Current reports

[cygnus-x1]

Many people fish by tides and by time of day. I often hear that good current flow is even more important.

Does anyone know of a good and hopefully free location on the internet that will show current for a body of water at a tide marker?

thanks in advance

[baitslingin]

www.nobeltec.com

[bwoodhouse]

I don't but I'd like to see one too- all the tools help. But, I also live by the adage - fish when you can - if you work and have other obligations you just gotta go when you can - regardless of conditions and make the best of it.

This weekend at AI in VA was a perfect example - caught a 35 inch striper on the outgoing tide, with little current and real bright sunshine - way in close - going against a lot of what you normally hear. Seems like the best time to fish is when you can cause you just don't know when - against all conventional wisdom - that trophy is lurking around the corner.

[inawe]

www.saltwater.com

[cygnus-x1]

I don't but I'd like to see one too- all the tools help. But, I also live by the adage - fish when you can - if you work and have other obligations you just gotta go when you can - regardless of conditions and make the best of it.

This weekend at AI in VA was a perfect example - caught a 35 inch striper on the outgoing tide, with little current and real bright sunshine - way in close - going against a lot of what you normally hear. Seems like the best time to fish is when you can cause you just don't know when - against all conventional wisdom - that trophy is lurking around the corner.

I wholeheartedly agree. I live by that adage as well as I can not pick my times to fish. That being said if I get out on my boat (assuming it will get into the water before September) and I have say 6 hours to fish I wouyld like to be able to choose a good spot by looking at the currents. I can get to a lot of nice structure and it would be good to know if the current around it is flowing well enough for me to go out of my way to get there.

[cygnus-x1]

Sorry guys those links were not very helpful. I don't intend to buy any expensive equipment at this point. If you would elaborate more on the nobeltec I will listen but I don't like being spammed if that was your intent. Does it measure current in the water?

There has to be some reports of current somewhere

[rockhead]

saltwatertides.com

free

[cygnus-x1]

With ALL DO RESPECT Tides and Current are different beasts. Current is how strong the water flows (moves) along its path. Tides are the rising and falling of the water table due to lunar and solar forces. Tides can effect current flow but they are not one in the same.

Anybody else?

[Lipyourown]

Great question I don't have the answer for. What i have noticed is that 2 hours before and after a tide change creates the strongest currents and this is especially true during full moon cycles. It is more noticable around structure and inlets.

[rockhead]

sorry BRO just trying to be helpful! I know what a tide and a current are :rolleyes: and i know they are different thxs for the lesson though. I think you are looking for something that doesn't exist. that may be the problem! bouys and "tide markers" don't have flow meters attached to them. to my knowledge some rivers and streams have flow data available buy that is freshwater and probably not useful to you. maybe someone else can help you

[mdram]

http://tbone.biol.sc.edu/tide/index.html


http://coastalpredictioncenter.chesapeakebay.net/default.htm

just found this, but its not free

http://www.goflow.com/

[cygnus-x1]

Thanks. I guess what I want is not available. I guess I should not expect it to be avilable. I guess I do want a current flow reader on the buoys.

What I am doing is looking at the charts for a certain area (Deal Island) and I am looking at the depths of the channels and points of land around it trying to find structure (i.e. dropoffs etc) combined with something that might show a good current.

In lieu of having real data do any of you have experience in being able to dicern what I am looking for? An example would be a point of land that is perpendicular to a channel should have a good current flow over it correct?

I do appreciate everyones help ... maybe I am just thinking too much (happens when you are not out actually fishing).

[Lipyourown]

"An example would be a point of land that is perpendicular to a channel should have a good current flow over it correct?"

Cedar Point Rip? Mouth of Honga?

[cygnus-x1]

I am not mentioning a specific location just an "in general" way of describing it. I can look on a map and find points that encroach into a channel in that way. I just don't know what the normal current for that channel is.

Case in point, there is a point south of little deal island (directly east of the red #12 (bell) marker) where the bottom depth is 2-3 feet that suddendly drops off to 12-16 feet. This deeper area "looks" to be a small channel that eventually dumps into the main channel off deal island.

I will go check it out but it would be nice if there were some data (even color coded) that described the strength of the current in the channels in the Tangier Sound.

I know I know ... I gotta go catch me some feesh

[Blue Heron]

Hi cygnus-x1,

I wonder if you may have overlooked the "Currents" section on the home page of the following link that mdram posted for you.

http://coastalpredictioncenter.chesa...et/default.htm

If you click on "Currents", and then click on "Chesapeake Bay" you can choose the area of the bay in which you are interested. You will then be presented with a color coded display/slide show, of the tide "predictions" for today's date on an hour by hour basis.

It just seemed to me that even these are supposed to be current "predictions", they may be a close approximation to what you are looking for.

Blue Heron

[skiffisher]

I think i understand what you are getting at and in my opinion the only real way your are going to get the info you want is to fish your spots for a while and takes your notes, compare tides and lunar cycles after you have compiled some info
Tell the wife you have some important reasearch to do that is going to benifit the family grocery budget:D Then take off before before she asks to many questions
Good Luck
MATT

[baitslingin]

hey forget u ... if you cant figure out the nobeltec website somethings wrong.. at the top go to services and pull down to daily tide predictions the next page will give you either tides or currents ANYWHERE .. got it and its free
:)