Newbie Question...

[Sigsy]

This is probably going to sound really stupid,
but can you catch fish at any time? or have you got no chance of catching anything at low tides?
Just that I've heard it mentioned a lot that 2hrs before and after high tide are best, what about outside of then?
Would love to try and get out as much as possible but sometimes 2hrs+/- High tide is not possible because of work, so I just want to know if im going to be wasting my time if I toddle off at any old time

[phill_itofish]

you can catch at any time mate, most marks will produce more at sertain times of the tide. I fish South Shields beach if its low tide, i think the river works best at high, when your going out onto rocks and skeers alot of the marks are still under water or cut of by the water at high tide so you have to fish them at low, the trick is to ask someone who fishs the mark often what part of the tide fishes better.

[Jimbob]

Not a stupid question! I thought the same a few years back when I was starting.
As said before, every mark is different. Where there is a strong tide flow e.g. end of the piers, often slacker times e.g. before and after low and high can produce. Where the tide flow is weaker, sometimes mid-tide can be the killer etc.

Some marks will not fish their usual pattern if the tides are too big or too small. All part of the learning process which takes years.

Maybe post a list of the places you would like to fish here and the advice will come flooding in!

[The Great Wallsendo]

Not a daft question at all - my first misconception when I got back into this game was that the "best" tide was High Tide - which indeed it was for where I first started fishing (my first fish was a Flattie too )

Whitley Beach for example has LOADS of marks on it that are best fished either side of low water

[greggthe1]

Most of the marks i fish can only be fished at low water mate so not a waste of time at all. I struggle to find high water marks to fish. IMO you can catch fish at any state of tide but some times are better than others and even then you need the fish to be there and feeding!

[mick dunn]

I like to fish off piers and i think the best time is when the tide comes in. Two or there hours up and on high tide.
Saying that i will fish anytime off the pier cos you are out into deep water.
There is some spots which fish better at low tide such as off the beach along from Steetly.The spot is known as Parton hole. and at night low tide when conditions are right its dynamite by all accounts.
One day i will give it a whirl.

Mick.

[Barney]

Hi Sigsy,I started at xmas and find that people are only to happy to answer your questions no matter how stupid they are(that s the questions and a few of the people.ONLY JOKING).I found that I have learnt a lot from meeting and fishing with other members and chatting to folk at marks.(Cheers Alan and Sean).Tackle shops are also a good source of advice as well.Although after going to the north v south comp I wouldn`t trust the folk from north of the Tyne(only joking again, although they are a bit strange)

[willywetegg]

When People are asking for advice, there is no such thing as a stupid question. When you have been fishing for a while you might look back and think that some things were really obvious but they really aren't if you don't know. Keep asking your questions, no matter how trivial they may seem to you. There is sure to be someone else that is looking in that would like to know too but are too afraid to ask.

Most of the questions that are asked have been asked many times on here before, that makes no difference at all to anyone that has just joined and have not seen the previous answers. It is exactly the same with fishing magazines like Sea Angler and there repeat features on how to tie a shockleader, It is one of the biggest things that they get asked every month. It may get tedious to people who see it time after time but it is very necessary, I would rather read something like that every couple of months than get a six ounce lead in the back of my head

There is a thread running at the moment about which line to use, that one comes up on a very regular basis on here which I also think is a good thing as it gives people the chance to find out the more popular lines instead of learning by trial and error like most of us had to do years ago lol, how the hell did we ever manage without tinternet lol.

Jim.

[Sheepy]

Have only been at it a few months myself mate so I know where you're coming from. Remember that there are probably a lot of people with the same questions as you who haven't asked yet so it's always good to get a thread going. High tide being the best time to fish seems to be a common misconception, I had plenty of people tell me that fish only feed on the rising tide but quickly learned that wasn't the case as I saw people fishing at all states of the tide. Would advise you to spend time walking around various marks as much as possible and you'll soon get an idea about what's going on in a particular place.

[Sigsy]

Thanks for the advice chaps, much appreciated

[RONVIK]

I have been fishing for 26 years and i still like to ask questions.but you learn best by getting out there and doing it no matter what state the tide is at.
a knowlege of the fish your after,what they feed on at different times of the year can also be a great help.
after a storm for example, mussel beds can get riped up and that can be a good bait to fish with near where they grow. cod can come really close in around spring-time looking for peeler-crabs on rough-rocky areas because cod know crab hide around rocks and kelp when the crabs are peeling,and only fresh peeler as bait will do.
sorry if iam babbling on i just love talking about fishing, and getting out there and doing it in all weathers,high or low-water! and i never get tired of it, and iam still learning....there are no experts! they have just been doing it longer! so dont be afraid to ask them.

[Blanketyblank]

When i first started out someone give me a good idea,which is a good way to learn and remember.I use to keep a record/diary of all my fishing trips.By keeping an account of the state of tide fished.What the conditions of the sea (rough sea, Fresh northerly wind etc.).What type of baits and rigs used,how far you are casting, and what fish you catch if any.I even use to keep an account if i blanked. But over the years the info becomes very handy and a good guide where to fish..Plus over time you tend to forget things like which bait fished the best..

[Sigsy]

Thats a spot on idea, I think I'll do that. Cheers