Learning always takes place immediately following trial and error! But, you can use some common sense, look for a couple of key ingredients, and move along with the fish when the tide changes.
While you are catching fish, take note of the current. Is there an eddy in the current flow? Are you in a river or creek mouth on an incoming tide? Can you see baitfish moving?
Take note of all these indicators. Then, when the tide changes, look for similar indicators. You may need to move to the other side of a river because the eddy you were fishing moved when the tide changed. You may need to move to the outside of the river mouth where before, you were catching fish inside the river mouth.
The key here is twofold – look for the bait and look for the changes in current flow. Find the location to which the bait moved when the tide changed, and find similar current conditions - eddys, cuts, and the like - and you will likely find the fish.
Many anglers fish half the day because they learned to fish only an incoming or only an outgoing tide. Good anglers can fish both tides successfully. When the fish quit biting – they know the reasons. You can do the same with some of these tactics!
