Anyone use Solunar tables?

Waterfish · 02-08-2004, 10:31 AM

I went to a seminar yesterday at the Sportsman's show on oversize sturgeon fishing. Mark Henry (North American Outfitters) was the speaker. He said he relies on Solunar tables to determine when to fish and when to stay home. He orders his from a relative of the inventor (they are patented) from North Carolina. I was going to stop by his booth later and get the name of the company where he orders his, but I forgot to. I did a Google search and found several web sites, but none of them appeared to be from North Carolina. Does anyone have a link to the company that Mark Henry recommended, and do you think these tables really work?

wannacatchem · 02-08-2004, 12:29 PM

Mnay years ago when I was stationed near Sacramento and fished for bass, I lived by the sol-lunar table. I think it make a great difference on how and when I fished. Since then my addiction has taken over completely and I fish snow, rain, shine, moon or no moon. Main table I worry about is the tide one. I have, however thought about it frequently of late. If anybody has any experience with sol-lunar tables, please chime in

175 · 02-08-2004, 12:50 PM

I been trying to get opinions on the tables for migratory fish like steel and salmon. I tried fishing the times for the past 2 years and have not really noticed any great difference. For saltwater and other game fish that are not migratory it works pretty good.

175 · 02-08-2004, 12:52 PM

Oh yeah this is one that I use.
http://www.primetimes2.com/pages/4-astrotables.html

Rangerbuddy · 02-08-2004, 01:16 PM

They are printed in the Thursday Oregonian in Bill's Column.

RB

Grandpa Lynn · 02-08-2004, 01:54 PM

I believe there is a definate correlation between the Solunar Tables, as published in the Oregonian each Thursday, and "the bite", for both Coho and Steelhead. I've only been watching it since this past fall, but I've noticed many times where either myself, or one of my friends would be out fishing, and we would notice that "the bite" turned on at a particular time, and then latter turned off. When comparing those times to the Solunar Tables, there was a definate correlation. While it didn't always hold true, there were enoght times where is has, that I believe it's something worth watching. Particularly those days where the "hot" times line up with either morning or evening.

Would be really interesting if our entire IFISH group, would start keeping track of the times where we notice "the bite" turns on/off each day, and then start comparing that to the published tables, in the Oregonian.

Grandpa

Day Late · 02-08-2004, 02:31 PM

Bought a "Chinook Sliderule" last month that uses the Solunar tables to give a salmon and steelhead bite rating (0-10) and also the time of bite per day. Told me on Feb 4 the rating for steelhead was 8 and the a.m. bite time 0527-0911. Started fishing as soon as legal and at 0900 hooked and landed a bright 9# buck.

I normally don't believe in voodoo, but if you have a choice of fishing days and everything else is the same, why not go on the day with the best rating? If you can only go because that's your only day off, by all means go and don't worry about any table. :smile: Good luck!

Day Late

175 · 02-08-2004, 05:01 PM

Day late, where did you find that sliderule?

Re:Play · 02-08-2004, 05:34 PM

I think the guy who first did these tables was Alden Knight. Anyway, you can find them every other month (2 months worth of table) in Field and Stream. They display the Major and Minor periods of animal activity. They certainly do not do a 100% accurate job, but I have found them to be way more true than false. The weather is a big factor too. They are related to the tides, but I can not remember the time difference for different areas. I also have used them for hunting with good success. :smile:

I think the best test/validation is just to note when you see fish or animal activity-like driving or hiking in the middle day and you see many and much animal activity. Then compare to the tables. I would predict that you get about a 80% correlation. :smile:

Re:Play · 02-08-2004, 05:37 PM

I think the guy who first did these tables was Alden Knight. Anyway, you can find them every other month (2 months worth of table) in Field and Stream. They display the Major and Minor periods of animal activity. They certainly do not do a 100% accurate job, but I have found them to be way more true than false. The weather is a big factor too. They are related to the tides, but I can not remember the time difference for different areas. I also have used them for hunting with good success. :smile:

I think the best test/validation is just to note when you see fish or animal activity-like driving or hiking in the middle day and you see many and much animal activity. Then compare to the tables. I would predict that you get about a 80% correlation. :smile:

big john · 02-09-2004, 06:09 AM

primetimes 2, mentioned by "175", goes further than the original major-minor-periods that knight worked on, because the gravitational and heat influences of the sun are worked into the calculations of "prime times."

GRANDPA's comments hit the nail on the head: the detailed records i've kept of fishing and hunting clearly show a correlation. it's like a "leaning of the odds one way or another", but not a guarantee. i can get skunked during the prime time of a heavily weighted day, or i can have tight lines at a time when i'm not "supposed to," but over the long run the gravitational influences pan out with predictable precision.

the main problem i run into is being able to get out there and fish during those prime times. the weather/water conditions, a honey-do list, etc, seem to interfere all too frequently, so i simply end up going fishing whenever i can.

BUT: if you were trying to decide when to schedule a week off for a fishing vacation, i'd strongly recommend you consult, read, and understand primetimes2.

Joe Schwab · 02-09-2004, 07:05 AM

I know many people who swear by the tables for trout, warmwater fish and salmon. If it correlates with the tides so much the better.

I also believe that if you go out with a positive attitude paying attention to the details as one normally would when using these charts you will be successful more often than not.

It's kind of like colors of lures. If the majority of anglers use chartreuse and chrome, that's what the majority of fish are going to be caught on.

Believe in what you are using and pay attention to water flows and tides and they will come. The charts are just one more tool to use.

Bill Monroe · 02-09-2004, 08:00 AM

Joe's probably right...plus, I don't really want to know that when I'm out there at the only time possible it's the wrong time to be there...

All that said, I've heard from lots of readers that there are correlations. Even allowing for the probability that some of them want to believe that in the first place one has to think there is something to it...
Conversely, I've had scientific evidence thrown at me that both refute the idea and also say ours are all wrong or make less difference in lakes, where a lot more factors take effect like turnover, eutrophics, hatches, daylight, etc...

On any tables (yes, Alden Knight was the creator), you must factor in the time zone.

Our tables are as simple as a watch that has it all built in...Casio makes it. I bought it at Fred's and it sits in my drawer at work. Twice a year, Gary Waterhouse at Great American Tackle calls to remind me to switch from/to PST and DST...He also programmed it for me to begin with...

As with many readers, though, I try not to pay attention when I can get on the river with far more convenient excuses...

shalom · 02-09-2004, 08:49 AM

I have a CASIO watch and believe in it .I doin;t let it stop me from fishing .Iv;e done well when it said the fishing was poor. Iv;e done excellant when it said to fish . I am on my second watch, and have beem useing it for about 12-years now.It does need to be reprogramed twice a year.If you are going on a long trip (200--miles)or more it is a good idea to put your latitude and longitude numbers into the watch. you can get these from your GPS waypoint numbers.

shalom · 02-09-2004, 09:06 AM

I forgot to mention the watch is a CASIO FORESTER MODEL .I got mine at FRED MEYERS . The sales people will probable have to order it for you.Most of the sales people have never heard of it and what it will do .