How does tide affect rockfishing

I've noticed a couple of posts that mention favorable tides for rock fishing. What does that entail? A large or small swing? Fishing on incoming or outgoing? I have never spent too much time thinking about tide. What's the deal?

  I don't have the best experience with tides but I'll throw my 2 cents in. I check tidesforfishing.com before every trip and it seems that their predictions are really just mean slightly better or slightly worse odds of good fishing. It seems like it's more about moon and sun rise/set lining up with tides to make the fish a little more active. Predatory fish come in with the high tide but Rocks seem to just be where they are and are either biting or sleeping.

  For rocks I'd say just go fishing when you wanna go fishing and check the website to see if nature has planned appropriately.

I have noticed on big tide swings, the bite turns off. My thoughts are that with the water movement, the fish hunker down. I have best luck at slack tides.

Only thing I noticed about the big tides is im not able to hold tge bottom very effective and get less bites.on the smaller tides I noticed the bite swings wide open cause my bait hits bottom more effectively

I am Groot!



{Haven't noticed much difference in the bite...

But fishing from a PB or a kayak, the only noticeable difference was maintaining you position over a spot due to a fast drift, making the "hook up chances" over a point alot smaller; however using the motor or the peddles to stay in position helped out alot.}
 

Too many factors in offshore rock fishing to make any one element like tides definitive in measuring what makes em bite or not. As has been said, if you have the chance to get out there just go and give it a shot.

I prefer moderate tide swings for rockfishing.  If it's too fast, then the fish hunker down in the rocks and it's tough to fish in the nitty-gritty for them.  If it's too slow or slack, they don't seem to bite as aggressively.  Rockfish (and other species like lingcod) love hanging around rocky pinnacles because there are currents sweeping around them.  Those currents can bring in food.  Instead of having to chase stuff down in slack water and expend additional energy, all a rockfish has to do is hold position around a pinnacle (which can provide some slack water so he's not fighting the current) and let the current bring the food to him.  So from my experiences targeting rockfish and the other rocky-bottom dwellers, I've come to favor moderate tide swings of 4-6 feet.  Not too fast, and not too slow  .

This ^^^^

I don't really think  too much of how tides effect rock fish. If you can get your bait to the bottom they will bite. If anything, it's effecting your position to fish and not the fish biting.

I agree with Chris and the black bikini guy.
 

 

I prefer moderate tide swings for rockfishing.  If it's too fast, then the fish hunker down in the rocks and it's tough to fish in the nitty-gritty for them.  If it's too slow or slack, they don't seem to bite as aggressively.  Rockfish (and other species like lingcod) love hanging around rocky pinnacles because there are currents sweeping around them.  Those currents can bring in food.  Instead of having to chase stuff down in slack water and expend additional energy, all a rockfish has to do is hold position around a pinnacle (which can provide some slack water so he's not fighting the current) and let the current bring the food to him.  So from my experiences targeting rockfish and the other rocky-bottom dwellers, I've come to favor moderate tide swings of 4-6 feet.  Not too fast, and not too slow  .

+1 Chris. The only thing I would add is I personally tend to concentrate my efforts on the backside of these large pinnacles, ridges and humps during a good current swing. It's easier said than done but I find it effective.

Chris hit it on the head...

I don't know how true is this but I would assume fishing incoming tide is best because incoming water dislodges invertebrates and other things that the fish like to feed on and that's their feeding time.