This is an article about the effects of moon phases on fishing ~ or not...

[PhishLI]

 I try to fish whenever I can regardless of conditions, but there was a point when I was more enthused to go according to moon phases and other theoretically ideal circumstances. Those theoretically ideal times rarely ended up as ideal for me.  The only real consistency I've found is that fishing is often best on the darkest nights. Best for size, numbers, and length of bite windows. Those are the nights I'll see and hear endless killshots on the water as predators blow up on baits suspended near the surface. 

 

All of those stats are reduced as as the night sky brightens incrementally. Clouds are nearly always a factor in changing those stats toward the positive entering or leaving the full moon phase.

 

Interesting note: I was watching a podcast with DD bass hunter Butch Brown. Look him up if you haven't heard his name. He said that if he sees the full moon in the sky any time during daylight hours he doesn't bother as he can't get giants to bite then. I'm a hope-for-the-best type, so that wouldn't stop me for a second, but it was something I hadn't heard before.

 

[Bubba 460]

Kicker

 

Yes, I have watched Butch Brown videos and it makes me want to live in California... well, on second thought, uh, no. but I want water with those giants in it. I'll never even get close to a 19 lb bass here or a 17 or 15 but at least I did have a 13+ on last summer. (That fat old girl jumped clear out of the water 4 feet from the boat with a 12" Mann's worm in her mouth. The dove and rapped around a standing timber.    

[Catt]

On 3/27/2021 at 1:29 PM, A-Jay said:

Decent write up but the article does not change my 'perspective' as it relates to my fishing.

While I do believe the moon plays some type of role, years on the ocean & the sweet water,

have yet to 'prove' anything to me. 

When I was an avid night angler (in both venues) New Moon nights were by far, more productive for virtually every species, including green & brown bass.

I've always attributed this to the lack of light; still do. 

 While day time angling, I've had some very memorable trips & catches during virtually every moon phase.  This makes it hard to get behind any theory revolving around Solunar Fishing Calendars.

Beyond that, seems this 'data' is all over the place.

For me, the ever changing current environmental conditions trump whatever the moon, sun or any other planet might be doing.

Finally,  the single Best 6 day stretch of green bass fishing I've ever had In My Life,

happened during the Full Moon week of October 2018.

Go Figure . . . .

A-Jay

 

 

 

 

 

I've spent 50 years chasing bass at night under every conceivable moon phase. What A-Jay wrote pretty much summed up my observation.

 

"Darkness covers up an angler's presence and most of all his mistakes"

[A-Jay]

10 minutes ago, Catt said:

 

I've spent 50 years chasing bass at night under every conceivable moon phase. What A-Jay wrote pretty much summed up my observation.

 

"Darkness covers up an angler's presence and most of all his mistakes"

@Catt

That single sentence is mind blowing.

The memories & stories must be Completely Amazing my friend.

A-Jay

 

[Catt]

3 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

@Catt

That single sentence is mind blowing.

The memories & stories must be Completely Amazing my friend.

A-Jay

 

 

 

[Bird]

I plan all my fishing endeavors around wind.....don't care about moon phases.

That doesn't mean the moon has no effect but simply can't focus in the wind. 

[Catt]

If you focus your attention only around the full moon phase guess what your results will be?

 

I think moon phase plays a role but it's only a piece of the puzzle. Anglers want to complicate everything including night fishing.

 

Just like the sun, there's a morning bite, a mid-day bite & an evening bite.

 

Well guess what there a bite at moon rise, there's a bite when it's directly over head & there's a bite at moon set.

 

Just like during the daytime we gotta figure out which one they're on & the only way to do that is fish em all.

[uglyasheck]

To me the new moon to full moon is the best. Full moon to new moon not as good . I only get to fish about 5 days a week though.

[Surfcaster79]

I am not sure what effect on freshwater it has, but saltwater, absolutely! 

 

It's not the moon itself, its the effects of water levels and current. I am not a full moon guy, I like the new moons, pitch black out, however there is always a period before or after the new moon when bigger stripe bass will be caught. This is proven through fishing logs and years worth of them. 

 

Aside from that it effects bait migrations. 

 

Now for freshwater fishing, I have no idea! 

[redux]

I look at moon phases but try to not get drawn into them too deep. Over the years I've had mixed results so I have learned to look at them as one more data point to consider. What is more important to me is how fish act in a particular body of water over the course of the day and year.

 

So if you ask me, "Do moon phases matter?" I'll reply, "Well, it depends."

 

And that's why a buddy of mine often calls me Diapers.