The Moon - Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating

Tattoo · 05-06-2002, 11:05 AM

We all have been there, great tides, plenty of bait, overcast night, and your into fish.....then out of now where here it comes.....

Somone just turned on the coleman lantern and things shut down faster than a state worker at 3 o'clock.

Granted, you may continue to with a slow pick of bass, but what gives? Is this just another mystery of nature similar to when fish shut off feeding when the current dies down?

Any have any theories, opinions, thoughts, irrelevant comments, hype, commercials, or other usless propaganda to add to the madness?

Spare Spool · 05-06-2002, 11:11 AM

Or how about on a bright night when the moon goes behind the clouds and the bite turns on? Hmmm...

HESH2 · 05-06-2002, 01:56 PM

HOW ABOUT ALL THE BIGS SITTING UNDER LIGHTED BRIDGES OR UNDER BOATS IN LIGHTED DOCKS.NOT ALL SURE ABOUT THE EFFECT OF LIGHTS ON THE BEACH OR ELSEWEAR.

tlapinski · 05-06-2002, 03:57 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Tattoo
Somone just turned on the coleman lantern and things shut down.

sounds like the hard side at quonny to me! i especially like the guy that was puting his lantern inside a 10 gallon pail last fall! yeah, that helped...

Homerun04 · 05-06-2002, 03:59 PM

Overrated in my book...how many nights have you ripped into them with a full blaring moon? Or how many pitch black nights? About 50-50 fer me......

nor-easter · 05-06-2002, 04:58 PM

Change color...Happens often in the Rips where we fish.
Going merrily along catching on Yellow and Cloud comes over and bite stops till blue goes on and bingo, bite again,
Moon comes back out, blue dies, yellow is the go..
Weird but just shows to go yah that they do got a brain and good eye sight as well!

You got to experiment with color, size, manufacturer, etc....They be Female Bass those Big ones so!!!!! they be changeable!

Twernt for the challenge we wouldn't be after them!

Homerun04 · 05-06-2002, 05:22 PM

My rule of thumb has always been:

Dark days/nights use dark bait/lure/fly

Light days/nights use brighter colors

Has produced for me.

Raven · 05-06-2002, 05:48 PM

clouds cast a shadow and a shadow line in the water is just enough cover or advantage for a predator.
spock said; "Live long and fish->alot

)"

SeaWolf · 05-06-2002, 09:01 PM

or better yet, you're at your fishin' hole on a black night during the fall and into fish. in the distance you see a guy driving down the beach w/ his high beams on. he continues all the way down the beach until he gets to where you are (lights still on now), turns to face the water, lights all over you, stays like that for what seems like 5 minutes, fishin' shuts off now, and the guy finally turns off his lights. it's nights like that that i remember why i have a hatchet and shovel in my truck.

i remember last year a guy while "fishing" with a head lamp/flashlight on during a bright full moon, and leaving it on the whole time watching his line in the water, in the sky, on the rocks, on everyone else, etc. some people should just stay home.

nice, lantern in a 5 gallon bucket. i think i may need to try that one.

a steady or contant light is one thing, a shock on light is another. how do you feel when someone turns the lights on in total blackness after you've been like that for 10 or more minutes? imagine an animal that's nocturnal. 'nuff said!

tattoo, got bait??? let's go chunkin'...

bloocrab · 05-06-2002, 09:03 PM

...I'm just curious here....

...have you ever been afraid of a shadow you couldn't identify??...doesn't the moon create shadows, of say...debris floating by in the current...a clump of seaweed passing by...an empty 12 pack beerbox that some idiot threw overboard...I would imagine all these things put the Bass on edge making him or her a little hesitant to strike, unless of course you tease the S#@T of him...with say a....LIVE HERRING!!....or an attractive moving plug....

...or even the scent of some fresh squid!!...I'm not saying you CAN'T catch fish while theres light around (thats been proven time and time again).....I'm just saying that I, personally would prefer to be in the dark....

...like I usually am..

....and "Shocker" lights like SeaWolf mentioned....

....those guys belong at home, playing fishing video games!!!

Raven · 05-07-2002, 05:13 AM

people have been called lunatics and are suffering from lunacy or an overdose of lunar light which is second hand sunlight reflected off the moon back to earth. I have noticed that the half moon does have some positive effects on the fishing in particular. My
most memorable time was when i noticed that the sun was rising
and the full moon was setting just about at the same time and the fish went absolutely wild for anything that hit the water.
astrology is next and the sign of the moon in the sign of the fish.
striper fishin makes me luney! heh heh heh

Tattoo · 05-07-2002, 06:13 AM

Keep it coming boy's.......no scientific data?

Seawolf, I don't have any chunking rods.....can you build me one pronto?!?

Bloo, Live herring you say huh?

SeaWolf · 05-07-2002, 08:36 AM

that's ok, tattoo. i have several drifting rods i use in the race. can you throw a 4/0?

Tattoo · 05-07-2002, 08:57 AM

4/0 deciever?

AnthonyN · 05-07-2002, 09:22 AM

NEVER FISH WITH LIGHT!!! You don't catch fish!

Raven · 05-07-2002, 03:02 PM

LET THERE NOT BE LIGHT....

how about red light..... it doesnt scare foxes or nightcrawlers.

hmmmm you can buy cheapo red lenses at pool supply houses.

fishweewee · 05-07-2002, 03:20 PM

AWOOOOOOOOO!

redcrbbr · 05-08-2002, 01:55 AM

have fished with a coleman for a few years. also have fished without. maybe in certain places the light may have a downside, i think as long as it isn't flashing brightly into the water like 20 or 30 yards away from the waters edge, there isn't any ill effect, atleast none that i have noticed. on the upside light does seem to attract the smaller bait fish which may in turn.......... heck most places i fish goes nuts as it gets lighter towards sunrise. but if someone wants it dark i can deal with it too.

cocco7 · 05-08-2002, 10:03 AM

I know this Marine Biologist who told me that constant light at night times (like light from street lamps along the road near beaches, or dock lights) make it preferable for striped bass in the way they hunt. He said it allows them to get a better silhoutte of things above them while making it difficult for those same fish, or eels to see below them. If the light goes clear to the bottom though, the bass will avoid it. Also he said flickering lights, or less constant light (like timed street lamps) will spook the fish and be counter productive. This guy kills me every year in the keeper category too, so he's got at least some of the logic down.

JohnR · 05-08-2002, 10:16 AM

I am of the belief that if you have a constant light, like a street lamp and something that creates a shadow line into that light, like a bridge - you'll find some spots improved by it. But it needs to be constant and for more than just a few hours. If it's a constantly moving light or one that people/cars constantly go back and forth on, that will take away from it and most likely even spook the fish. Some serious Cape surf guys will toss you in the drink if you spark up just a neck light when on the beach. They BELIEVE in absolutely no light, not even to re-rig. If you need to re-rig or unhook a fish, do so pointing well away from the water. Not always as easy to do when you're on a rock 20' from shore but a good practice....

Coco - I'm interested in what your friends says about the light not penetrating clearly to the bottom - sounds interesting.

I also heard another thing from a product rep a couple months ago that I don't know if it's bunk or not but what he says is that a pure white light won't spook the fish - he was pitching a new Petzel brand headlamp that used what looked like white LED or Diode thingys to emit the white light... I'm not ready to try that or buy into it - light was too bright in my opinion anyway....

schoolie monster · 05-08-2002, 11:21 AM

It would be logical to me that if fish are in a certain area, they get used to the prevailing conditions in that area.

If there are lights every night (i.e. street lamps), they would be used to them and even use them as John mentioned. I know that Snook are big night feeders similar to bass and they are caught around lights from docks and bridges. Light attracts the baitfish, etc. etc. And fish relate to any kind of structure or edge, so the edge created by a constant light would create an ambush point.

If the fish live out on an uninhabited beach miles from man made lights, I would imagine that a sudden flash of light from a flashlight or head lights or the introduction of a coleman lattern would most likely would be a negative. It certainly wouldn't help. Its unnatural to the fish.

My 2 cents.

bloocrab · 05-08-2002, 05:44 PM

I tried it a few times last night...

....BUT HOW DO FISH WITH A FULL MOON???......

bloocrab · 05-08-2002, 05:46 PM

HOW DO YOU HOLD YOUR ROD???.....