Current and Blackfish

Know body considers the moon phase?

I've noticed that the more current there is, the more short fish hit the baits. When the tide eases or goes slack, thats when the big fish move in.
On the other hand, my cousin in VB says he has terrible luck when its slack tide, and the better fish hit during mid tide. The issue there is he fishes the Chesapeake bay, and the tides around the bridge/tunnel can be wicked and 16 oz of lead isn't uncommon.
I wont pay alot of attention to moon phase unless I'm fishing mid sound areas like 11B where its 80 ft on one side of the reef and 200' on the other, and the reef comes up to 30 feet....thats alot of current ripping through there.

I find the bite is often slow when the tide is slack, but
sometimes they bite all day and through the tide change and would follow my boat on anchor even as it swung from east/west to west/east.
sometimes they bite best near the changes.
sometimes they bite through the slack
sometimes the bite stops during the slack
mostly I just think about where i can use a jig so I'll fish shallower during max tide if I can

Seems as if there is a “ magic hour” when the bigger fish chew. Some areas it’s when the tide just starts to slow a little bit , others an hour before slack , another spot we regularly fish is slack. Time and patience will let you know , sometimes

!

Seems as if there is a “ magic hour” when the bigger fish chew. Some areas it’s when the tide just starts to slow a little bit , others an hour before slack , another spot we regularly fish is slack. Time and patience will let you know , sometimes View attachment 108073
View attachment 108074View attachment 108075View attachment 108076View attachment 108077View attachment 108078

I believe Kona makes an excellent point; Current speed is not only dependent upon the stage of the tide cycle but the actual location you are fishing. Some inshore, well protected drops will have a fairly slow current flow even at the maximum velocity of the current as related to the portion of the tide cycle you are fishing. Other more exposed locations will only allow about 60–90-minute periods where you can fish with sinker or jig weights less than the proverbial "boat anchor"!

It is also very true that while some fish may eat all day, most of the larger fish are a lot more wary and have a very specific portion of the tide when they will chew aggressively., In general, I think most will agree that the larger fish of any species are typically lazy and also wants to expend the least amount of energy when feeding. Hence, they seem to bite better during the slower portions of the current flow.

What make things even more interesting, and challenging is that stage of the tide when they put on the feed bag can shift from day to day. It's all part of trying several different locations and methods to solve the puzzle the fish put in front of us each trip.

So I booked a trip out of Freeport for Dec 4th and of course its a Full Moon. How is the open south shore waters compared to some protected waters on the North Shore with this moon?

View attachment 108623

😭😭

All depends on the day.

All depends on the day.

Yea. I figured wind plays a huge part

So I booked a trip out of Freeport for Dec 4th and of course its a Full Moon. How is the open south shore waters compared to some protected waters on the North Shore with this moon?

Most moon tides can be relentless when fishing for bottom feeders even on the south shore

Here mid-South Shore I’m no fan of blackfishing on a New or Full moon. Having said that, I’m sailing Thursday, right on the New Moon. This time of year we sail when the wind is down - and then hope for the best.

Most moon tides can be relentless when fishing for bottom feeders even on the south shore

Yea i know. I always look at the moon phases.... well except for this trip 🫩... wondering if I should just leave the jigs home. Or pray I can use it when it slacks.

Here mid-South Shore I’m no fan of blackfishing on a New or Full moon. Having said that, I’m sailing Thursday, right on the New Moon. This time of year we sail when the wind is down - and then hope for the best.

Good luck. I'm hoping for low winds as well. I'm jumping on the Capt Lou for High Roller Tog trip. Limited to 20 people. $150 mandatory pool entry.

Yea i know. I always look at the moon phases.... well except for this trip 🫩... wondering if I should just leave the jigs home. Or pray I can use it when it slacks.

I would not leave your jigs home, Matt. As you noted there is always a slack water period as the current flow starts to reverse direction when it will be possible to use some light tackle. The difference between the "Big Moon" periods and the quarter phase periods is the amount of time it takes for the current to switch direction. So, you may only have 45-60 minutes on a Full or New Moon phase while it could extend to nearly 2 hours on the quarter phase.

Also, in my own experience the velocity of the current in the open ocean is considerably lower than in a more constricted body of water like the LI Sound. Without getting too technical think of it like the "venturi effect" associated with wind speeds. The velocity of the wind increases dramatically as it is forced through a narrow opening like in between the skyscrapers in NYC.

Over the years I have been invited to fish on many Tog trips with Lep in the ocean and I cannot ever recall having to go beyond an 8 oz sinker regardless of the moon phase. You have seen for yourself while fishing with me that the Sound is a whole different animal! When working in any of the open, unprotected areas we are happy when we can drop down to an 8 oz piece of lead from the 10-16 oz sizes (or more) you need when that ebb tide is screaming.

That all makes perfect sense Capt Mike!
Good analogy with wind in NYC thru the buildings although I admittedly know very little about NYC but that makes perfect sense.
I have experienced first hand fishing on your boat some extreme current that required crazy weight that is more than anything I’ve ever had to use locally in the Shinnecock area

Lep said it best. This time of year, you fish when the wind is down. Moon or no moon!

This time of year the days with perfect conditions are few if any with this year being particularly windy.

I would not leave your jigs home, Matt. As you noted there is always a slack water period as the current flow starts to reverse direction when it will be possible to use some light tackle. The difference between the "Big Moon" periods and the quarter phase periods is the amount of time it takes for the current to switch direction. So, you may only have 45-60 minutes on a Full or New Moon phase while it could extend to nearly 2 hours on the quarter phase.

Also, in my own experience the velocity of the current in the open ocean is considerably lower than in a more constricted body of water like the LI Sound. Without getting too technical think of it like the "venturi effect" associated with wind speeds. The velocity of the wind increases dramatically as it is forced through a narrow opening like in between the skyscrapers in NYC.

Over the years I have been invited to fish on many Tog trips with Lep in the ocean and I cannot ever recall having to go beyond an 8 oz sinker regardless of the moon phase. You have seen for yourself while fishing with me that the Sound is a whole different animal! When working in any of the open, unprotected areas we are happy when we can drop down to an 8 oz piece of lead from the 10-16 oz sizes (or more) you need when that ebb tide is screaming.

You're right, like I mentioned on your boat, there's not a whole lot of packing for black fishing. That's what I was thinking being in a more open ocean as opposed to the North Shore. I was able to get away with 8 last week up in Rhode Island. O yes! I do recall dropping up to 20 oz on some drops 😵. I will still pack a variety of lead sizes anyways. I also gave Chef a heads up on the moon phase as he is the one who invited me.