Well, I really tackled what I thought were the easy parts, but since Phil tackled the hard ones, I'll dip a toe in.
Its taken me years, but I've reluctantly decided that late evening is the best time for white sea bass, and its better than early morning. And the reason I've been reluctant is that late evening is the time when I want to be home with my honey drinking a beer rather than crawling out of the water in the dark.
Summer before last was the only time that I have ever been able to dive the same spot day after day and try to figure out a connection between tides, current, time of day, and seeing white sea bass. It was a spot on the mainland coast just a short run from the harbor. In general, it drove me nuts. Some times the fish would be there on the incoming tide, and sometimes on the outgoing. Sometimes they would be there when the current was from the north, and other times when the current was from the south. The only thing I thought I leaned about tides and current was that the fish were more likely to be seen on the upcurrent end of the kelp bed.
But concerning time of day- I would generally arrive at a decent hour in the morning and dive during the day, as befits a retired old fart. A good many times I would be going back to the harbor and pass a friend who has to work for a living going down there for the late evening show after he got away from work. There were quite a few times when we had not seen anything or at least not very much, and then he would do very well at sunset.
Another thing regarding currents- there is a guy from the Santa Barbara area who is generally regarded to have a hot line to God when it comes to spearing white sea bass, and he does very well. Many people have told me that he won't even bother to get into the water at any other time but the period from an hour before high tide to an hour after high tide. I suppose that might be useful if you don't have a long run to the islands or where ever you are diving, but how am I to put that to use if I'm going to San Clemente Island, 51 nautical miles offshore. First, I'm sure not going to arrive for the dawn show. And the only way I'll be able to dive the sunset show is if I'm willing to get home at midnight or if I'm spending the night out there. So I'll be there as early as I can, and leave as late as I can and still not have to run too many miles in the black, and I'll damn sure dive all the time I'm at the island, no matter when high tide is.
All of the time I'm there may not be the optimum time, but I'm not sitting in the boat after that long run.
