|
|
Posts: 114
Location: New London, Wisconsin | The other post really got me thinking about this a bit. I think with a little help from Google, I could put together a listing of "major/minor + solunar tables + hot spots + high activity times + game tables" that would cover the entire 24 hour day.
I know my Grandpa fished religiously by the times posted in the weekly sport section. Nowdays, the options ore endless.
For me, I fish when ever I can regarless of all the factors. I do keep a fishing log and after a few years will look at it for a pattern.
What are others doing and have you found any patterns with a particular listing?
Thanks
Labs
Edited by Labs 3/28/2008 11:07 AM
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 8828
| I kept a log from about 92 to 2000. Started it back up with muskie fishing a couple years ago. What I found was the log was cool to have, but not worth the trouble of keeping. Bottom line is I'm not going to fish any harder or any different knowing its a full moon day or new moon day, whether the moon is overhead, underfooot, or somewhere else. When I have the opportunity to fish, I fish.
The truth about logs and muskie fishing is you need a lot of data. A LOT. So unless you are fishing 150 days a year and plan on religiously entering all that data in a log for every fish you encounter every day for the next 10 years? Well, you're not going to crack any secret code that someone else hasn't already figured out. And written a book about that you can buy for $19.95 and learn more than you'll ever figure out from your own logs anyway.
About the only value I could see would be if you can fish whenever you feel like it, and whatver times you want. If that were the case, and I didn't have a job to go to, I would use the solunar tables. Pick those times when everything lined up and make sure I was on the water.
In 2005 and 2006, I tried an experiment. I scheduled all my fishing around the full moon and new moon. day before, day after, and day of, May through October.
Worst two years fishing I've ever had.
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 114
Location: New London, Wisconsin | esox,
The log I keep is more for personal reasons (memories with the kids, weather and stuff like that) rather than looking to crack the secret code. My question is more geared toward your comment that if you could fishing any time (no job) you would use the solunar tables. Which "tables" would you choose?? In 10 minutes I could find five tables indicating that peak feeding time for today is: 2pm 4pm 5:30pm 10pm and 11:30pm. I am not looking for a short cut because, like you, I fish whenever I have the time.
This is more of a conversation as I am getting antsy for the ice to leave the Wolf River. I jsut need to get on the water again.
Take care,
Labs
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 8828
| Labs, it doesn't matter which ones you use -- they're all based on the same principles, which I am going to try to explain as simply as possible:
The moon: Peak lunar influence happens at 4 different times.
1. Moonrise
2. Moon Up (directly overhead)
3. Moonset
4. Moon Down (directly underfoot)
Pay careful attention to whatever charts you are using: some give peak times for different latitiudes and time zones.
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 742
Location: Grand Rapids MN | I've heard/read of the overhead and underfoot stuff but mostly what I see is rise and fall of the moon and of course sunset/rise. During full and new moon periods the sunrise/moonset and sunset/moonrise fall closely together (usually within half hour to 45 minutes) so there's an overlap of potential periods. Individually they are/can produce feeding windows but combined it's supposed to increase the 'intensity' of their affect on fish. Move further away from new/full moon period and the relationship of the moon and sun grow further apart (hours between each instead of minutes). That's usually why the big emphasis is on the new and full moon periods. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 8828
| Targa, did you ever wonder if the new moon and full moon are actually better, or if its because the majors happen when everybody is fishing? Say its 3:00 am -- sun directly underfoot, and it happens to be moonrise. If there is a period of peak fishing activity there
who's gonna know??
Personally, I think full moon and new moon days are overrated -- there might be more solunar influence during times that are typically good to fish anyway, but there's also a bunch more people fishing. So that great spot? Well, it was great three boats ago.
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 742
Location: Grand Rapids MN | I fish when I can and don't plan around lunar events. Don't really have the privilages to do so. Personally I focus more on 'actual' changing conditions (light, wind, etc) but I don't think it hurts to know when these lunar events happen when you are out on the water. I was just putting out a little info as to why the big focus on new/full moon and that was because they overlap with the solar events. I agree, was it because the moon was rising or was it because the sun is setting (I lean towards sun on this one). Who knows but enough people who have spent a lot of time on the water say there have been windows that fall within these events that I keep a mental note to when they occur but I can't plain all my trips around this kind of stuff and when I get on the water, that's where I'm staying until I need to pack up. |
|
| |
|
| A log can be useful, but like esox said you need more than a few entries for it to be useful. I think it could help you recognize a pattern on a certain lake, like the fish seem to like to follow x bait at x water temp.
Say over a 5 year span you fish a lake quite a bit. After that 5 years you sit down and ananlyze your log. You may come up with a pattern like you get a lot of follows on a black/silver willow blade bucktail in 60-65 degree water temps. Without a log all you would know is you get a lot of action on that lure and color. With the log you can now have a better idea of when to throw the black/silver bucktail and when you should maybe switch to a crankbait.
I am going to try and set up a log in microsoft access so it can be sortable by each category. Like bait, time of day, water clarity, water temp, etc, etc
A well kept log can be helpful. |
|
| |
|
| I understand the sentiment that most fish when they are able, but if you DO have some flexibility then chosing times based on both weather conditions and solunar tables can make a big difference. I'm lucky to live near of bunch of great musky waters. I generally try to fish a couple times a week, but some weeks it's 4-5 times and other weeks none. Weather conditions generally trump solunar, but I greatly prefer being out of few hrs before moon rise (the fuller the better) and fish into the moon rise, and definitely avoid fishing the few hrs after moon rise. In my boat fish caught when the moon is down or rising outnumbers those caught when the moon is up by 3 or 4 to 1. From what I've read, Bucher, Gelb and others have similar experiences. |
|
| |
