| At
first glance, the concept
of using "moon
phases" in fishing
may seem a little
"weird",
"alternative"
or even downright
"witchdoctory"! The
facts are that, according
to research, anglers can
expect an increase in
fish and fishing activity
during periods of Full
and New Moon, building up
progressively for a few
days before, peaking on
the day (of the Full Moon
or New Moon) and
declining for a few days
after. In
summary, about 3 days
before and after Full
Moon and New Moon would
represent prime fishing
time.
Different
Lunar and Solunar Tables
and charts have attempted
to pinpoint peak activity
periods to the hour or
minute, but I am a little
sceptical of restricting
fishing to times
predicted by tables and
charts. I do not have a
problem with the more
general approach of 3
days before and after
Full and New Moon, as I
have seen this approach
work well especially in
saltwater when fishing a
rising or ebbing high
tide during these
periods.
The
Moon also influences
freshwater fishing in
general and Bass fishing
in particular, especially
in the spawning season.
Full Moon cycles in early
spring are believed to
trigger spawning in Bass.
Bill
Murphy in
his book, "In
Pursuit of Giant
Bass",
unequivocally states that
his records indicate that
"specific lunar
energies influence both
activity and
position" of Bass.
Since he started keeping
records from the 1970's,
almost 70% of all his 8lb
plus Bass were taken
during Full Moon cycles -
more specifically he
states that almost 75% of
his 10lb plus Bass were
caught on either a 3/4
waxing (rising) or a 3/4
waning (setting) phase of
the Full Moon cycle. He
goes on to say that for
some reason he has never
found the same
consistency with dark New
Moon cycles, except that
for numbers of
Bass the dark cycle can
be better. Lunker or
trophy Bass seem to be
more catchable in the
bright Full Moon cycle.
He concludes by stating:
"Although I
might catch a big Bass on
any moon phase, the 3/4
phase [waxing and waning
on a Full Moon cycle] has
proved to be the time to
catch the unusual
trophy-size fish ... The
only reason I know about
this moon connection, is
because so many times
when I caught a
"teen" fish, or
had a limit of huge Bass,
after I got home and
looked up into the sky,
I'd always see a perfect
3/4 waxing or 3/4 waning
moon!."
Bill
Murphy feels
that while a certain moon
phase can stimulate
activity, the exact time
of day (or night) when
you can expect the Bass
to "turn on" is
a result of many
different things too
complex and varied to
predetermine. That is why
he does not follow
solunar tables - he
rather uses moon phases
to determine the best day
and then fishes all day
to establish the right
time for the bite. "I
always try to fish for
three days in a row
during a prime 3/4 moon,
two days after 1/2 moon,
before full on the waxing
side, and two days after
full, the two days before
1/2 on the waning side.
By sticking it out for
several days in a row, I
give myself a greater
chance of contacting the
best movement and making
the system work",
says Murphy.
But he also cautions
against having too many
concrete or scientific
rules which could hamper
your fishing to a point
where you would not go
out fishing if, for
example, the moon was not
"exactly right"
according to you. Fishing
would not necessarily be
unproductive or a waste
of time if the moon were
not in the
"right"
position, after all
"Bass are free
spirits in their world,
and too much
cause-and-effect thinking
takes the freedom out of
fishing." .
If
you would like to try the
theories postulated
above, click on the Moon
below to plan
accordingly. This
"moongraph"
shows the moon phases
exactly as they would
appear in the sky and
would be rather helpful
in pinpointing the days
when the best fishing
(according to this
article) may be expected.
For those who didn't
know, the moon phases are
the same no matter where
you are on earth!
Do
let us know what your
experiences and findings
are!
Also
see:
1.
www.fishsniffer.com/moonphase
2.
The
Real Scoop on Moon Phases
by
Joe Bucher
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