Tide talk!

[MrGrumpFish]

Hey guys,

Lets talk tides for a moment, can we?

My plans are to hit the jaws of the Nehalem again this weekend on Saturday for the incoming and fish upstream in front of wheeler and up past the 101 bridge for the outgoing.

I don't claim to be an expert on the subject and will pretty much try for a salmon in nearly any conditions as I am addicted to them. Hands down my favorite fish to catch.

I consider anything over a 5 foot exchange to be in the big category. While I believe that is plenty fishable, I know we have a 7 plus foot tide for this Saturday plus rain. I know that is considered a big tide, and my question is does anyone think there are still fish to be caught on the incoming, or outgoing, or both with the coast expecting over 1 inch of rain and an obviously falling barometer. I don't know how much of a roll barometric pressure plays on salmon. I know if it is too bright the bite tends to be reduced to nearly nothing.

Discussion please?

Cheers,

Chris

 

[rogerdodger]

I think during 'spring' tides the bite will be focused to a narrower time window near the high or low slack. I like high slack so if I was fishing this weekend (I'm not, too crowded here), I would be expecting fresh nooks to ride the incoming tide further in before taking a break and resting through the outgoing tide, hopefully snacking on a herring right about high slack.

So this weekends 'spring' tides would have me thinking about a 2 hour window around the high slack.

that's my 2cents on tides...cheers, roger

 

[MrGrumpFish]

So if I read what you're telling me correct, you would fish in front of wheeler and upstream before fishing the jaws this weekend? When they smell this fresh rain, do you think that is going to motivate them to move upstream a bit more than while dry and hot?

 

[rogerdodger]

So if I read what you're telling me correct, you would fish in front of wheeler and upstream before fishing the jaws this weekend? When they smell this fresh rain, do you think that is going to motivate them to move upstream a bit more than while dry and hot?

I think the tide will have more effect than the first bit of rain, later in the fall a big storm will be a different thing...I watch the water temperature here, above the incoming tide it is currently ~68F, tide coming in is 55F or lower...using Siuslaw locations, this weekends spring tides should push the cold water and incoming fish to Cushman (that is where I would be fishing near high this weekend here, along with hundreds of other folks...:beaten, mid-strength tides drops them at 29 marker, soft neep tides tend to fill the hole below 101 bridge with fresh nooks and baitfish...

 

[jamisonace]

I don't know anything about that river but I agree with roger. Be on a good salmon hole at high slack. Fish will be caught at other times but we fished 7 hours yesterday and hooked three during high slack. Didn't hook anything else the rest of the time but did see a few caught on incoming and outgoing.

 

[sapo]

Yepp..^^

And Nehalem bay is doing well right now..I have a friend who just caught a 25# and a 30# chinook out there

 

[eugene1]

For tidewater, I like the first light bite and the high tide bite.

 

[Shaun Solomon]

Super useful thread for me, thanks to the OP and all who weighed in.

 

[Hooked Up]

Super useful thread for me, thanks to the OP and all who weighed in.

Great info for me as well.

 

[DrTheopolis]

I'm thinking today is a good day to be anywhere but the Nehalem jaws -- taking your life in your hands on a 7 foot swing, and add in the wind... I'd pass. Plus, it's hard to keep a boat moving straight when the current is strong there. And if you get close to the North Jetty in such conditions, you die... that's a drawback. Sure, when the jaws get hot, it's awesome fishing, but it sucks when conditions are rough.

But I would think that with that big a swing, fish will bolt up in that narrow bay. Anywhere from Wheeler to the Forks would be where I'd go looking. The usual spots where there's a channel (that bay hasn't been dredged in decades). At least it will be safe to fish there, and you might not get blown OFF the water.