Just for fun, I was wondering if anyone took seriously the lunar calendar when it come to the best days and best times to fish. We are planning a trip to Quetico and have adjusted our trip a day or two accordingly. I personally think it makes some difference when it comes to bass fishing in Iowa, but I wonder about Quetico. Just curious what others think.

nope

I find it to be a self fulfilling prophecy- if I fish on a bad day and catch nothing, clearly it’s the moon phase fault. Joking aside, it’s one of many factors to consider, but well down the list of importance for me. I would definitely not adjust a planned fishing outing around it.

The best days to fish end in "y"...

To the OP, I hope to get to the point where the lunar phase matters. I do use the moon phases planning elk hunts - avoid full moon and be out there during no moon...the colder the better too. I go fishing when I can which is based more on family and work right now.

my son n law believes in the full moon phase and at times we have done good in the winter under a full moon. i also believe in the new moon phase too , animals/fish/plants(humans too) change characteristic as the days get shorter

Fascinating topic, deancal. In truth, I’ve never paid enough attention to the cycles to give you a firm yes or no. The primal side of me really wants to believe that there is something to it. Most people probably consider it taboo or on par with tarot cards. Maybe if I lived thousands of years ago (or even just hundreds), I’d be more connected to nature and have a clearer, more experienced and informed answer. Or maybe if I lived out in the boondocks and relied more heavily on fishing and hunting as food sources.

I do, and I find it to be a common, nearly universally accepted theory among musky anglers. I like new moon, but I am much more interested in the daily timing of moon rise/set than moon phase. During days when the "minor" period (moon rise or set) will occur near sunset or sunrise, I am fishing muskies. Poor weather conditions have much more influence, but I do see action during moonrise/set. Moon "overhead" or "underfoot" seems to have less of an influence.

Karlk,
I tend to follow it as well but where I have seen the most lunar influence has been ice fishing. As ice fishermen know the bite can turn off in a second. You can still see them on a vexilar and they just won't bite. More times than not it coincides with the lunar graph for the day. As mentioned it may be more about self fulfilling prophecy but it is fun to watch. I work in health care and you can't convince an ER nurse that the full moon doesn't affect the mood of patients. We are planning our trip so our base camp lands during the "best" times. If a cold front comes in at the wrong time that will definitely override any lunar calendar. Interesting to hear people's opinions.

I pay attention to the solunar tables, as was mentioned musky fisherman swear by them. Might sound weird but I often get in a funky mood around the full moon. And I used to run 2-3 miles a day and I swear I was always at my best around the time of the new moon, just had more energy and didn't tire as easily. I still exercise, walk and lift weights, and still believe the moon phase has an effect on me. Makes sense that it affects animals as well. I will pick a peak time period in the day to go fishing if it works out that it is convenient, more by where I live than the in BW tho.

We use it for our deer hunts but don't use it for fishing. We go when we can for both but the deer movement is definitely impacted by the moon phase, rise time and set time. As we look back on our hunts most bucks have been harvested around lunar significance.

Depends on the fish. For Walleye and Trout, yes I think it matters, but only slightly. Small mouth and Pike, not so much.

The lunar cycle, as I understand it, gives fish more or less light through the light and can affect feeding times. Full moon means that fish are more likely to be feeding all night and make them less likely to bite during the day. No moon is said to concentrate feeding to when there is light and make dusk and dawn fishing more productive.

I think there is some truth to the theory, but it's not the biggest factor by far.

The solunar tables are based on the theory that the position of the sun and moon relative to earth affects animal activity. The times when the moon is directly overhead or underfoot are the peak periods every day. When this coincides with the sunrise or sunset these are prime times to go fishing. Further when the times occur during a new moon or full moon this is the best time of all. Of course weather is a factor, when the barometer is falling this affects activity in a negative way. If it is rising and the air temp is 10-15 degrees warmer than the water temp this is best.

Yeah, I googled it cuz I wanted to know what factors determine the tables. I have always read that bass are most affected and pike the least. Musky fisherman swear by it, you’ll hear Pete Maina mention the position of the moon on TV, underfoot for example, and he is on the water during the peak periods. It has been proven that 90% of record catches have been made during the dark of the moon periods.