Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition Issue 3722 Oct 12-26 | Page 17
Oct 12 - 26, 2018
VOL.37 • ISS. 22
17
Tide Tips
presents
^
Next to a boat and sonar unit, access to a tide chart either in
print or online is a critical part of Delta fishing success. Overall
the beginning and end of tidal movement is the best time to hook fish.
Beyond that, some fish species bite better during small tides, while
others are stimulated by the heavy current brought on by large tides.
^
^
This beautiful striper was
caught while trolling the West Delta.
When trolling, small tides are favored
because the water is at its clearest
during small tides and trolling
success often comes down to water
clarity. The clearer the water, the
more fish you’ll hook
^
When it comes
to hooking Delta
sturgeon, most anglers
favor big tides. Big tides
and heavy current cause
sturgeon to move and feed
and as a result sturgeon
anglers have the best
chance of success on days
that feature robust tidal
movement.
To effectively bait fish in the Delta, you’ll need a solid anchoring
system. Often, you’ll want to set up in heavy current and it’s crucial that
your anchor is paired with enough chain and rope to hold the bottom.
Hooking Up In The Delta:
What’s The Tide Got To Do With It?
T
he most influential natural
amount they rise and fall. Some tides
factor impacting how, when and are weak, meaning there is less rise or
where Delta fish feed, including stripers drop between high tide and low tide and
and sturgeon are tidal fluctuations. All
correspondingly less current. Other tides
Delta anglers are aware that Delta waters are strong, meaning there is a great deal
rise and fall with the daily movements of of rise or drop between high and low
the tide, but I’ll bet many
tide and correspondingly more
of them don’t have a firm
current flow.
understanding of how the
These variations in movement
tidal process works.
are based on the daily position
The gravitational forces
of the moon and its relationship
both the sun and moon
with the position of the sun.
exert on the earth cause
For example, each lunar month
tidal movements. Measur-
the sun, moon and earth line up
able tidal movements
in a straight line. At that point
occur in the earth’s oceans,
the sun and moon basically
bays and large rivers that
combine their gravitational
connect to oceans and bays.
forces and it is at these times
Tides occur in lakes as
when the largest strongest tides
well, but since even large
by Cal Kellogg take place. At times when the
lakes contain only a minute
sun is overhead at the same
fraction of the water mass of the ocean,
time the moon is on the horizon or if the
the tidal fluctuations are so small that
moon is overhead and the sun is near
they are barely measurable.
the horizon, their gravitational pulls
As we all know, the moon is much
exert opposite effects on the earth and
smaller than the sun. That means that
as a result tidal movements are greatly
the sun exerts much more gravitational
decreased.
pull than the moon, but that’s only part
So what does this all mean