EVERY fisherman dreams of a bigger catch!

Is it possible to know ahead of time when to plan a trip to enjoy some fishing, catch more than usual, and come home feeling 100 percent satisfied?

There is, so listen up!

When most people started fishing, the best time for them was whatever time happened to suit them.

They tried different lures, baits, and techniques until they spent a small fortune in a quest to improve their fishing catch.

It’s time to introduce our Moon as a fishing buddy.

A group of fishing buddies once explored whether there was any truth in the moon’s effect on the best fishing times. They kept a record of every trip made over a period of 18 months.

All information related to the moon’s phases, the weather conditions, and the catches they made were carefully logged.

What they discovered convinced everybody that moon phase fishing really works!

The fact that it wasn’t anywhere near as complicated as many would have us believe was a bonus.

Every fisherman knows that the best fishing times are when the fish are feeding.

This tends to be during dawn and dusk, but what often goes unnoticed are the two periods elsewhere in the day, moonrise and moonset.

Because the moon has an effect on a variety of factors surrounding the fish, including the live fodder they hunt, these periods, combined with the moon’s phase, are what trigger feeding.
The Moon has always known this, but you didn’t, right?

So, by choosing times when sunrise or sunset and moonrise or moonset coincide with new or full moon phases, you’ll increase your chance of a good fishing catch.

Assuming there are fish in the area you’re fishing in, of course.

It’s not complicated, it’s just a matter of knowing ahead of time exactly when the sun and moon will rise and set.

Fish are most active during the 90 minute windows surrounding each of these four daily events.

That is 45 minutes before and after these four daily points.

Want even better catches? Read on.

If you keep in mind what we’ve said, then plan wisely to ensure you’re at the water’s edge on the days of the new or full moon.

You can use these ‘windows’ to reel in a catch like you’ve never done before.

If you have to choose between sunrise/set and moonrise/set, always go with the Moon as the moon is the stronger influence.

Keen hunters and fishers have always known that fish and game are most active at dawn and dusk, sunrise and sunset, but their activity surrounding moonrise and moonset is less noticeable because these events usually occur without the changes in light values we’re used to.

There are mobile apps for smartphones that give accurate Moon and Sun details at a moment’s notice.

You can quickly see the Moon rise and set times and its precise position in the sky.

Stand by for a bonus!

We have a supermoon this week when a full moon coincides with the moon’s closest point to Earth in its orbit.

This alignment makes the moon appear a little larger and 30 percent brighter than when it’s at its farthest point.

The term “supermoon” was first introduced by astrologer Richard Nolle in 1979 to describe this unusually vivid and striking lunar event.

Now that you know that moon phase fishing really works, you can start to increase your own catch by being ready with your rod during the best fishing times available.

It’s easy, and it works! Good luck!

By Dave RENEKE, Astronomer