Blame it on the moon....

[Rockfish9]

Those that know me, know my affinity for the full moon.. and why not... 12 of the 18 fifty lb. and larger bass I have taken have been taken within days of or during the full moon.....Although I fish from a boat... .. Like my surf fishing brethren that clamber over sand and weed draped rocks, I too ply the shallows at night.. my shallow water alarm is set @ 2'... when it goes off I'm "home". Fishing the bright moon gives many options that the dark of the New does not offer... large bass will move into shallow feeding areas that the bright sun would render them skittish....after all.. they do eat during the day.. ... don't they.. so why not under the full moon.... ... Fire.. that shining zoo plankton that can light up the water and have even the most patient fisherman rack their rods in disgust , is almost a non factor... where during the dark of the new or "down side" of the full, a sea loaded with fire will put both predator and prey on high alert...any movement will be detected.. fish become skittish and may even turn to feeding during the day... ever wonder why day time bass fishing can be slow during the full moon.. it's kind of like deer hunting during the full moon... the deer feed more at night and are less active during the day..... even light leaders will look like a hawse line from a tug boat as the micro fauna gets disturbed... the thinnest of needlefish looks like a 3lb mackerel.. a shoe string eel looks like a python ( not really but you get the picture).... rough weather conditions can and will change the formula... but during periods of clam.. give me that bright moon... the large water movement and "un explored" areas of the beach and rock piles now invite fish to a new dinner table.. that was unavailable during smaller tides... the big bonus is our bait or plug selection.. we can go much larger during these periods and still appear natural.. thus "upping" the odds of that "once in a life time " fish finding our offering before one of it's pint sized or teenage offspring make a meal of it... sure a small bait will appear "larger " in the dark.. but what if conditions dictate a large bait...AKA wind in your face.. a bar that's just a little farther off the beach ( or closer to shore if you are in a boat).. maybe a cross current that needs a longer cast to work the "danger" zone... this is only the tip of the iceberg why I love the full moon...most of us only have so much time to fish, due to work and family obligations, so thinking the full moon is a deterrent really cuts into the available time we have to fish... give it an honest effort.. the fishing has steadily gotten better each night this week... last night was the best since the August full.. and that August "super " moon produced some of the best fishing on the north shore of Mass, in the last 3 years... the weather next few days looks awesome...warm days cool nights...there is no guarantee what October ( and beyond) will bring and we've got all winter to P&M about how bad the fishing may or may not have been...

Tight lines all
Roc

[iamskippy]

Great read, getting me fired back up to hit the surf again
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[Rob Rockcrawler]

Nice post

[BMEUPSCOTTY]

Awesome, and I didn't even read it yet... Saving it for later when I can block everything out and climb into your world for a few minutes. Thanks for sharing, always enjoy your posts!
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[spinncognito]

Thanx for the inspiring post. I seldom fish at night but will be out for a while after dark tonight and for a while before first light tomorrow. Question- how soon after dark do larger fish move into shallower waters, in your experience?

[Rockfish9]

Originally Posted by spinncognito

Thanx for the inspiring post. I seldom fish at night but will be out for a while after dark tonight and for a while before first light tomorrow. Question- how soon after dark do larger fish move into shallower waters, in your experience?

Sometimes as soon as the shadows hit and the sun goes over the dunes...I'm fishing Sunday, Monday and Tuesday nights.. you're' welcome to join me...

[ProfessorM]

Originally Posted by Rockfish9

Sometimes as soon as the shadows hit and the sun goes over the dunes...I'm fishing Sunday, Monday and Tuesday nights.. you're' welcome to join me...

You should take him up
On that offer. Always a pleasure fishing with Joe and a better fisherman you not meet. Good read Joe.
I wish I had the confidence you had during the full Moon period but I have never done well during those conditions over the years but I have seen the pics of your conquests during those conditions and it motivates me to continue trying and I will be out there this week hoping I can reverse my curse. Best of luck this week Joe I am sure you will back up your theory will stellar results.
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[Zeal]

BTG said during a seminar lecture concerning when to fish when you can't put the time in like the surf rats and he said, "During and after the Full moon and during and after the New moon. Those are the 2 weeks of the month where you need to quit your job and fish hard".

Great post Roc

[Stripersurg]

Great read....as always Roc. Do you have any pics to share of any large you've taken this year? miss seeing those

[Rockfish9]

Originally Posted by Stripersurg

Great read....as always Roc. Do you have any pics to share of any large you've taken this year? miss seeing those

Not handy.. but I have a few... I stopped posting pictures because it only seemed to bring me grief...I only posted them to inspire...not to brag..

[Raven]

moonlight is reflected sunlight
still carries an electromagnetic field
only cooler ..... more shadow

[Guppy]

Great read thanks,,,
The super moon all nighters I pulled where awesome , exceptional star gazing, had a hard time staying focused on fishing

[MAKAI]

Shine on !
Best plug night I ever had was on a moon so bright you could have read a book by it.
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[piemma]

Biggest fish i ever hooked, and lost, was on a full moon in July. Straightened 2 out of 3 hooks on a VMC 3/0 4X treble.

[BatesBCheatin]

Originally Posted by piemma

Biggest fish i ever hooked, and lost, was on a full moon in July. Straightened 2 out of 3 hooks on a VMC 3/0 4X treble.

Took a couple of 40's during an August full moon, and lost a larger one that also straightened out my 3/0 3x VMC. I've had 4x straightened as well and will not use anything less than 6x VMC since that time.

___________

The full moon is great for providing an excuse to get skunked, but IMO is one of the best times to fish as I've taken plenty of large during that period.

[massbassman]

Nice post Roc... thanks for sharing!
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[rphud]

Great post Joe. Good to see you up on the board again. Hope all is well.

Posts like this are what makes this site great. Bickering over pics of fish..... not so much.

My thoughts are that you need to fish full moon nights and new moon nights differently than other nights since the tidal flows will be stronger and the light conditions different, but the fish are still there in water. High flow tides may also (or even likely) mean the fish are in different spots and/or holding positions. Might be a matter of confidence as well. Lack of confidence on a full moon nights will likely not help much, and high confidence on new moon nights will likely keep you more focused and productive.

and a little tune on the topic

[Steve K]

Truly inspirational. I have never done well during a full moon but the season will be ending too soon and I need to get out there instead of waiting till the new moon.
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[Rockport24]

wow what a pep talk that was Joe! awesome stuff as usual.