How Moon Phases Impact Your Fishing Success

Not all bass anglers give much credence to the impact various moon phases can have on a bass’s feeding activity. I certainly do.

Avid bass fisherman John Alden Knight, a moon-phase pioneer, investigated nearly 300 catches of either individually large fish or exceptionally large numbers of fish. As Knight had suspected, more than 90 percent of these massive catches were accomplished during the new moon phase or during a full moon phase.

Remember, the gravitational pull from the moon has a very definite influence on a bass’s feeding urges. It is not uncommon to fish for several hours without a single strike. Suddenly, however, everything changes, and the bass start a feeding frenzy.

This feeding behavior may sound strange, but I have found it to be true on numerous occasions. The sudden change in the activity of bass is normally directly connected to the phase of the moon.

Let me explain why exceptionally big catches of fish and lunker bass are caught during the new and full moon. During these two phases, the moon has an extremely strong gravitational effect on the Earth.

These strong forces affect the tide. The position of the moon also causes an intense and well-defined feeding period among freshwater game fish such as largemouth and smallmouth bass.

These feeding sprees are influenced by the distance between the moon and the Earth. For example, as the moon orbits our planet, there are times when it is nearer to the Earth. At its closest point, the moon exerts a high gravitational pull. However, when the moon is farther away, the gravitational effect is weaker. This creates a milder and less defined feeding period.

Something else you might find interesting is that on the night of a full moon, the moon will rise exactly at sunset and stay visible in the sky throughout the night and day. In the middle latitudes on the day after the full moon, it will rise one hour and 20 minutes after sunset.

Each night, the moon rises approximately 40 minutes later and gets smaller in size until there is no visible moon at all. This phase is referred to as a “dark moon.” The next night there will be only a tiny sliver of the moon at sunset, and it will stay there about 40 minutes longer each night until it is full again.

The greatest misconceptions surrounding moon-phase effects on fishing involves the weather. The impact of the moon signs can be overridden, for example, by a strong or sudden change in the weather. A cold front, heavy winds or rapid changes in the barometric pressure can neutralize the effects of the moon phase.

Although the various moon phases play a major role in your fishing success, anglers can’t all agree on which moon phase is best. Some anglers prefer a full moon, while others say the dark moon is best. I personally like either moon phase because I have caught a tremendous number of big bass during both phases.

Regardless of whether you decide to fish during a dark moon or a full moon, you will find that some of your best fishing will occur three days before and three days after either phase.

So try to schedule your fishing days around the new moon phase or during the full moon. If you are able to fish during these prime moon phases, and you use the proper lure at the right depth with the correct presentation, you are bound to catch more fish and possibly bigger fish.