Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Why do the fish bite better on a full moon?

Like Rost said, those of us that spend our time outdoors and on the water know how the moon affects everything. Fishing for certain pelagics is not usually thought to be good during the full moon since the fish can hunt by moonlight. The gravitational pull as well as the way the water (saltwater) moves in and out causes baitfish to school up and move into predictable places as a result of the currents.

Moon phases matter as much in the animal world as they do in the human world. When I was a FF/EMT we staffed heavier on weekend nights that coincided with the full moon. If the full moon coincided with a Friday or Saturday on the first of the month, which was welfare payday, we knew that it was “the perfect storm” of conditions and we’d be running 24 hours steady.

The moon affects everything!

Natives like cod and yellow belly seem to come on around the full moon. Some of our best cod trips have coincided around the full moon, but even better with a rising barometer as well.

Trout on the other hand I'd say no. In my early 20s we did a lot of night time fly fishing for trout. On nights with a full moon it was amazing as we could see right across the lake but we never caught any trout and there were none rising. The best nights were pitch black where you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. We could hear the trout rising and had to cast by sound alone. Those were the nights when the trout were active and we caught fish. And the best fly was a black muddler that imitated a mudeye (dragonfly nymph). So a black fly on a black night....bingo. I think the bright full moon put the trout down.

Full moon certainly effects me....

when it is a full moon I have the motivations to:

1, Go out in the back yard at midnight and howl... at nothing in particular

2. For some reason, have the need to bite the necks of strangers and suck their blood out, especially if they are democRATS...

3. Drink a lot of Tomato Juice and V8, and also open to drink a lot of bloody Marys....

4. Occasionally desire to go into grave yard with a shovel, and get the inspiration to dig some of them up.. other times I want to instead bury some live people, most democRATS or RINOS....

I don't understand any of this or these feelings only when we have a full moon, even if the sky is overcast...

Weird Huh?

Years ago, I read an article in IN FISHERMAN that found something like 25 percent of state records were caught on day of the quarter moon. I find the New moon way better than the Full moon day or night for bass.

On the other hand…if one is sight “fishing” for swordfish that are resting on the surface the full moon or close to full moon is a necessity. 😀

there is something about a full moon just ask anybody that works in an ER law enforcement or nursing home..

fwiw
There are two full moons a month. One at night and one during daylight.

Its very much try during the day also. Hence variable major times of movement swapping out as the phases roll through.

Yup, and not just the full moon. One thing that seems a bit constant though is when the moon is basically directly overhead or underfoot. Regardless the phase. Not always, but it seems to coincide.

full moon and seemed the EMS pager went off constantly. Not just the wild cases so to speak but cardio/cerebral etc...

I was in health care for many years. I will say the sundowner patients do get a bit extra squirrelly.

Absolutely...There was a write up in the Sacramento Bee a few years ago...Sacramento County Schools did a study of disciplinary incidents, overwhelming statistical evidence of moon phase influence.

Normally do better three days before a full or new moon, though love to have it mix with a south easterly pushing in the currents and a falling barometer. That is mainly for marlin and other pelagics on the east coast of Australia.

I have never followed the moon phase for fishing.I have found for fishing walleyes that watching the barometer,a slight chop ,over cast and a light rain to be the best fishing times.Anytime a big storm is approaching I am on the water until I am pushed off.I have found deer hunting to be best in a dark moon.

Or perhaps it puts a hatch of insects off?

I sometimes in the past fished a local (more or less) clear mountain lake for rainbows (to five pounds). Mostly all I've caught were to 2 lbs, tho I've seen eagle-clawed 5 pounders, dead. Probably taken from the single, very shallow and short spawning creek.

The best lure I've found for in the lake was a black, or black with yellow spots, Mepps. Dunno why, unless it reminds them of leaches, smaller fish, or perhaps insect larvae of some sort. My bet is on the leaches. Other Mepps patterns don't do nearly as well.

Werefish?

Therefish.

Caught more fish the hour before dark than all other times combined. Killed way more deer in the first three hours after sun up than the hours before sunset.

I have figured out that fish do not bite at all during a full moon and especially under a high-pressure system. I don't know why. Fish under a new moon and a day with potential thunder showers. Just my observations.

kwg

I found I took about 1)3-1/2 of my deer between 11am al-1pm. Hunters moving maybe, but I hunted some way back in as well as could see houses.