Following the Night Tides......Do You have What it Takes?

[DarkSkies]

Fishing the Moon Tides.....


Anyone who begins to develop an addiction to fishing...and starts to plan out their trips, as to which place they will be fishing, at which stage of the night tide....knows all too well the importance of the moon tide....

Every time I see someone claim, on the internet
"Well I didn't catch fish last night, damn full moon!"

If you are using that excuse, maybe you need to re-think your skill set, and ask yourself why you are not finding fish...because most likely it ain't the fault of the moon....


1. You may want to blame fire in the water, phosphorescence...(a common occurrence during warmer months and exascerbated by the brightness of a full moon)
2. You may want to blame lack of bait, forage....all good reasons for fish not to be there...
3. You may want to accept that there are less fish around than there used to be, even at night,
4. You may want to consider that with all the new guys in the game today, there are less fish to go around for us all.
5. You may want to consider that weather or storm patterns have affected migration in your area...

All of the above would be valid reasons why you may not catch duriing a full moon trip...but if they are not factors...please don't blame the moon.....

[DarkSkies]

The one caveat is that I try to be more cautious in my movements at the waters edge, during a full moon...because I know if fish are in close, they can see me,,,and my movements might spook them....

For a full moon trip, I'm most happy when there is a "full moon obscured by clouds".
The cloud cover gives me more confidence, and knowledge that if the fish are spooky that night, they will be less wary with the cloud cover...again...this is just my experience,,,yours may be different....


Fishing during the moon tides....
There are a whole host of things to get excited about.....
1. Many major bait migrations or movements occur during moon tides.
2. One needs to only briefly scan the internet fishing reports to see terms like "June New Moon" and "October Harvest Moon" as times of great anticipation among fishermen...and times of great bait migration and movement....
3. Even without a major bait migration, whatever bait that is available, will be on the move, and at a much faster rate, in the rivers, bays, ocean, and inlets and inlet points,,,
4. The rapidness with which this bait moves, tends to have it disoriented and less organized in areas of stronger current or turbulence...
5. This presents perfect ambush opportunities for predators to feed aggressively on fish that may previously have been harder to catch....
6. With the predators being more active, you, the fisherman who studies these things, has more opportunity to catch them.

[DarkSkies]

As you get more into the game, and see fishing as a challenge of opportunities and openings, it becomes like a big strategy game.....if your strategy is correct you are a genius and will find fish when no one else seems to be able to...if your strategy fails.....you are just another loser, with a fishing addiction...


The best of the best know this....there is a video where Bill Wetzel talks about the conditions that drive him to be out there....
He describes sitting at work...and the feeling that a particular weather pattern, will bring bigger fish to the beach.....making for the possibility of a great night ......

I have these same compulsions driving me too....

How many others out there, have felt this as well?
The times, when you know, you just HAVE to be out there.....

[DarkSkies]

The days before and after the Moon Tides......


You will find discussions ad nauseum on internet fishing forums on most preferred moon fishing cycles.....
Waxing
Waning,
Gibbous, etc, etc......

I'm gonna simplify it all for you folks reading this...this is what works for me....
I make it my business to fish at minimum the 2 days before and after each moon tide.....
This puts your committment to fishing, to 8 nights per month....

If you're compulsive like me, you can make it 3 days before and after...which makes 12 nghts a month, that you absolutely must be out there fishing...

If you fish a lot, you will notice that the tides in between (this is why it's helpful to keep a log...) are generally less productive....
I call these "weak tide" nights because I feel that's exactly what they represent...weak tides, weak opportunity to catch fish....

Can you catch fish during these "weak" tides?
Absolutely, if there is a lot of bait around...
Whenever I am trying to illustrate a point in fishing theory, or what works for me...the absence or presence of bait., trumps all other factors...

[DarkSkies]

So, to recap, if you want to increase your catching results, and are serious about your fishing....at the very minimum you should be fishing 8 nights a month, assuming the weather permits.....



For more discussion on this, do an internet search for:
"Let's talk about Full Moon Surf Fishing (and New Moon as well....)"

http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/...w-Moon-as-well-)

**This is an important point....the weather will sometimes blow your plans to shreds....you need to accept that as part of fishing....,there is no sane reason to be fishing in a lightning storm, beginning of a severe noreaster, or when a dangerous storm is building, or right after....no point in fishing any conditions that may affect your safety...too much foolishness and macho posturing on the internet about fishing in hardcore conditions...there is nothing hardcore about it, if you don't come home to your wife or family......

[dogfish]

The days before and after the Moon Tides......




I make it my business to fish the 2 days before and after each moon tide.....
This puts your committment to fishing, to 8 nights per month....

If you're compulsive like me, you can make it 3 days before and after...which makes 12 nghts a month, that you absolutely must be out there fishing...

If you fish a lot, you will notice that the tides in between (this is why it's helpful to keep a log...) are generally less productive....
I call these "weak tide" nights because I feel that's exactly what they represent...weak tides, weak opportunity to catch fish....

Spot on ds. Simply making a shift to all moon tide fishing would probably put more large under your belt than anything else. Expecting folks to go out and fish 12 nights is almost impossible though, you must be dreaming. I do this when the weather lets me though so I must be as crazy as you. I hate when the weather keeps me from the water.

[DarkSkies]

Yep, dogfish....It's unreasonable to assume everyone else is as addicted to this, as I am....but I know there are some of us out there....hope you are having a good year up there.....

[DarkSkies]

Fishing a Barometric pressure drop......


I have related on here, over the years, that I have a good friend who is a fanatic about this....

1. Some believe this strategy will pay off,
2. some believe it is just unproven theory with too many variables to hold consistently..


I believe about half of each statement above, holds to be true....in my experience...

There are a lot of variables....for sure...
The most extreme part of the barometric pressure drop is usually during the worst part of the storm, making fishing unsafe, and dangerous....I don't want folks reading this to think it's ok to fish during those times...because generally, it's not...remember that no fish is worth your life...

However, Fin and others have pointed out, that right before the bad parts of a weather system starts to build, the fishing can be fantastic as the fish "put on the feedbag" before the storm....

If you are aware of this, as a possibility, and are seasoned enough to figure out where you may be best protected when fishing....this can prove to be an opportunity....or not...but please remember, there is no fish worth your life....every year some fishermen die because of foolishness thinking they could get in some good hours of fishing before a storm...please don't become a statistic.....your family needs you....

[jigfreak]

All good advice ds but as dogfish said to expect guys to put that level of time in is unreasonable. I already do that have been concentrating on fishing the moon tides hard for years. For the average joe fishermen most guys were raised in a generation that changes the TV channel every 5 seconds. To expect someone to spend 8 nights a month dedicated to fishing like we do is unrealistic. They won't do it. The average guy wants to go out on a Sunday, in bright sunlight, and bring home a cooler of fish. Not very likely from the surf. The night time or fishing dawn and dusk is the only time you will see those types and numbers. I do repect you for trying to help people tho.