I'm headed down to Rockport in a few weeks and was curious as to what the best tide is for fishing.
Incoming tide? High tide? Etc...

Depends where you're at. I like the channels at low tide for obvious reason. Drop off ledges are good on rising and falling tide. Oyster beds and grass is nice an hour before and after high tide. Potholes are nice on the falling tide so they concentrate. Now all of this can be reversed or irreverent depending on tide levels, time of year, personal preference, boat style, wading, drifting, etc.

Thanks. I'll be pier fishing in Aransas Bay.

I'll piggy back this since I have a question as well...

Headed down to Corpus on Saturday for a week, taking the yaks so my wife and I can hit the backside around Kate's and such.

Am I looking at the right tide predictor on NOAA if I choose Packery Channel?

When I pull up Bob Hall Pier it's way different...showing a completely different tide pattern.

And remember, you want to fish the moving tide ..that is the movement of water up to high tide... or the movement of water down to low tide. If you are there while it's slack it's not going to be as good. In some areas further back, if their is a high tide and a marsh is behind it, then there will be current in that marsh cut for quite a while after high tide. It will move until it equalizes.

To answer the question about which tide location... Using the packery channel location will get you a closer reading for your tide in the bay compared to Bob Hall. Depending on where you are in the bay you may have to add more time to that as well. For example. If you are fishing the Fish pass or wilson cut area...then you'll probably have to add 2-3 hours after the high tide at Packery to get high tide for Wilson's cut.

Hope that helps.

Go here GULF COAST FISHERMAN and click on fishing forecast.

Lots of good info.