do any of you put any store in the Solar lunar theory?, as I view my results back over the past two years and compare them to the moon phases I am starting to think there may some thing in it, I know there are a lot of permutations when it comes to Angling but it's to much of a coincidence, just wondered what your opinion is.

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When I was overseas and doing a lot of sea fishing, it was very important to check. The size of the tides depend on the pull of the moon, so if it was a spring tide you knew to fish close in as that is where the fish are feeding etc. I dont think that there is that much difference between sea and coarse waters, so I think that you may well have something there. If I'm talking rubbish let me know please Tony.

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Originally posted by Tony C:
do any of you put any store in the Solar lunar theory?, as I view my results back over the past two years and compare them to the moon phases I am starting to think there may some thing in it, I know there are a lot of permutations when it comes to Angling but it's to much of a coincidence, just wondered what your opinion is.

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Tony

While fish are probably affected by the lunar cycle, it's some of the humans who are worst affected! .... hence the epithet Loony

DG

This is a subject that surfaces at intervals (the frequency at which it sufaces might itself be subject to the solunar cycle!)

There is no doubt whatsoever that for any water that has a detectable tide there is an influence on fish movement and feeding. However, the effects vary with location - to take a simple case, some beaches fish best on a rising tide, but a few fish better on the ebb.

There does seem to be a consistent pattern for each locality though, so local knowledge is essential.

As for inland waters, I have doubts. Every so often a so-called solunar expert tells us what are the "best" times to fish. There is a danger of this becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy, as if you only go fishing at these "best" times, then that's when you will catch all your fish!

I am reluctant to dismiss any theory out of hand, but I have compared various predictions with my own and others' catches. I find that not only is there no correlation between catch rate and prediction, but the predictions of the "experts" can be at odds with each other.

To sum up, if you fish a tidal water, moon phase is important. For waters with no visible tide, there might be a miniscule solunar effect, but other factors (weather etc) are FAR more important.

Whatever, NEVER let a gloomy prediction, solunar or otherwise, put you off going fishing

Lunar cycle, air pressure, air tempature, water temp, wind speed, wind direction, sun, rain, ice.

They all play a part in the feeding habits of fish.
Lunar cycles play a big part in sea fishing but:

You have sat by a lake for a few hours with very few bites. All of a sudden there is a feeding frenzy with no explanation and you cant go wrong.
I think sometimes the lunar cycle does affect freshwater species more than we think.

Just look at the habits of Eels.

Trying to predict when fish will feed depends on a whole host of factors but I'm convinced that (like predicting the weather) trying to combine all those factors to predict when to fish is ineffective.

In the seas tides make a huge difference and are obviously caused by the moon. However, you are talking about huge expanses of water and frankly the behaviour of fish in your pond would be a closer to that of fish in most lakes and rivers in this country.

I wonder whether people who keep aquariums and ponds notice changes in the behaviour of their fish that corrolates with lunar activity.

Personally I think there probably is some effect but that compared to water temperature, clarity, air pressure, wind, cloud cover, disolved oxygen etc. etc. it is probably on a small effect anmd not one that can be predicted with any degree of accuracy.

I think my results probably tie in with the theory as 50% of my coarse fishing is done on tidal rivers, it seems to fish better on the spring tide, obviously theres more water in the river, also fishing at the end of the tidal river section means the fish push further up river on a spring

All I know is that a full moon is the kiss of death when night fishing for bream on one water I know.No bites no ,liners nothing.A couple of carp lakes I fish both in this country and France are totally crap at night on a full moon as well.Some waters also fish poorer during the day as well.Nothing to do with the light either as it still has the same effect when the full moon is obscured by cloud.Dont know why just is.

I know the predictions aren't always accurate and that lots of factors they don't consider have an effect. But let me ask you some questions.

Assume the predictions rate a day's potential from 1 to 10 with 1 being a really dead day and 10 being a day when the fish will eat the rocks off the bottom.

You are planning a weeks fishing vacation to Mexico to fish a lake known to hold good populations of peacock bass. You have from work a choice of either of two weeks in September. One week the overall prediction is gloomy. The other is outstanding. Which week would you pick?

Closer to home, you are able to fish one day next weekend but not both. Saturday is rated at 3 and Sunday at 8. Do you decide to fish Saturday or Sunday?

OK. You've decided which day to fish and due to the distance, you normally arrive at this fishery around 9am. On the day you've chosen there is a peak period from 6:30 to 8:30 am. Do you go a bit early to make the peak time?

This is the site that got me thinking, the link may have been posted on here before, found it twelve months or so back, interesting reading I note in one article it mentions my brother in- law Lol Breakspear
30th sept-1st oct 1998 FQ+2 AND 3(THE LOL BREAKSPEAR SESSION)

http://www.moonstrike.co.uk

[ 04. February 2004, 05:10 PM: Message edited by: Tony C ]