Full Moon Or New Moon

[ON-THE-CHEW]

I know this might start up a bit of debate but I was wondering everyones opinions on which is normally better fishing the new moon or the full moon. The old saying of no run no fun would leen towards the full moon as they have the bigger tidal changes. Looking back over previous trips, hot sessions or biggest fish they all generally land on three days either side of a new moon.

Any ones ideas on moon cycles related to fishing, or any tidal cycles etc to try and get some idea on when is the best time to fish Im sure would be muchly appreciated by all.

Andrew

[Lucky_Phill]

Full moons do not necessarily produce bigger tides, it's just that the tides during the full and new moons are bigger at different times of the day and night.

It is fairly true to say that fishing the moons is more productive.

5 Days around the new and full will produce better results. But that is for offshore results, bay results... don't know about the fresh !!!!!

Check out Nuggets web site for more detailed info.

Cheers phill

[reel scream]

Old bloke once said to me "moon(up) by day, fish by night. Moon at night fish by day". Have been thinking about it a bit lately as my few recent overnighters on a full/fullish moon have fizzed out at night but we caught good fish during the day. Then again have done well at night on full moon before. Who knows?? Then there is the debate on the fishing almanac which generally indicates better days around Full/New moons.
On the subject of the moon, has anyone got any scientific evidence as to why it blows it seems to blow its tits off around the full/new, or is it that thats when i want to go fishing>:(

Cheers Scott.

[BobbyJ123]

Old bloke once said to me "moon(up) by day, fish by night. Moon at night fish by day". Have been thinking about it a bit lately as my few recent overnighters on a full/fullish moon have fizzed out at night but we caught good fish during the day. Then again have done well at night on full moon before. Who knows?? Then there is the debate on the fishing almanac which generally indicates better days around Full/New moons.

Cheers Scott.

Ever since I was a young tacker.........er, over 60 years ago, the saying was,"Moon by day, fish by day; moon by night, fish by night." It generally holds true.
The usual rule is, at sea, 4 days either side of the full, or new moon, and 4 days following the full moon in impoundments.
On a personal basis, I prefer to fish an hour either side of the bottom of the tide IF it is between 7 and 8 am, and an hour either side of top of the tide at the same times.

[BR65]

Favorite time to fish Wide Caloundra is a week after the full moon, so that I am fishing thru the morning with the moon still in the sky. Will agree with Reel Scream though, why the bloody hell does it allways blow on the full moon???

cheers
Brian

[reel scream]

Cheers Bobby,
While since i heard it, and looks like ive been doing it arse about.

Cheers Scott.

[Freeeedom]

As far as I'm concerned it doesn't make much difference in the estuaries whether the moon is full or new - it's the large tides associated with these phases that bring the fish on. I've fished the winter bream every week for many years and my records show that bream catches around the full and new moon were usually better than the alternate weeks (first quarter and third quarter moons) by a factor of at least 3 to 1. The only thing you need to watch on the full moon is that the bream can be a bit spooky in shallow clear water on the full.
Cheers Freeeedom

[wrip109]

I don't follow the moon phases too much. I work on the basis that if I can fish I will. Actually catching them is a bonus.

Phil

[mariner_22]

I think it also depends where you fish sure a bit of run is good but fish in an area where the run is usually strong and a full moon can make it impossible to fish, for example the pin bar or the seaway

[CHRIS aka GWH]

...., why the bloody hell does it allways blow on the full moon???

cheers
Brian

the alignment of the moon and the sun dictate the tides, the tides are the water moving, water covers 70% of this planet and is largely responsible for the weather patterns - the most volatile movement of this water will have an effect on the weather.

I like the days before the new moon in the surf - just before the new moon rises around dawn - it is so black giving predators the element of surprise and the water has drawn back pulling the bait into low tide gutters. Also the beach is vacant - you gotta be keen to fish a 4am winter pitch black new moon rise.

I know a hairy mackeral man who swears by 4 days after the full and its hard to argue with his results. I've met gun river whiting boys who say fish the full moon for the big tides at night but when the moon is under the horizon either way.

lots of theories so little time ....

[snelly1971]

I would agree that the moon phases affect shark fishing greatly but when we are deep sea fishing here it doesnt seem to affect us a great deal what the moon is doing...I even purchased one of those little books with the moon phases and wrote down our days in the book...going by the book...some days it said would be poor fishing were our best days...???

I find the tide influences us more than anything here...The west coast of tassie is only one of two places in the world .(so i have been told) that they cant read the tides...there is no set pattern...local fisherman say that if the wind is SE for several days then the fishing is usually bad for all species..

Cheers Mick

[iank]

Personally I prefer NOT to fish the full moon or a day or 2 both sides, as I find that I catch less, the exception to this was/is run off barra fishing. eg fished the pin last wed (full moon) for 11 bream and a half dozen other fish over a 6 hour period, while on the previous friday (7 days prior the full moon) I caught 32 bream plus another 16 fish of various species, fished the same spots both times useing both plastics and hard body lures. But each to their own as a lot of people (previous replies) do quite well over the full moon period.
Cheers Ian

[wags on the water]

I have the same opinion as BobbyJ. Fish 4 days before or after a new/full moon.

[blackjew]

Gday ive been following the FISHING BIBLE LOL. WELL THE ALMANAC for 16 years or so and believe me its all to do with the moon phases ive tested it many a time ,and to save alot of wasted bait ,and fuel if you follow the almanac you wont go wrong ,i know ive got lots of mates that say what a load of crap the moon phases..its all to do with the tides but if you didnt have the moon you wouldnt have the tides right..go get one of those little yellow books and read the first few pages ,cheers rob..

[reidy]

Gummie and school shark down this way are always a go on the full moon.Most productive part of the month on the above by far.
Cheers
Reidy

[reel scream]

THE BEST TIME======== Rain /hail/shine/moonup/down/aroundyourankles. F. Blowing ATM. Beeer o

[wayno60]

lead up to the full moon........

[wayneoro]

i camped in the gregory river for two nights last full moon .1 crab no fish . everyone else same . i thought it would have been great but

[reidy]

Plenty of gummies pulled up last week on the full moon down this way.
Cheers
Reidy

[pickers]

if there are no fish there it don't matter if it's full , new , up , down or bloody sideways your not gonna get squat.
I have caught fish on both sides of the moon and also bombed out on both sides too.
I've had shows of fish on all sides and still got squat and have had no shows on the set and bagged out.
just go's to show if your in their path when they decide to chew it won't matter.
pickers

[rumy1]

Went fishing Saturday night all the way to Broomfield off Gladstone, CQ and also North West Island. We fished from approx 2 pm Saturday till 7 am Sunday, we didn't get one - not one single take home fish. This has never happened to me as I normally do quite well every time I got out. It was only a few days after the new moon and it was pitch black. We did manage to get 4 squid that were huge so it was still a good trip. We had a good time regardly, just good to be out there. There were turtles every where doing the tango on the surface so I don't know if this accounts for my bad luck?

My verdict - new moons suck !

[warti]

Bagged out on lipper a couple of months ago on a new moon. The fish were full on all night and it was blowing 18 knots. Got a few fish the other morning (friday night sat morning just gone) new moon. Know another boat 7m platey that went to broomfield same time and they bagged on lipper and got a few reds. That theory is out rumy1.

[RAGINGBULL]

Its windier because the tides are higher and have more movement between them
If this is the case then more air is displaced at high tide and more air is sucked in at low tide
My theory anyway
Cheers Mark

[nigelr]

Hey Mark, heard that theory myself, interesting isn't it.
My experience is, overall, if the bait is there, so are the fish.
Coming up to full moon, snapper on the inshore reefs.
I agree with Chris' theory for the surf, ie constricted hours of darkness.
Love the neap tides where I live, I'm looking for reduced tidal flows/currents, which suit energy-conservative predators better.
Bream, the dark, making tides.
Ah, this is what makes fishing so much fun!
Cheers!