Tidal fish feed by following food carried by the tide’s rise and fall, often gathering it into small pockets with more or less current movement.
An expert bass guide, Bobby Barrack prefers deep river channels with steep drops as prime holding areas during falling tides. He also favors the outside edges of massive grass beds.
Flathead
Flatheads are massive catfish found throughout U.S. river basins. These solitary fish are opportunistic predators that feed on various food items and marine creatures they see on land or sea, often as waste products from factories or manufacturing processes. Their dorsally compressed bodies make them one of the best ambush hunters on the market – patiently hiding behind covers like weed beds, sandflats, or rip rap until prey wanders within striking range – then spring out from behind their concealment with surprise to capture its meal.
Due to their size and opportunistic hunting style, flathead fishes are frequently found in large rivers and reservoirs. They prefer slow-flowing stretches of water with depressions, holes, ledges, and bottom areas with natural (rocks, logs, and weeds) and manmade structures like dams, boat ramps, bridge pilings, or breakwaters as potential hunting locations.
Troy’s research revealed that they and their team typically spend daylight hours resting in rugged woody structures such as logjams or creek bed overhangs. On average, Troy and his team typically paid less than an hour per 24-hour period traveling between their daytime resting spots and feeding areas; moreover, they remained very loyal to certain logjams, often returning almost in the same position each morning.
Flatheads are easily caught at any time during a run-in tide, though the last stages are incredibly productive due to fresh tidal flow that pushes baitfish into hard-to-reach pockets and depressions before retreating as water levels subside, becoming more accessible for flatheads to catch.
As far as lures are concerned, a standard 1/0 jighead should suffice in most circumstances. When fishing for flathead, use 2.5″ to 5″ plastics of various thicknesses from 2.5 to 5 inches and different size jigheads ranging from 1/0 up to 3/0; these work well when fishing shallow water areas like creeks. A 3/0 can also help when working shallow sandflats and yabby beds.
Bass
Bass are versatile fish that thrive in many habitats yet seem particularly adept at living in tidal rivers. Navigating river systems is challenging enough; adding tides as an additional factor becomes nearly impossible. Daily tide patterns disrupt all standard considerations like depth, temperature, sunlight exposure, etc., unpredictably – creating chaos!
Spend some time fishing tidal rivers, even for just an hour or two at a time, even if it means just learning the system and becoming acquainted with critical spots where bass are active. Gaining familiarity will go a long way towards helping you become a more consistent angler.
Tidal bass fishing requires understanding how changing water levels impact its fishery. An outgoing tide typically produces the best results, drawing water through shallow vegetation to form an oxygenated flow filled with small prey items. Creek mouths and cuts draining marshes also serve as staging areas as bass congregate around newly available food sources.
Tidal experts advise anglers to carefully survey an area during low tide, watching how the current fills each water section. Please pay special attention to any irregularities like rocks or eddies that create ambush points; keep a notepad handy as tidal waters present an unparalleled opportunity for anglers to make photographic records of their surroundings.
Once the outgoing tide eases off, experienced bass fishers capitalize on their time by targeting critical habitats they have identified – creek drains, depressions, humps, or structures likely to hold bass when the tide rises several hours later.
Making digital photos, rough sketches, or chart markings during low tide can be an invaluable practice. When the tide begins to recede, bass who were previously feeding at certain stages may move or stop altogether; an accurate photographic record can enable anglers to refind the same spot the next day and open new opportunities.
Bream
Breams are versatile feeders that take advantage of any opportunity, taking natural and man-made bait quickly; popular options are shellfish, prawns, and small fish such as anchovy and sprat. Anglers also love using man-made baits like sandworm and prawns; however, tidal weirs often provide excellent opportunities to find hungry shoals. Just be sure that your rig is placed correctly at each spot to capture them successfully – look out for foamy bubbles or smell the distinctive sound they make when “kissing” the bottom surface lily pad, cover, or plant surface!
Sounds similar to kissing, this sound indicates the fish is ready to feed as its mouth opens wide to collect invertebrates attached to vegetation. A shoal will soon surface as proof that you’ve found an ideal fishing area.
Target bream with either a bait rod and float, but they are most often caught with soft plastic lures such as 1/100th or 1/1/48th-ounce jigs, which sink more naturally as they imitate amphipod crustaceans that makeup part of bream’s diet.
Bream is an ideal family fish available whole, in fillet form, or marinated and served on an Asian grill. With its sweet flavor and medium texture, bream suits gentle cooking methods such as baking, steaming, or frying; its moist flesh keeps more of its moisture when served whole on the barbecue!
The striped sea bream, commonly called sand steenbras, is another famous family of fish that local artisanal tidal fisheries can target; their stocks have been declared sustainable or adequate by State agencies. As coastal marine species, they breed offshore before recruiting into lagoons and protected bays as juveniles. Due to their low population density and the tendency for shallow waters, shoal formations make these an ideal candidate for tidal weirs designed to prevent overfishing as they prevent overfishing while encouraging breeding; their gaps allow smaller fish through easily while predatory ones remain outside.
Salmon
Salmon are iconic marine animals, yet they are challenging to catch. Salmon spend much of their time swimming up and down coastlines, searching for freshwater sources before returning to sea to lay eggs – an energy-sapping journey in which they must conserve as much body mass as possible before continuing the trip home.
Salmon that migrate along coastal waters are vulnerable to parasites like Henneguya salminicola, which causes salmon wasting syndrome. Salmon affected by this myxozoan exhibit dramatic decomposition of their flesh as it exudes milky fluid on their scales. Salmon that are unaffected can complete their journey back into the ocean without dying as their mucus coating protects against the attack by this myxozoan.
Salmon are exhausted as they journey back to sea to spawn, whether or not infected. At this stage of their migration, they may have gone without food during their trek, and this is why tidal fishermen tend to target salmon runs where fresher fish might be available.
Tidal fishing works best when using lures that mimic the movement of baitfish and work at a consistent pace that corresponds with the current speed. This style works best with soft plastic baits as well as small crankbaits.
The tidal bass fishery offers some fantastic sight fishing opportunities on shallow flats during this phase of the tide cycle, as tidal bass often chase baitfish as the tide rises and chase it after it has gone out. When the wave begins to decline, you can usually find these bass hiding near mangrove clumps, or channel drops not to become stranded high and dry.
Water movements are crucial elements in all tidal fisheries, and it is wise to treat tidal predictions made via apps and formulas with caution. Many fish species use moving currents to bite better; as tide levels shift, they often alter their feeding patterns accordingly.
