| West Central Florida Tides and Best Times for 3/30/09 - 7/05/09 (Bunce's Pass) |
| Written by Richard E. Martin |
| Monday, 05 January 2009 15:14 |
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Legend / KeyGreen Date: A Good DayYellow Date: Marginal Day Red Date: Not a Good Day  Tide Prediction(Click to Enlarge)  Moon Phase(Click to Enlarge) Last year, Ozello Shrimper provided an article in the West Central section of our shrimpers forum called "Tides & Best Times at Bunce's Pass" that was a huge hit. Shrimpers told us that it was one of the most useful tools they found for planning their shrimping expeditions and considered it as useful as the Ozello Shrimper itself. This article divides the Tampa Bay shrimping season into week time periods and gives an evaluation of each day within the week. You can view weekly or daily tide predictions using the thumbnail images. Monthly text charts can be found at the end of the article. Please keep in mind that the tide predictions used herein are based on Boga Ciega Bay in Gulfport, Florida and the predictions and advice listed herein are for shrimpers using grass shrimping methods such as the Ozello Shrimper. It has been our experience that the tide predictions for Boga Ciega are most accurate when trying to predict the tides in or around Bunces Pass. Variations may occur based upon where you ultimately choose to go shrimping. Please do not make any navigational or life safety decisions based on this information. March 30th - April 5th
Gulfport Tide, March 30th - April 5th, 2009
3/30
3/31
4/1
4/2
4/3
4/4
4/5
 March 30th (Monday): The tide will be on the way out at dusk and will bottom out around 11:20PM. The season is still new but last years early shrimpers will tell you that they had some luck on the flats before anyone else did. Considering that the average water level is about a little more than a foot above sea level, you will have sub-normal water levels. It is worth taking a look even though the season is early if you can find time on a Monday evening. March 31st (Tuesday): While the tide isn't that much different from the previous evening, it bottoms out to a shallower depth later in the evening and higher levels of water can be expected overall. If you had luck the night before, you might get a good few hours in tonight.April 1st (Wednesday): Tonight is a late night. Don't expect to start shrimping immediately at dusk. The tide will have just reached the average level around 7PM and will bottom out after two in the morning. It's the middle of the week and if you have time to go out, you probably aren't worried about the time. April 2nd (Thursday): Another extremely late night. The adventurous will go out and not come how until dawn. The chances of catching a large amount of shrimp are completely dependent upon whether the shrimp decide to start moving early in the season. This folks is early in the season. Your best bet is to rely on reports of other shrimpers or your own experiences from previous nights to determine if you should go. Past years have shown that this time of year is either a complete wash or the very beginning of the season. April 3rd (Friday): The tide doesn't even begin to go below the average level until well after midnight. I am sure you can find something better to do on a Friday? April 4th (Saturday): Don't bother to go out tonight. The tide is coming in until nine thirty and doesn't drop below the average level until well after midnight. April 5th (Sunday):Another night to stay home. The tide is coming in until about 11PM and the lowest it goes all night will be sea level.April 6th - April 12th
Gulfport Tide, April 6th - April 12th, 2009
4/6
4/7
4/8
4/9
4/10
4/11
4/12
 April 6th (Monday): The tide is coming in for most of the night and will never go below sea level. It isn't worth your time or the trouble to go out tonight. April 7th (Tuesday): The tide is continuing its cycle of coming in at night and staying in. This is the off cycle time of the season. April 8th (Wednesday): The tide starts at sea level at dusk and comes in until 1:30AM. April 9th (Thursday): If you get out early enough and find your way to the edge of the incoming tide, you can wait until dusk and walk back towards shore with the approach of the incoming tide. The water level will reach the mean level around midnight so if you have the time on a Thursday to get out of work early and find your way out to the edge of the grass flats, you can spend an evening walking it in. April 10th (Friday): The tide will be going out for about an hour at dusk to below sea level. It will start coming in around 8:45PM and reach mean water level around 1AM. It's another evening of keeping one step ahead of the incoming tide but it is much longer. April 11th (Saturday): The tide will be going out at dusk until 9:30PM when it will reach below sea level. It will turn around and return to the average water level after 2PM. For any shrimper using an Ozello Shrimper, tonight represents optimum conditions to catch shrimp provided they have started their seasonal run. Given that it is a Saturday, you can set yourself up early on the water and start shrimping immediately at dusk. Don't be discouraged if they haven't arrived yet. Get a feel for the area you are shrimping and use the experience to prepare for the weeks ahead. April 12th (Sunday): Another optimum evening for shrimpers provided the shrimp have begun their run. The entire evening is below the average water level and is on its way out at dusk. If you weren't able to go last night, tonight is worth a look.April 13th - April 19th
Gulfport Tide, April 13th - April 19th, 2009
4/13
4/14
4/15
4/16
4/17
4/18
4/19
 April 13th (Monday): The tide is beginning to head back to no-mans land tonight but that won't happen for at least another 24 hours. Tonight the tide will be above sea level around dusk and will be on its way out. It will bottom out a quarter foot below sea level at about 11:00PM and slowly return to the average water level around 4 in the morning. It's not the lowest tide but it certainly is long lasting. April 14th (Tuesday): The tide is above sea level for the majority of the evening but it is in that zone between sea level and the average water level that might make it interesting for shrimpers that shrimp grass flats that are relatively close to shore and in shallow water. Expect the trough of low tide to be near midnight and for it to be a slow tide going out and coming back in. April 15th (Wednesday): The tides have changed from the nice trends we have experienced lately into late evening dips in the water level. The water will not drop appreciably below sea level tonight and it will only do so late in the evening. If you have the time, grab a nap and wake up in the evening to head out. April 16th (Thursday): Another extremely late trough to the low tide. The return on the tide is also coming back in quicker. The next few tides are going to be rough. This is probably the last night an adventurous shrimper might head out. Be careful if you do. April 17th (Friday): The tide will be just coming off an above average water level peak as dusk settles in. The trough to the ensuing low tide will be near 3:00AM and will bottom out above sea level. It isn't the best time to head out. April 18th (Saturday): The tide will still be coming in when dusk arrives. A short low tide will bottom out at near 4:00AM, barely offering even the most die hard shrimper and time to really shrimp before dawn's rays come over the horizon. April 19th (Sunday): The wild tide ride has begun. Tide will be coming in around dusk and changing to go out at 9:00PM. It will bottom out at near 4:30AM above sea level and change to come back in again. Water levels will not lower enough to be worth it.April 20th - April 26th
Gulfport Tide, April 20th - April 26th, 2009
4/20
4/21
4/22
4/23
4/24
4/25
4/26
 April 20th (Monday): The tide will be coming in at dusk until 10:30 and will head back out slowly until 5:00. It won't go far. Stay home. April 21st (Tuesday): Tide will be coming the first half of the night from an above sea level position until about 11:30. It will turn around gently leaving more water than when it started. April 22nd (Wednesday): Get out early if you expect to catch anything. You will be arriving on scene just after the tide has changed to start coming in. You will only have a small window to exploit until the water level quickly rises to be above average. Head home afterward because the water isn't going to drop anytime soon. April 23rd (Thursday): A new trend is beginning that will bring strong outgoing tides that bottom out during prime hours. Tonight is the very first of those tides but it unfortunately started earlier than optimum. Still, it will leave you wil a below sea level tide at dusk and keep you in reasonable shrimping territory until about 11:00PM. Get shrimping! April 24th (Friday): The tides are lining up. The bottom of low tide will be just after dusk, leaving shrimpers with plenty of places to catch shrimp. It will take most of the night to return to sea level, hitting the mark around midnight. April 25th (Saturday): The tide will still be going out when you arrive around dusk. It will reach the trough of low tide at about 8:45PM and start coming in slowly. The lowest part of the tide will be nearly a half a foot below sea level. These strong low tides are what shrimpers live for. April 26th (Sunday): Another strong outgoing tide that reaches its trough around 9:30 and then slowly comes back int. This is another significantly below sea level tide that will give you access to those swwet spots close to channels and drop offs. Exercise caution but have a good time!April 27th - May 3rd
Gulfport Tide, April 27th - May 3rd, 2009
4/27
4/28
4/29
4/30
5/1
5/2
5/3
 April 27th (Monday): While Sunday marked the lowest tide in the present tide cycle, today is a close second. A strong and fast outgoing tide will be at or near sea level at dusk and reach its low point below sea level around 10:15PM. It will slowly come back in until it reaches the average water level near 4:00AM. If you have the next day off or can come in to work late, it would be worth your time. April 28th (Tuesday): This looks like the last of the best nights in this tide cycle. They will change tomorrow to be brief and not so hot conditions. Get out tonight and expect a below sea level bottom to the tide around 11:30PM. The tide will slowly come back in over the next six hours. April 29th (Wednesday): Tonight is a late night. The tide will be strong and outgoing but won't reach bottom until about 12:45AM. If you have the time and want to get out to the grass flats late in the evening, you will have some time between 11:00PM and about 5:00AM that you can shrimp. You will most likely be one of very few people out there if not entirely alone. April 30th (Thursday): A late night with only a modest decrease in the water level. If you want to head out tonight, don't plan on arriving until 10:00 or later and don't expect to leave until nearly 5:00AM. Arriving or leaving earlier will be a waste of your time. May 1st (Friday): Today is rated a yellow only because it is a Friday. You will most likely have some time on your hands and want to go shrimping. If this is the case, get out to the water around 10:00PM and don't expect fantastic conditions. The bottom of the outgoing low tide at that time will be around 2:45AM and will only slightly dip below sea level briefly. You can shrimp it but waking up in the morning will be tough. May 2nd (Saturday): Sorry folks, the tide will still be coming in at dusk and when it decides to turn around will only go as far as a few inches above sea level at 3:30AM. Stay home and celebrate shrimping season with friends. May 3rd (Sunday): The tide will fluctuate slightly tonight but will maintain relatively high levels through the evening. Don't bother going ut tonight. |
| Last Updated on Thursday, 28 January 2010 10:48 |
