Articles in Category: Back to School

Tides - Influence on Fish Feeding
by Michael Russell

The feeding cycle of some fish is directly influenced by tidal movements. In most parts of the world fish that cling to coastal areas feed mainly on the flood tide when smaller organisms are washed in with warmer water in winter and with colder water in summer. There are times when fish feed on the tail end of the ebb tide and the start of the flood tide. This would account for the variation in a fish species' diet from one ... [Read More]

Author:: Michael Russell

Full Moon or Dark Moon? Major and minor solunar periods? Which is best? Does any of this moon mumbo jumbo make any real sense nor does it actually work? These are legitimate questions asked by thousands of anglers each year, and they deserve concrete answers backed up by some bonafide data. Yet as much as pro anglers endorse the effectiveness of moon charts and outdoor publications of every niche' continue to print them, rarely does either source validate these solunar claims with data.
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Author:: Joe Bucher

FISHERMEN SOMETIMES HAVE ideas or opinions about the marine environment that do not stand up to scientific scrutiny. For example, many anglers believe that changes in barometric pressure strongly influence fish behavior—most notably their willingness to cooperate with anglers. Some have even written that fish can detect a change in barometric pressure before it occurs. An interesting notion, perhaps, though in almost all instances it is incorrect.

A rise or fall in barometric pressure, such a... [Read More]

Author:: Dr. David Ross

Read any fishing article about a given species, and you will almost always find some commentary about the best water temperature to find or catch the fish. Anglers, especially fly fishermen — as well as marine biologists and oceanographers — generally concur that water temperature is one of the most important components in determining where fish will be and how they behave. Most fish are cold-blooded, which means they do not control their internal body warmth and thus are strongly influenced by... [Read More]

Author:: Dr. David Ross

If tides in the ocean were in equilibrium with the tidal potential, tidal prediction would be much easier. Unfortunately, tides are far from equilibrium. The shallow-water wave which is the tide cannot move fast enough to keep up with sun and moon. On the equator, the tide would need to propagate around the world in one day. This requires a wave speed of around 460m/s, which is only possible in an ocean 22km deep. In addition, the continents interrupt the propagation of the wave. How to proceed?... [Read More]

Author:: Robert H. Stewart

Coastal Processes and Tides
Theory of Ocean Tides

Tides have been so important for commerce and science for so many thousands of years that tides have entered our everyday language: time and tide wait for no one, the ebb and flow of events, a high-water mark, and turn the tide of battle.

1. Tides produce strong currents in many parts of the ocean. Tidal currents can have speeds of up to 5m/s in coastal waters, impeding navigation and mixing coastal waters.
2. Tidal currents generate i

... [Read More]

Author:: Robert H. Stewart