Low Tide Scouting Tips (What You Should Look For)
- By: Richard Thomas
- on
How do you scout fishing areas on low tide?
What are you looking for at low tide that can help you catch fish when the water eventually fills in?
Below you will learn when to scout and what to look for when scouting at low tide!
Check it out!
Low Tide Scouting Tips [VIDEO]
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Equipment Used:
- 30lb Stren Magnathin Monofilament
- 15lb Braided Line
- 40lb Ande Monofilament Leader
- Falcon MH 7’6 Coastal Clearwater Rod
- Quantum Smoke Inshore Reel
Many anglers refrain from scouting an area at low tide or if they do scout, they do it at the wrong tide.
The best time to scout an area is going into low tide or a negative tide.
Negative Tides
Negative tides occur around a new moon or a full moon.
This is a rare opportunity that can be excellent for fishing as well as scouting.
Scouting during this time is extremely beneficial because you can see the bottom contour and structure that you normally couldn’t see because it is covered in water.
This can help show you where the fish are going to be holding.
Accessibility
Make sure you are able to access the areas you want to scout.
If you have a boat with a deeper draft, you can anchor up and get out of the boat to wade in and see the structure.
Some areas may have mud at the bottom so if you have a kayak or a paddleboard, you should bring that on the boat so you can use that to scout closer.
What To Look For
If you are out on low tide, you will be able to see where the water normally fills in along the banks and grass.
You will be able to see the structure along creek mouths that you otherwise wouldn’t see on a higher tide.
Once water fills in on a higher tide, you then know where the fish may be sitting and how the bottom is structured.
As you approach an area, keep an eye out for structure such as natural banks and contours or man-made structures.
Also, look for deeper holes and pockets that will still be holding a few feet of water.
These are areas the fish will retreat to on lower tides.
Moreover, an exit or entrance point for bait is also a key area to look for.
Look for troughs or drains coming off of a flat where fish will be waiting for their next meal.
Mark that location and then you can come back and fish it on the right tide cycle.
Planning
When you are out on low tide scouting areas to fish on higher tides, make sure you are keeping notes and track of where you are and what you see.
When you come back to this spot, you want to make sure you are well equipped to fish in that area.
Plan where you will anchor up and set up because you have to factor in current and wind.
Your positioning is key to make sure you are casting at the right angles where you found the structure.
You also want to be thinking about what time in the tide cycle will be best for fishing the type of spot you have scouted.
This is ultimately most important because you will start to pick up on the patterns of the fish like where and when they will be feeding in the tide cycle.
It can be tough to go out and scout during low tide but in the long run, the knowledge you gain will pay off.
The data you collect will make it easier for when you fish that spot another time or even later that day.
Conclusion
Scouting areas at low tide can give you a massive advantage when you go back out to fish the same spot later that day or the next fishing trip you take on a higher tide.
You will get a better idea of the bottom contour as well as any structure that can indicate signs of feeding fish later in the tide.
Remember that the knowledge you gain will pay off and scouting areas on a low tide is a great skill for any angler!
If you have any further questions about scouting fishing spots, please let me know down in the comments!
And if you know an angler who wants to learn more about low tide scouting, please TAG or SHARE this with them!
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Yaks and canoes pull easy behind a power boat. I used to drag a canoe behind an older Mako 21′ I had years ago to fish the skinny areas.
What kayak are you using in this video and what type of seating and propulsion does it have?
Rod, this is a Vibe Shearwater 125.
I use a Bixby jet at times for propulsion and its the standard seat that comes with this kayak.
Good to see someone fishing in muddy water in a narrow shallow creek – as much as the guys down south deny it, it is very, very different from what they are doing on the “flats.”
Thanks Dave, glad you like it. Looking forward to putting more content out in areas like this soon.