Slack tide can definitely result in fish going on patrol, but in a lot of my Newport spots I prefer the tide to be moving. It's going to put the fish in feeding spots. Assuming you can reach these spots, this makes things a lot easier. On a moving tide whether I'm on the boat or shore I can usually assess whether anyone is home in about 10 minutes tops, if I really know the spot I'm fishing. If I know where to lay a plug or bait and if there's a fish and I hit the spot and put it right in it's face it's going to feed. Anytime after that I'm just waiting and hoping for fish to enter the area.
The moving tide positions the bass like trout, imo. Slack tide can be great if the fish are active, if not then it's just a stretch of time where if you hook a fish your eel or plug happened to land where the fish saw or heard it. Moving tide can allow you to apply a more precise attack on a spot, especially from the boat. |