Being a planner is in my DNA.
I'm already researching our next trip for 2019.
Our fish of choice will be Walleye.
If you had the opportunity to pick any dates,
would your fishing trip be focused around the new moon or the full moon?
Just wondering if the moon phase has a noticeable effect on fishing success or not.
Thanks in advance for any info you can share.

Full Moon!

there was a similar thread not to long ago on the same subject . most like the full moon , some commented on new moon phase success , which i have had success with. my son n law is hard core with a full moon during ice season. and we usually do catch fish in the winter under a full moon. we catch fish at all times but full moons have been consistent, which i hear from my son-n-law ,,,,, see i told ya FULL MOON BABY !

DP

Moon phase tends to be a major factor IMO while offshore fishing in Salt water. I hated fishing directly on the full or new moon.

Just using reasoning (which doesn't always apply to fish :-) the thinking is on a full moon fish tend to feed heavily at night and can be stuffed by the time you hit the water. New moon makes night feeding more difficult.

If I had my druthers (< that's Southern talk ;-) I would pick 1st quarter.

But if truth be told there are probably many other factors which determine daytime fishing success particularly weather and barometric pressure. Order up some stable weather, no cold fronts, and you will be in good shape.

The solar tables for best fishing days and times are normally accurate to a degree until: A cold front or thunderstorm rolls through, and all bets are off for several days.

If moon phase were the only variable at play then perhaps I'd pay more attention to it. However, there are many factors at play and IMO some of them are far more important that moon phase.

I think time of year is the biggest factor that you can plan ahead for. You can then try to plan for moon phase but short term weather patterns are likely going to override impacts from moon phase. Because of that I dont use moon phase for planning purposes.

Definitely a Full moon for the best fishing.

nofish: "I think time of year is the biggest factor that you can plan ahead for. You can then try to plan for moon phase but short term weather patterns are likely going to override impacts from moon phase. "

+1

Three days before, during, and three days after a full moon is a good phase for fishing in my book. But TGO is 100% on his response..........

I am skeptical of the value of worrying too much about moon phase...In my experience, I can think of two dozen other factors that are much more important -- and more consistent in terms of producing fish.

IMO, the rising and setting times of the moon are actually reliable times to be chasing the bite regardless of the phase.

carmike: "I am skeptical of the value of worrying too much about moon phase...In my experience, I can think of two dozen other factors that are much more important -- and more consistent in terms of producing fish. "

I never worry about the moon phrase because I fish almost every day. But I do know a good number of big fish have come during this time frame for me personally. I guess if you fish every day it just doesn't matter..... haha

Well, I've caught lots of fish during *every* moon phase, so that doesn't help much. :)

Thanks for all your comments everyone, I appreciate it. The deal is we know we are going in the month of July. Both of us can take off pretty much anytime during that month. There is a new moon the week of 2-8 and a full moon the week of 16-22.
It's not that we are necessarily planning our trip around the moon, just looking for input that may optimize our chances of success. Neither of us are avid fishermen with a lot of knowledge. We just enjoy doing it.
Thanks again for your thoughts.

shock: "there was a similar thread not to long ago on the same subject .

haha... Hey Shock, I normally do use the search feature before I post a question, but this time I just blurted it out without thinking! Or searching! But I have searched out the topic and have gleaned some useful information.
Thanks to everyone who shares their knowledge.

If those are your options, I'd head in earlier. Follow the calendar, not the moon.

OldTripper: "

shock: "there was a similar thread not to long ago on the same subject .

haha... Hey Shock, I normally do use the search feature before I post a question, but this time I just blurted it out without thinking! Or searching! But I have searched out the topic and have gleaned some useful information.
Thanks to everyone who shares their knowledge."

ABSOLUTELY ! knowledge is king and some great fishing minds on this site ! some that are so good they tend to be vague in there comments ,
sometimes if you PM a member you may find a friend that is willing to share ;)
not me ;) i dont know shit about the moon phase , as QM said i just fish ;)

1st week of July v last week of July trumps moon phase. Go new moon. The "major" around noon on new moons and full moons is real.
I read an In-fisherman article years ago. Something like 75% of world record fish came on the three days of the full moon or the day of the new moon. Data; I like it. The Lindner boys plan filming by the moon.

If Walleyes are your addiction, as it is for me the first week of June would be the time to go.

I have done a lot of night fishing for Walleyes. My experience is that Walleye move up and down in depth according to the amount of moonlight. The more the moonlight the deeper the Walleyes. The moon phase effects how much moonlight there is -full the most- new the least. Where the moon is in the sky such as high or low on the horizon also effects how deep the fish are as well. A full moon high in the sky can have walleyes in their daytime spots and depths. The time around moonset can be really good in the 6ft depths in moderatly clear lakes. When the Moon sets or when there is heavy cloud cover you can catch Walleyes in 2 ft of water. It is pretty remarkable to fight a Walleye on a large 2ft flat as they swim fast like a bonefish instead of their usual slow tug downwards.

I haven't noticed much of a difference during the day or sunset bite but then again I haven't tracked it well either.

I hope this helps. Good luck!