Moon Phases Affecting Fish

[CookieMonst3r]

I just read this article that talked about how moon phases, the sun/moon setting and rising, and weather conditions affect bass and other fish. Wanted to share it with the other members. Enjoy 

http://www.solunar.com/the_real_scoop.aspx

[SirSnookalot]

I pick the new moon over the full, I just seem to do better then.  In brackish or salt the tide and sunrise or sunset has much more of an impact on peak fishing times.

[CookieMonst3r]

I agree, but I find that in saltwater, full/new moons seem to cause the fish to not bite. I don't know if it's me or what.

[Hammer 4]

In salt, it's all about the tide, especially in the bays. For fw bass..I have found that full moons aren't such a swell time to get a good bite..

[SirSnookalot]

Full moon is an old wives tale.  One time in the last 5 years I snook fished and got a strike on nearly every cast on the full, but usually it's strikeless.

As a guide once told me "tide is everything", but it's different for different species.  Case in point, me and my comrades Cuda fish on the last 10 minutes of the incoming tide, prior to that is rare to see them.  This is the most elusive fish I have encountered, you can easily go for a month and not catch one.

[Catt]

The height of the tides can vary during the course of a month, due to the fact that the Moon is not always the same distance from the Earth. As the Moon's orbit brings it in closer proximity to our planet (closest distance within a moon cycle is called perigee), its gravitational forces can increase by almost 50%, and this stronger force leads to high tides. Likewise, when the Moon is farther away from the Earth (furthest distance is called apogee), the tides are not as spectacular.

[Jig Man]

I have been keeping a data base record of all my fishing trips for several years.  I track about 20 items with the moon phase being one of them.  I have found that there is almost no correlation between numbers or size of fish and the moon phase.  Now lake levels are a whole different story.

[Bryce C]

I have been keeping a data base record of all my fishing trips for several years. I track about 20 items with the moon phase being one of them. I have found that there is almost no correlation between numbers or size of fish and the moon phase. Now lake levels are a whole different story.

This is kind of how I see it too.....if you know how to find and catch fish moon phase isn't going to impact you nearly as much.  Maybe it affects the peek feeding times of the bass, but imo most of the strikes that I get are triggered/reaction strikes so when the fish are actively feeding doesn't necessarily mean that's the only time you can catch them.

[Raul]

I don 't pay attention to moon phases, I would if I fished a tidal system or at sea, but 99.999% I don 't fish either, I fish lakes, mostly small lakes so how much rise in the water level you can have ? an inch ? 2 inches ? 3 inches ? how about a foot ?  since I can 't modify it I just have to learn how to deal with it and for me in the 3+ decades I 've been fishing full moon means it 's going to be windy so it 's not how the moon phase affects the fish but how it affects the weather what counts when I 'm going to fish, I fish for the weather not for the moon phase; and like Jig man said: I have found that there is almost no correlation between numbers or size of fish and the moon phase. That 's what I 've found too.

Now, if what you want is a scape goat for not catching fish consistently well, you can always put the blame on the moon phase.

[Bass_Akwards]

Full moon is an old wives tale. One time in the last 5 years I snook fished and got a strike on nearly every cast on the full, but usually it's strikeless.

Go read the book "In Pursuit of Giant Bass" by Bill Murphy.

He talks a ton about how the 3/4 moon phases are the absolute best times to catch big bass. He gives examples and numbers of the percentage of 10 pound bass he catches during these phases compared to when the moon is in a different phase.

He also talks about how LMB can many times gorge themselves during the 3/4 moon phase so much, that by the time the full moon arrives, it can be like fishing after a cold front. Obviously that's BAD.

My own bass fishing experience here in Colorado. reflects this as well. The 3/4 moon phases are much much more productive in terms of numbers and size compared to a full moon or no moon.

One thing to remember is that a full moon CAN be insanely productive for giant bass if you take the spawn into account. Bass have a tendancy to be very active during this time. When the spawn and the full moon meet, it's never a bad thing.

[bigbill]

I got into bass fishing really heavy almost 10 years ago now. I would read everything i could grasp about bass fishing. I got into the color thing with the hues of the water and choosing the right color for that time. Then i got my hands on the maori charts. I followed them and on a day when it said "good early" i nailed a 10lb bass just at first light. I kept a record too and everytime it said good fishing with the moon phases i did great. I looked as good as a pro bass guy from shore. Of course field & stream stopped publishing the maori charts.

The guys at InFisherman also say to fish for record breaking fish during the moon phases too.

If you can time the moon phases with a weather front comming in the fishing is unbelieveable. Its a feeding frenzy at this time if you stay going during this time it will happen when they just turn on. At one of my palces i stood in one spot and caught 19 bass during the moon phases and in the light rain when the heavy down pour let up. You have to stay going during this time and it will happen sooner or later. Its happened to me many times now but i can't predict when its going to happen. Everything has to be in order for it to just turn on. Like the moon phase, the weather front comming in and the PH of the water. I caught it one time 2 hours before the rain hit. Another time it was during the light rain and again it was during a lull in the storm when the rain stopped for a few hours. Heck i caught 30 to 40lbs of bass that time. A guy standing near us said to me your having a good night. He caught nothing so that tells me we need to use the right bait too. I use a Rebel BIG Claw crawfish crankbait in green with a black back. Another time it was a Joesfly super striker in firetiger apache. There maybe something about the chartruese color in low light conditions too.

BigBill

Don't forget i'm fishing the same small bodies of water in the same spots from shore so any change is very noticable.  At night i was averaging 5 to 8 good size bass a night up to 5lbs.  Then i started fishing in the early mornings when everybody is still sleeping and the bass were in less numbers but bigger.  I had to get away from the crowds at night.

[Hammer 4]

Well, over the last year, it seems that when there's a full moon, in the Shallow city lakes I fish, the bite pretty much is non existent. I have to think that it's possible the bass are feeding heavily at night..?

[Big-O]

Full moon is an old wives tale. One time in the last 5 years I snook fished and got a strike on nearly every cast on the full, but usually it's strikeless.

Go read the book "In Pursuit of Giant Bass" by Bill Murphy.

He talks a ton about how the 3/4 moon phases are the absolute best times to catch big bass. He gives examples and numbers of the percentage of 10 pound bass he catches during these phases compared to when the moon is in a different phase.

He also talks about how LMB can many times gorge themselves during the 3/4 moon phase so much, that by the time the full moon arrives, it can be like fishing after a cold front. Obviously that's BAD.

My own bass fishing experience here in Colorado. reflects this as well. The 3/4 moon phases are much much more productive in terms of numbers and size compared to a full moon or no moon.

One thing to remember is that a full moon CAN be insanely productive for giant bass if you take the spawn into account. Bass have a tendancy to be very active during this time. When the spawn and the full moon meet, it's never a bad thing.

I agree with the 3/4 Moon being very good for several reasons but primarily because it proved exactly that over a 20 yr period in which I worked night fishing trips exclusively.

If I had to choose a general section of time to concentrate on night fishing the warmer months, it would be from the 1/2 to the Full moon for sure 

Big O

www.ragetail.com

[WRB]

http://fishlab.nres.uiuc.edu/Documents/FME%202008.pdf

This study goes against what I have experienced on the water the past 50+ years. My belief is animals are affected by both solar and lunar periods.  Predators like LMB time their peak activity levels based on success rate and activity of the prey. Active ecosystem = active predators. Gravitational pull on water affects the tides and in turn the animals that live in or around the water.

I have tried focus my trophy fishing timing around solunar affects; low light and the 5 days: 2 before and 2 after the full moon during pre spawn or 1 month prior to bass moving up on beds.

I also prefer the moon phase at night.

That being said; any day or night fishing is better than staying home waiting for the prime times.

The balance of the year the solunar periods haven't proven to be any better, other than dawn and dusk low light times, during the summer and warm afternoons during the winter.

WRB