Full Moon - Does in make a difference?

[eastonkayaker]

While I was fishing yesterday an older gentlemen stopped to ask how it was going. He said fishing should be good because it was a full moon the night before.

Fact or fiction - fishing is better with a full moon?

[tufnik]

Yes, that's what I understand too. Best times are a few days within full moon and a few days within new moon. Full moon and new moon are about two weeks apart, and this cycles on and on. It's understood that fishes are most active in feeding during these moons. I don't know exactly why. Something to do with the tides.

These moons don't always occur on the weekend. I can't always match my fishing days to these moons because of my schedule. I generally fish whenever I have time. You can still catch fish between moons, but you generally won't be as productive.

Most productive fishing occurs at full or new moon between slack tides.

[Memory Maker]

I've always heard and experienced that the full moon was bad for daytime fishing and the no or new moon was the best ............

I've always caught more at night on a full moon and the least during the daytime ...........

Probably just my imagination

[ictalurus]

I've heard that the full moon is detrimental for yellow perch fishing during the day. In contrast, Mike at Buzz's Marina tries to fish for big redfish at night on full moons, and I caught my biggest croakers last year around full moons.

One way that the moon plays a role in fishing is its effect on tides. Tidal amplitude and current velocities are highest around full and new moons (spring tide) and weakest around the first and last quarter moons (neap tide). I almost always have better luck if the current is moving.

With all that said, I fish when I can and try to launching locations based on the most favorable combination of current, tide, wind, and travel distance.

[DOGFISH]

As I understand it also, there is an affect on the tide. It has to do, something like, how the moon and the sun line up. There are tables as to when are the best times to fish, solunar tables. However, the full moon allows the gamefish to silhouette bait fish at night. There is simply more light. Fish tend to have good night vision, even without the full moon. I guess the clearer the water the less rest for those pesky little bait fish.

When I was a waterfowl hunter, on a full moon, sometimes the geese would feed all night in the fields. The next day they would not feed heavily, and the hunting was less active. Sort of the same thing, or so they say.

I agree with Bill. I fish when I can. It would be nice to plan, but hey, thats the way it is.

[surfdog]

i agree with you guys, the full moon at night is good for night time fishing and fishing in the day time is off because the stripers say have been feeding more aggressively at night and if the flood tide is in the evening thats a magic day and i will be there to fish a full moon in june and the croaker fishing will be very hot at night. conversely on a new moon the day time bite is better for day time feeders like flounder and blues.

a lot of people have spent a lot of time putting together solar-lunar fishing tables to predict the best fishing days. too bad they never line up to when i can fish