My prediction for a fall lake trip is mid-October

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

The full moon is at the beginning and end of the month.

Mid-October should be good with the dark of the moon and perfect water temps.

This is how I would do it myself for a weekend or week long fall lake trip to one of our better mid-elevation stillwater fisheries.

[kabah088]

So you are saying that no moon in the sky equates to better fishing than a full moon in the sky?

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

I have two very good stories I can post here that made me a believer as far as setting up big trip out of the country or any serious trips even in Nor Cal.


1) In 1980s we were taking a nice group to El Pescador Lodge on Ambergris Cay in Belize for a week of flats fishing for Tarpon, Permit, Bonefish, etc.

The lodge owner told us not to bring a group of fly fishers to their lodge in a week with a full moon in it. They said if we brought conventional anglers they could use live bait and catch fish anytime. This was from taking records of all catches from each guide boat out of the lodge every day for 25 years.......

2) In the 1970s we went up to Pyramid Lake in Nevada for our annual winter fly club trip for large Cutthroat trout. As we were in the office trailer buying a permit from the Native Americans I saw an old Indian sitting in a chair reading the paper. I walk over and asked him how the fishing had been?

While raising his hand to the sky he said, "Big moon, no fish...."

As you can imagine 12 of us got mostly skunked for 3 days.

__________________________________________________ _________________________


This might be more serious for ocean and lake fishing with a smooth surface at night.

I am sure there are exception to this belief but I am not going to test it.....

A full moon can be good for fishing at night for fish like Stripers, Tarpon, Snook........

.

[Troutstalker55B]

Bill, thanks for sharing your insight.

I knows for a fact it effects Eagle Lake. The shallows really light up when there is a full moon there and those rainbows vacuum up scuds and beetles to their heart's content all night long. Your best bet during a full moon there is to fish right at first legal light. If there is thick cloud cover or freezing fog over the lake the moon's light is less of an impact.

Jon.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Thanks Jon......interesting subject.

[gene goss]

If the trout feeds all night on a full moon night, and with a full belly do they find some nice cozy place to sleep the day away.

[Troutstalker55B]

Gene,

When Eagle Lake had water in it and the tulles were submerged Jay Fair would back his boat up motor first very slowly and show me rainbows "sleeping" head first in the thick cover of the reeds. He would get right up to them and poke em with his finger a few times before they woke and scattered. I questioned him about the fish sleeping and his response was "Do you know of any animal on this planet that does not sleep?" He called their sleep "suspended animation".

[gene goss]

Gene,

When Eagle Lake had water in it and the tulles were submerged Jay Fair would back his boat up motor first very slowly and show me rainbows "sleeping" head first in the thick cover of the reeds. He would get right up to them and poke em with his finger a few times before they woke and scattered. I questioned him about the fish sleeping and his response was "Do you know of any animal on this planet that does not sleep?" He called their sleep "suspended animation".

Wow .....thats a great story Jon, now we know.....i always enjoyed talking to Jay Fair when i was up at Eagle Lake fishing....he love's to share his knowledge about fishing.

[JAWallace]

I'm a believer too, but I think about NOW--three or four days before the full moon, is often the best time of the month for stillwater.

If you look at some extensive research on the moon phases, there's nothing conclusive about the effect of a full moon or new moon, but not many would disagree that fishing on a full moon or a few days after can be futile in stillwaters.