How I Stopped Guessing & Started Timing the Bite (The Right Way)
- By: Luke Simonds
- on
Are you still only looking at tide charts to plan your fishing trips?
That used to be one of my biggest mistakes…
I’d check the tides, pick a window, and hope for the best. Sometimes I got lucky—but I never had consistent results. It wasn’t until I talked with Captain Ray Markham, a guide with 30+ years in Tampa Bay, that things really clicked.
He told me something that changed the way I fish forever:
Tides alone aren’t enough.
The real magic happens when you combine multiple factors—like wind direction, pressure changes, and solunar activity. When those line up, that’s when predator fish go into full-on feeding mode.
👉 Click here to try Smart Fishing Tides for FREE
In this video, I’ll show you exactly how I use our Smart Fishing Tides platform to plan my own trips. You’ll see:
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Why tides can lead you astray if that’s all you’re watching
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How weather shifts impact feeding behavior
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What I look for when planning a trip
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And how to read the Smart Fishing Tides chart like a pro
I even walk through a real-time example of how I pick my windows based on all these conditions layered together.
👉 Click here to try Smart Fishing Tides for FREE
Stop relying on guesswork like I used to. Start fishing smarter—and stacking the odds in your favor.
Let me know in the comments:
Have you ever had a “perfect tide” day that didn’t produce fish? What do you think was missing?
Tight lines,
Luke Simonds
Chief Fishing Addict
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STOP WASTING TIME ON THE WATER!
Do what the “SMART ANGLERS” are doing and join the Insider Club.
Here’s what you’ll receive today when you join:
- Weekly fishing reports and TRENDS revealing exactly where you should fish ever trip
- Weekly “spot dissection” videos that walk you through all the best spots in your area
- Exclusive fishing tips from the PROS you can’t find anywhere else
- Everything you need to start catching fish more consistently (regardless if you fish out of a boat, kayak, or land).
STOP WASTING TIME ON THE WATER!
Do what the “SMART ANGLERS” are doing and join the Insider Club.
Here’s what you’ll receive today when you join:
- Weekly fishing reports and TRENDS revealing exactly where you should fish every trip
- Weekly “spot dissection” videos that walk you through all the best spots in your area
- Exclusive fishing tips from the PROS you can’t find anywhere else
- Everything you need to start catching fish more consistently (regardless if you fish out of a boat, kayak, or land).
Luke, perhaps I’m missing something, but around the 4 minute mark you talk about fishing that falling tide. I agree that the wind is picking up, the barometric pressure is falling slightly, etc. But your green “fish feeding” bar chart below the tide chart is on the rising tide. The falling tide shows blue bars for less activity. So why would you choose to fish that falling tide – or perhaps a better question is why wouldn’t those bars be green instead of blue? During the time frame that is shown in green the pressure and wind are consistent starting about 8:00 am up to the high tide mark at 1:18.
The system was probably putting more of an emphasis on the water temp factor than I was (in the warmer months, the morning bite often has a big advantage of afternoon given that the fish have less DO2 in the water as the water gets warmer.
Computer algorithms are nice to have, but it’ll never be as good as a human for fishing given that predicting fish behavior it’s often a blend of science and art.
So then how are we supposed to effectively use the SmartSpots app to find the best times and places to fish? For example, I fished Tuesday morning on the east side of the Broad River in Beaufort, SC. The app showed that area as red the entire time we were fishing it. It was like Death Valley – we were there for three and a half hours and never saw a fish, never got a bite, nothing. And we’re two guys who have fished all over the world for over 30 years. Not saying we know everything, but this certainly isn’t our fist rodeo, either.
Please make sure to go through the Fishing School lessons when you get a chance: https://www.saltstrong.com/fishing-school/
In summary, no person nor computer can be right 100% of the time when it comes to finding feeding zones for saltwater fish because there are so many variables at play. So it’s crucial to have at least 5 spots selected based on tides and weather that you plan to fish. And when one isn’t showing signs of life, then pick up and move on to the next within 15 minutes… 3+ hours is way too long to spend in a spot that isn’t producing.
Hey Luke great system! How is the barometric pressure, shown on the chart, predicted for hours & days ahead of time? Does NOAA predict pressure?
Thanks John. The pressure is forecasted hourly for 14 days ahead, and the values are updated every 15 minutes in case there are any changes in the weather.
It is measured in millibars. The values can be seen directly below the wind forecasts on the chart pic above, and there are small arrows below to signify if the pressure is going up or down.
This is useful information, made easy to understand. So much to learn and apply. but I got time. Thank you for all the instructions.
sound’s great
Thanks for the explanations,Luke.🤗🎣🙏💯
Thank you, Luke! Wow, eye opening for sure!
Thank You….extremely helpful….
Our pleasure William!
Great explanation! With respect to barometric pressure, is it the change that is most important or is higher or lower more favorable?
Thanks John! I like a falling pressure best.
Luke great information I am that guy that only looked at the incoming and outgoing tides. How I have more info to check out. Thanks.
Thanks for making time to post the nice comment Timothy!
Admire and appreciate your honesty in this article, Luke. Many good points but also a message about how much we think we know until realizing it’s far less than thought. In another 10 years, we’ll be talking about the mistakes we’re making today when more insights are discovered as the future unfolds.
Science is a process of learning and discovery. When someone thinks there is no other way to conclude but the one they believe, you know they’re dogmatic and ideologically driven.
Great point Rob… in 10 years, there absolutely will be some hard beliefs we have now that will be proven false. And if we can keep that as our mindset, we’ll be quicker to make whichever corrective actions are needed along the way of continuous improvement.
👍 Absolutely correct.