Need Help Fishing River Tidal Water

[reb67]

I just started fishing rivers with title water seem to do OK with outgoing tides struggling with slack tide low tide and incoming tide. Just checking to see if you guys have any suggestions. Would appreciate any advice that I could get

[uncustered]

There are some great articles on this topic. We fish tidal waters in se Virginia. Low tide is actually easier as the fish are Concentrated.

Look for cypress trees near deep water. Fish all submerged timber or laydowns. Primarily we fish June bug soft plastics and yellow based cranks due to the tannic acid....

[WRB]

Most bass anglers over think tidal influence, current is current and bass face into it, so bring your lure towards them, not from behind. If you hand only 1 lure to use it should be a black jig w/black-blue trailer in tidal water.

Find the cover, fish the edges. Flooding water the bass tend to move up into cover, dropping water they may move out into deep breaks, slack water fish the edges parallel.

Tom

[Snakehead Whisperer]

As usual, I agree with Tom. Don't over think it. Bass will congregate in the same type of areas that they will in a reservoir, but will ambush prey much like they do in a free flowing river. 

 

Current direction can be difficult to discern if you have a strong wind blowing the opposite direction of the tide. Surface water will appear to be flowing against the tide, but in actuality it is moving with it. 

 

A good way to get a grip on tidal fishing is to find and area where current is funneled (like a saddle, culvert, etc.) and fish that on all levels of the tides. You will begin to learn where fish congregate during the different tidal phases. It's easier to do this in a small area, then once you have a good understanding of where the fish will position themselves you can apply that to the entire river system. 

 

Slack tides are always going to be tough, because of the lack of current. Once it starts moving again, it's likely the fish will become active.