Understand The Tides While Deep Sea Fishing

It can sound weird but a comprehensive knowledge on tides and their effect on your fishing area can actually pay big dividends. In fact, it is considered to be one key to being successful in the realm of deep sea fishing, by the experts. A lot of fishing guides and charter-boat captains know this secret. They even make close studies on currents, tides, and how they would affect fishing on their areas.

The Unknown Secret

However, sad to say, that a lot of informal deep sea anglers actually pay very little attention to such important details. In fact, some anglers don't pay attention at all! And then they would wonder how come the other guy catches all the fish and they don't. Nevertheless, there are still those who realize that somehow tides can affect their fishing. However, they do not know exactly how and why this happens.

These anglers usually waste their precious hours trolling, casting and sinker bouncing even when the tide is not right. However, the deep sea angler who knows his tides could pick in advanced the most favourable fishing periods and concentrate on his efforts during those times. This simply means you can have less of those wasted days and get more fish on your deep sea fishing trips.

Getting Started

You don't have to delve into tide's science here, except to point out that tides are due to the gravitational forces that are brought about the sun and moon. Since the moon is nearer earth, it has greater influence with tides than the sun.

Types Of Tides

Every time the tide is up, water would move towards land, which is also known as "flood tide". On occasions that tides drop, moving its way back to sea, is called "ebb tide". The period in which it doesn't move either way is termed as the "slack tide". It usually takes a period of 6 hours for it to rise, and 6 to get low. For every 24 hours these tides occur 50 minutes later than the last, approximately.

Variations

They also vary in regards to the degrees that they drop or rise. The highest tides occur when the sun and moon are situated on Earth's same side, creating a direct line. Such kind of tide is called "spring tide", which occur during new-moon and full-moon periods.

During these times, both low and high tides are higher than their usual state. However, during the last and first quarter phases of the moon, tides don't fall or rise or fall that much. This is called as "neap tides".

Which Is Which

So which of theses tides are helpful and which are not? To start off, most experts believe that moving tides or currents are most of the time more productive than having no currents or tides. Thus, a "slack" tide would rarely produce good catch.

Using The Tides At The Right Time

You can take advantage of tides even more by knowing when to go. The period in which an incoming tide starts is considered to be one of the productive periods for fishing, especially if you are targeting for gamesters like bluefish, striped bass, channel bass, and weakfish.

During the periods of slack water, the small bait fishes tend to scatter, and having a lack of strong currents they are able to swim faster and escape their predators.

However, when tides start moving, such small bait fishes are at the strong rips and current's mercy. Thus, they are easier to catch and find by stripers and other kinds of game fish. When an outgoing tide starts is yet another good time do fish, simply for the same logic. In general, the popular change of tide, whether it be low or high, is actually the best time to do your fishing.

Visit the Tips For Fishing website to learn about trout fishing tips and snook fishing.

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by JACK SAFFORD

Costa Rica the Sportfishing Mecca

No matter what your preference, salt water or freshwater, conventional or fly, offshore or river fishing, Costa Rica has a fishing destination for you. Costa Rica is bordered by the Pacific on the West and the Caribbean on the East. There are too many rivers to count flowing in between. If you prefer to fish lakes, there are freshwater lakes of all sizes within the borders and even creating the border with Nicaragua. There are also canals, mangroves, and estuaries, in additional to offshore islands.

This abundance and variety of fishing venues has led to several game fish records being set in the relatively small country. Costa Rica currently holds 89 International Game Fish Association records including a 162 pound blue marlin, and a sailfish caught on the fly.

It is not just the abundance of fish that should make an angler choose Costa Rica, it is also the country’s eye towards game fish conservation. Circle hooks have long been required and the Costa Rican government, working with the Billfish Foundation has recently enacted new rules for both sports fishermen and commercial fishermen aimed at reducing the number of billfish killed as a result of long lining and poor fishing practices.

Whether you want to fish in the Pacific, the Caribbean, both or somewhere in between you will have no trouble finding the perfect fishing lodge or day charter.

The Caribbean coast, is the place for unparalleled world class tarpon fishing. This side of the country can be more remote than the Pacific. Here, you can find all inclusive lodges that include lodging, meals and fishing for tarpon, snook, snapper, and guapote.

Up and down the Pacific coast you will find everything from fishing villages, to beach resort towns, to world class marinas, to middle of nowhere lodges. When choosing to fish in the Pacific you need to do a little research. Although marlin, sailfish, snapper, tuna, dorado, amberjack, wahoo, roosterfish and snook are all common catches, the season for each fish varies depending on your location in Costa Rica.

It is not just the fishing seasons that vary the atmosphere in different locations can be completely different as well. In the north the beaches are popular, the condos are tall, and the wind makes the fishing season a bit shorter than further south. In Herradura, the Marina is world class, you can golf, the fishing is incredible three hundred days a year, but you might miss some of the Costa Rican experience. In Quepos, the fleet is large and experienced, the fishing is great nearly year round, and you can visit Costa Rica’s most popular National Park, Manuel Antonio. Further South on the Osa Peninsula you will find Golfito and Puerto Jimenez. The fishing is great year round depending on the species you are after, the locations are remote and you get to experience the natural beauty of Costa Rica.

Before you come to Costa Rica you need to decide what type of angler and what type of traveler you are. Are you coming for fishing and relaxing or do you want a place with night life? Do you like to feel like you have never left home or do you want to experience Costa Rican life and culture? Do you want luxury or economy? Are you just coming to fish or do you want to participate in other adventure activities? Are you traveling with your family, with your wife, or with a group of guys? Your answer to these questions will effect where you want to fish. What you want to catch and where you want to fish may effect when you want to fish.

Rest assured that you will have a great time fishing in Costa Rica. The fishing is world class due not only to the great number and variety of big fish, but also due to the number of days you can fish per year, the quality of the country’s conservation programs, the quality of the boats to be chartered and the experience and professionalism of the captains and crews.

For more information about fishing in Costa Rica or to book a custom adventure vacation visit http://www.queposadventures.com

Marshall is an avid fisherman and former project manager living in Costa Rica with his wife and two children. Together they run Quepos Adventures a charter fishing and adventure vacation booking company।

by MARSHALL BOOTH

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