Full moon. Good, bad or neither?I

[garyk]

I'm watching the full moon come up over the cottonwoods and the Columbia is a ribbon of silver. How do you in-the-know, successful salmon fishers think this will impact the fishing now through the weekend?

[This message has been edited by garyk (edited 09-13-2000).]

[Deleted User]

This is one I am interested in also. I don't have a good answer for it. I haven't really noticed a significant affect on salmon fishing (I still get skunked during a full moon too). I do think that in some situations there will be a little more fish movement at night. Some warmwater species fishers think it affects their fishing some. - I do know that it makes some people a little wiggy or irritable. As a matter of fact, I think I'll go out and shoot some coyotes right now! (jk). - RT

[smilesforu]

In the latest sts magazine it was proven steelhead stay put when it is pitch dark out, but move when they have light from the moon. I have had excellent experiences fishing with the light of the moon. Kings will feed in the middle of the night when the moon is out. With no moon light I would recommend a lighted bait while fishing in the dark. It will add some excitement in your life when you hookup http://www.ifish.net/forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Tight Lines

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Marty M
Steelheader.net (http://www.steelheader.net/)

[Kerry]

With the full moon also comes the bigger tide changes and that some times suck the fish in the river. They may swim back out if the water is warm but they will nose in and look.

[Phish_on]

I've always felt that the full moon is an excellent excuse if you don't catch any fish.

[THE REEL HEY_YALL]

Speaking as an educated and proven warm-water fisherman: the full moon can create a bite very well, especially at night. Why? you ask. A largemouth bass's "hostess cupcake", if you will, are crawfish. Crawfish have their babies (aww babies) usually during the 3 days before and after a full moon. I suggest fishing with a jig during these time periods. If you are night fishing, I suggest a topwater lure with action. You can use a jet black plastic worm or lizard if the night is clear since it creates a silhouetting effect. The only thing I can see how it effects the salmon is because of the tide changings. Draws more water in (?) and somehow the fish go deeper? I know you can see better at night with a full moon, rather than any other phase (duh Ben Stein). Maybe a safe assumption would be because they can see baitfish better on a full moon night than any other phase, so the majority will not be hungry during fishing hours? I also think the moon affects the plankton in some way (don't quote me on that) and that's what alot of the fish feed on correct (baitfish)?

[Hammer Bob]

Well for what it's worth here is my experience over the the last couple of days on the Sacramento. On sunday I fished with a friend (and alot of strangers I might add. In the first thirty seconds of fishing my buddy nailed a nice fish and of course we thought here we go! Well we fished that hole for three hours with fish rolling and moving by us constantly...we couldn't buy another bite...and neither could anyone else. This scene was repeated at every hole we fished that day. Most boats were coming off the river with about 1/2 fish per rod. I fished again on tuesday and the area we fished on sunday was devoid of fish...they all moved upriver. On monday 3000 fish went over the RedBluff Diversion Dam and headed up the canyon. We relocated and tried to intercept the fish but in talking to other anglers that fished the morning found out the the fished just bombed through this section of the river...with nary a biter in the bunch. I think the full moon had some effect on these fish to get them in the traveling mode and they were not interested in anything else. ALL anglers, guides included, were posting miserable scores over these full moon days. I'll give it a try again next week and find out if the dark of the moon has a better (from my viewpoint) influence on the fish entering the system.