Tide? Whats that?
Tides are a change in water level caused by the gravitational forces of the sun and moon.
What's the big deal with Tides?
To state the obvious depending on where / how you fish the tide will determine if there is any water to fish in. If you are fishing from a boat its pretty obvious that you need to be floating and if you are fishing from shore you may very well not have any water to fish in.
This change in water level results in water flow (currents) which dictates if there's any water to fish in and the movement of food sources for fish. Food sources can be any number of things from plankton to other fish, this is important because your target species will be following these food sources.
What does that mean for an angler (you)?
If you know the tides and the resulting flows or current then you can determine where the food sources are moving to or from and make sure that you fish along that path at the times that the bait and the ensuing predators will be where you are.
Weather plays a massive part in your angling success and survival, you can have the perfect spot and perfect tides but if the wind is blowing 25 mph you probably won't want to be there. It can be a case of survival if the weather conditions where you are create a life threatening condition so choose but choose wisely.