I’ve been back and forth on this subject with many anglers, so I decided to cover how moon phases affect fishing. This is just my opinion, but I believe it’s B.S. The whole moon phase topic has been a controversial subject for years and most anglers believe fishing is the best on or a few days either side of a full moon. Why do people believe this? Because every month, fishing magazines and outdoor newspapers print SOLUNAR TABLES or MOON CHARTS for the best times to catch fish. Do all these tables and charts hold merit? I do not believe they do.

There have been years of scientific studies on this and not one of them have proved that a full moon influences freshwater fishing. Now, did you notice I wrote FRESHWATER FISHING? Here’s the thing. Due to gravitational pull, moon phases DO influence tides. When there is a full moon, tides are at their highest and the currents are the strongest. This increase in current will (SCATTER FOOD) more than low tide and bigger fish go on a feeding frenzy.

This whole folk lore of SOLUNAR (sol = sun / lunar = moon) chart started in 1926, when John Knight documented the size and number of fish caught at peak times IN FLORIDA (SALTWATER) and published the first one in 1936. That being said, I believe, a full moon doesn’t affect our (FRESHWATER) lakes in the Northwoods or the fish catching rate.

I will agree when night fishing, you can catch more fish on full or bright moon nights. Why? Because fish can see the silhouette of your bait better against the surface with a full moon and/or they can see lure reflections easier in clear lakes. I DO believe weather (BAROMETRIC PRESSURE) patterns effect fish. Why? I have kept a fishing journal for the last 27 years and write down the date, time of day or night I was on the water, air temp, sun, rain, clouds, wind speed, wind direction, water temp, species of fish caught, location and depth of those fish caught and yes, even the moon phase.

Agree with me or not, but I have been on many fishing trips and some friends get excited that we will be fishing when there is full moon. Have we caught fish on those trips? YES, WE HAVE. Have we been skunked on other trips during the best so-called moon phase? YES, WE HAVE, so, (AND THIS IS JUST MY OPINION AND MY JOURNAL) that the moon phase does not affect freshwater fishing.

If you catch more fish using the Solonar table or during a full moon, awesome and keep it going, but I will say, fishing within an hour either side of sunrise or sunset, you will catch more fish and that’s another subject. When is the best time to fish? WHENEVER YOU CAN.