Plan Your Fishing Trip Around the Tides
Updated October 18, 2026 · Simple Tides guides
Ask any saltwater guide the single biggest factor in a good day, and most will say the tide — not the lure, not the spot. Moving water moves bait, and bait moves predators. This guide teaches you to plan trips around the tide and match your gear to each stage.
Why tides matter more than lures
Tides create current. Current pushes baitfish and shrimp off the flats and out of the marsh; predator fish set up on points, cuts and creek mouths to ambush them. Slack water — the pause between tides — usually means the bite pauses too.
Fish each tide stage
- Rising (incoming): fish push onto flats and into the marsh. Topwater plugs and live shrimp under corks shine. Wade or kayak shallow.
- High slack: tough window — fish scatter. Downsize lures, fish deeper holes and channels.
- Falling (outgoing): the prime bite. Bait drains off the flats; set up at creek mouths and cuts with paddletails and live bait.
- Low slack: fish stack in holes and channels. Slow down with jigs and Carolina rigs.
Match gear to the tide
- Strong current: heavier jigheads (3/8–1/2 oz), braided line for sensitivity, anchor or stake-out pole for kayaks.
- Slack water: light jigheads (1/8 oz), fluorocarbon leaders, finesse presentations.
- Night tides: dock lights + free-lined shrimp — bring a headlamp with red mode.
A tide-focused kit: assorted jigheads, paddletails, popping corks and circle hooks — everything the tide stages above call for.
Browse tackle kits →Read the tide chart
Get the exact times for your spot at Simple Tides — free tide charts for 129 coastal cities with hourly predictions. Look for the biggest tidal swing of the week (new and full moons) for the strongest currents and the best fishing.
Pair it with the seasonal calendar: our friends at Simple Tides also track king tides, the year's highest tides, which flood the marsh and create unforgettable redfish days.