Topic: Moon Phases

[Brazzy]

Does anyone on here track moon phases? I never have because I felt like I usually dont get to pick when I fish. Usually its a tournament or when fun fishing its when I can get away from the wife and kid so the opportunity chooses me more than I choose it. However, I have heard a few pros talk about it recently. For the most part they say they dont get to pick when they fish, but there are windows when the bite is best and they say that they make it a point to be on their "best"(highest confidence) spots at the prime times. Bassmaster has been posting the calendars as far back as I can remember. Does anyone find any of it useful?

[metz12]

I wasnt at the meeting last year to pick the lakes for the SRIBA club dates, but we do 5 night tourneys and the moon has a good deal to do with the night bite. If that thing is full and beaming down and you can see everything like its daytime, and there are shadows on the boat you most likely will be in for a tough night of fishing. The night tourneys this year where picked based on the moon, and since I wasnt there, I am sure @Curt - RI and @Mitz can go into that a bit more. It was originally mitz's idea to do it.

[Mitz]

In the fisherman's book of excuses it says on page 93 if you are having a bad night of fishing and it is a full moon blame it on the moon!   
To be honest when it is darker than dark the big ones seem to be more active and chasing bait. When the moon is high and bright I just think it is easier to spook the fish and they are roaming less.

I've fished over 100 night tournaments and some of my best night have been with a full moon. Its just a much slower plan of attack. Having said that I still prefer a cloud cover or a really dark night.

-Mitz

[metz12]

I have had a few good nights when the moon was full as well. But like you said, the darker the better I find for finding more quality fish in my limited night fishing experience. Bass fishing is crazy like that. People say that all you need to fish at night is a spinnerbait and a topwater, where these are some of your most valuable tools, but there are nights Ive fished that they wont touch a spinnerbait or a topwater. They only want something subtle, or they dont want to bite at all!

Also I reference that page often when it comes to the moon Mitz! My often referenced page though is page 14 paragraph 2 where it states "It was that stupid front that blew through that screwed up the bite"

[Brazzy]

So that is interesting that you use it for visibility. Makes sense for night fishing. The pros on Bass U were talking about primary feeding times. Again, I never paid attention to any of it, and they admitted they thought it was a bunch of nonsense too and started telling stories how their view has changed as they found some validity to it. There has to be something to it, Bassmaster has been posting this crap forever. Just curious if anyone can vouch for it. Just for curiosity sake I am going to test this theory out a bit and just track when the prime times are when I go out and see if there is a noticeable difference.


http://www.bassmaster.com/best-fishing-times-fishing-calendars

[Joe P]

I don't follow moon phases but i don't like fishing around a full moon anytime of the day. 

I know others swear by it but i don't have much success during the full moon peirod!