[Bart_Man]

Last Saturday night I was fishing with the armada under the High rise, supposedly the high tide for Kiptopeke was around 2am.... but while I was under the bridge it was definately still going out at 9pm... logically it seems like it should have been coming IN at 9pm. It would seem like the prediction for Kiptopeke should be the same as for the highrise. Is there a different location for the high rise? Or was the difference caused by wind direction?

 

[Mike Avery]

Don't bother looking at tide schedules. Look at what the currents are doing. This site is pretty accurate for the CBBT. May have to add or subtract a bit as you move north of the CBBT. This will also tell you what speed you can expect from the different currents. As you will see the flood currents have been on the weak side with the ebb moving along faster. Wind will affect how the boat drifts or points while on anchor. I do hate it when the wind and current are in opposite directions.

Currents

 

[Foy]

Good call Mike

Mike and Bart,
As I recall, that specific current predictor location is for a point approximately 1 mile E of the Third Island. I have used that table for several years and always print off a copy for the boat and to keep in the Clubhouse during vacations or fishing trips. As one would expect, winds and other factors effect the currents, but in my memory, the table is pretty much dead on when it comes to current at the Third.

Somewhere along the way (probably here on Tidalfish) I read of an "adjustment factor" which essentially said "one hour earlier at the High Rise" and "one hour later at the 1st Small Boat Channel", both referring to current max and slack times. I don't get out to the High Rise much, but the adjustment for the SBC seems accurate, too.

Foy
SBFC

 

[itch2fish]

FishDad is dead on...

it is a tide vs current issue. IMO, "tide" charts are worthless for an accurate read on incoming vs outgoing.

 

[Bart_Man]

Thanks.... They were definitely worthless Sat!

 

[Getaway]

I have found that the site recommended by fishdad to be right-on for the CBBT, even though it says it is for the entrance to the Ches. Bay. The table for the "CBBT" is off by as much as two to three hours from the actual slack tide(s) indicated. As for the adjustment factor, the High Rise area is usually earlier and the small boat channel usually later---could be as little as 20 min. to as much as 45 min. I would suppose that it could also be as much as 60 min. at times.

 

[Darren]

Looks like it was doing exactly what it was supposed to do.

High tide at Kiptopeake was 2:57 AM

Chesapeake Bay Entrance, Virginia Current (2)
6 December 2008 - 7 December 2008
Chesapeake Bay Entrance, Virginia Current (2)
36.9800° N, 75.9983° W


2008-12-06 17:01 EST -0.00 knots Slack, Ebb Begins
2008-12-06 20:45 EST -1.03 knots Max Ebb
2008-12-07 00:11 EST 0.00 knots Slack, Flood Begins
2008-12-07 01:11 EST Moonset
2008-12-07 02:46 EST 0.62 knots Max Flood

 

[Bart_Man]

I get it!

Yeah that chart matches up with what we saw last weekend..... thanks for introducing it to me. My thoughts about the tide shift as it relates to fishing was just wrong.... I can see that the current prediction chart is going to be a lot more useful. :scratchchin3:

:chugbeer:

 

[mike cozzens]

The best thing I ever did was to buy a tidelog book.

TIDELOG graphic almanacs

It has all the info + current corrections for just about everywhere. One of the pieces of info I really love is the speed of the predicted current. Remember those days where the tide just never seemed to come in? Usually it's because there is a very weak current for that tide- .6knots or something silly like that!

I've found that anything less than .9 knots at max flow is a bad omen for catching. My experience is based on casting around the CBBT, usually at night.

Mike

 

[Foy]

Roger that Getaway

I have found that the site recommended by fishdad to be right-on for the CBBT, even though it says it is for the entrance to the Ches. Bay. The table for the "CBBT" is off by as much as two to three hours from the actual slack tide(s) indicated. As for the adjustment factor, the High Rise area is usually earlier and the small boat channel usually later---could be as little as 20 min. to as much as 45 min. I would suppose that it could also be as much as 60 min. at times.

That's pretty much what I recall and have observed. An hour is on the outside of the envelope, but the principle is the same. For that reason, other factors being not present, we tend to start north and work south as the current dies off towards slack. You can follow the current all the way down to the 1st SBC and then run back up to the 3rd and often it'll be started back up the other way by then.

Foy