Notes from email with Mike Vaughn and Rhea Ehresmann 2020-02-04:
Survey skipper R. Beason mentioned letting gear soak through a tide change to let to get a chance to fish. I’m sure it is easier for fish to move around when the tide is not running but also the current would act to spread the scent of the bait and attract fish.
Since it takes some time for the gear to get to the bottom and we often haul back gear right at the 3hr mark, I think time of haul may be your better standard to consider.
We schedule the survey to coincide with the smallest tidal variance in that period of late July to early August and it is easier to set and haul gear cleanly with smaller tide series. When I looked at the tide book for 2020, the best tides pushed right up against the fishery (Aug 9th- 15th) which would be the latest survey in many years.
One other consideration with the tides with setting gear, all skippers take the time to try to determine the direction of current prior to setting to avoid setting against the tide flow. In Chatham that sometimes is difficult as the current on the surface may not jive with that in the water column.
Options include tidal velocity or tidal stage or moon phase. If tidal stage, could do the majority of the tidal stage that occurred during the set. Tide stuff is tricky because high/low tide does not necessarily correspond with a slack tide.
Notes from email with Mike Vaughn and Rhea Ehresmann 2020-02-04: