Ice Fishing and the Moon

[Doop]

I know some guys swear by the moon and it's effects on fishing in particular ice fishing. I was wondering what your experiences were/are....or even if you pay attention to it. Typically I don't pay attention to it....but I have heard that a new moon or a full moon periods are good fishn.

Any thoughts?

[TruthWalleyes]

do some investigating on lunar fishing tables, it is pretty interesting. Though I tend to fish whenever i can - whether there is a "lunar Bite" or not i'm out there trying.!

[broken_line]

ive got my best bite of 8" eyes when it was a full moon last year..

[zamboni]

Some old folks swear by wind direction as well. Wind from west, fish bite best, wind from east and fish bite least.

Another old timer told me once to look at the minnows in your minnow bucket- if they are all clumped together the fish aren't moving much. If they are swimming all over, then the fish are moving pretty good.

[BartmanMN]

For Ice fishing I watch the barometric pressure patterns much more than the lunar tables.

[broken_line]

yupp 2nd that if its a high pressue the eyes wont really bite go low and they will go nuts

[JSK76]

Another old timer told me once to look at the minnows in your minnow bucket- if they are all clumped together the fish aren't moving much. If they are swimming all over, then the fish are moving pretty good.

I also heard to fish structure if clumped and the flats if swimming all over.

[JSK76]

I had the best night ice fishing in my life (by # fish caught) last winter when the activity was said to be "very low" and I shot my biggest buck the same way. I was going off the ESPN fishing forecast on my cell. It could have been the right place at the right time but if I didn't go out it would not of happened.

[south_metro_fish]

I watched the lunar patterns and the barometric pressure a lot last winter because I was interested in how it affected fishing. I fished when ever I could but kept a close eye on both. From what I learned last season they both had major impact on how hot the bite was. When a good low would move in with the snow coming down and the wind blowing and everything there was a definite increase in the bite and the activity. But what I found to be the most interesting is how most of the time the fish would follow the lunar tables. I could tell what time it was sometimes by how hard the bite was. I would watched the tables in the sporting section of the Startribune and remember the times of the peaks and drops and wait for the bite to start, I could look at a clock on some nights and it would be right on. Even if it wasn't right on you would at least see a difference in activity around the times. I know other factors play in. I have not had much time to test what affect it has on open water but I would think it would have some affect but I would think surface conditions would probably play a bigger roll. Some people think its a bunch of old timer stuff but after last winter I am a firm believer.

[pike doctor]

I fished a lake last year during the full moon, and it was the best fishing that I have ever seen or even heard of. One of my buddies and I caught 4 walleyes over 7.5 lbs in 20 hours of fishing. We also caught a handful of eaters.

We fished the same lake many more times and didnt get a thing.

Just my experience.