Planning a Fishing Trip

Would you prefer to schedule a big tuna fishing trip over a new moon, a full moon or somewhere in between? Many anglers meticulously schedule their fishing trips to coincide with their preferred moon phase. So what are the facts, or fictions of moon phases?

During March, 2011 Earth experienced a "Super" Full Moon. The moon was at its closest point in orbit around Earth than in 18 years. Full moons vary in how large they appear because of the moon’s elliptical orbit. One side of the orbit – the perigee – is closest to the earth, while the other – the apogee, is the farthest away, with the difference being about 50,000 km. The March full moon was brighter and larger in appearance by 14% than a normal full moon and exerted proportionately greater tidal influences around the globe. So if full moons are good or bad for fishing maybe the super full moon would exaggerate and emphasize this bias.

Three boats were fishing in the zone leading up to and leading out of this March 2011super full moon phase. The Intrepid and Royal Polaris both arrived on the fishing grounds March 19, 2011 just in time for the super full moon. The Red Rooster's 15 day trip had just wrapped up its fishing portion of the trip and was on her way home after fishing during the week leading up to the full moon.

So how do full moons affect fishing for big tuna? The tides during this super full moon were extremely strong. Of course there are a great many variables that affect tuna activity and feeding that most professional skippers say override the importance of moon phase, the most important three factors being current, current and current.

But many individual anglers have strong preconceived notions that fishing on a new moon is better than fishing on a full moon. The facts point to the contrary and the anecdotal input of some of the best long range captains in the fleet indicate the moon phase theories are hog wash. Individual recreational anglers may base their biases on personal experience or anecdotal evidence, and these biases need to be weighed against the experience of professional fishing captains who are on the water 250 days or more every year

Reports from Andy Cates on the Red Rooster indicate fishing was good to very good for much of their trip during the last week leading into the super full moon. They landed 189 nice tuna including 13 cows. Their daily catches of the quality size tuna averaged 27 fish during their 7 days of fishing. Their daily catches were pretty consistant but the last two days of fishing did show a slight decline with 20 and 14 fish days, respectively. These fish counts do not include the smaller grade tuna, released or unreported.

"The question about the Moon phase is complicated. Although there are times when the full moon is best, the new moon can have good fishing as well. It is almost a hindsight thing . You always seem to be looking back at moon phases to see when it bit the best and rarely does it repeat to the day. A few days before the full and up to the full can be great. After the full moon historically seems to be an off time. Wahoo and bluefin tuna generally show and bite best on the full moon, although bait fishing is always a bit of a problem on a full moon. I have seen excellent night fishing on the full moon.

Personally I like to be fishing more of the dark of the moon because the bait fishing is easier. You can't blame the full moon for slow fishing. We always tell people to book a trip that fits your schedule rather than trying to predict whether a moon phase is going to be better or worse. You pay your money and take your chance."

So what happened on the Rooster's prior two trips? Their February 16/13-day fly down/back trip fished Hurricane Bank and the Buffer Zone and accounted for 140 tuna including 4 cows and one super cow fishing from 5 days before the full moon and 2 days after the full moon. They caught the most fish during the 4 days surrounding the full moon. The next earlier trip fished the 7 days just before the new moon and produced 179 tuna including 11 cows, just about the same as during the week of fishing time leading into the March super full moon, where they bagged 189 big tuna including 13 cows. Andy did say, "you pay your money and you take your chance."

Moon Phase and Tidal Influence

Source: NOAA, US Dept of Commerce

Tides are caused by the combined gravitational attraction of the sun and moon.

The tide-generating force represents the difference between (1) the centrifugal force produced by the revolution of the earth around the common center-of-gravity of the earth-moon system and (2) the gravitational attraction of the moon acting upon the earth's overlying waters. Since, on the average, the moon is only 238,852 miles from the earth compared with the sun's greater distance of 92,956,000 miles, this closer distance outranks the much smaller mass of the moon compared to the sun, and the moon's tide raising force is, accordingly, 2 1/2 times that of the sun.

Twice in each lunar month, when the sun, moon, and earth are directly aligned, with the moon between the earth and sun (at new moon) or on the opposite of the earth from the sun (at full moon), the sun and the moon exert their gravitational force in a mutual or additive fashion. Higher high tides and lower low tides are produced. These are called spring tides .

At two positions 90 degrees in between, the gravitational forces of the moon and sun - imposed at right angles - then to counteract each other to the greatest extent, and the range between high and low tides is reduced. These are called neap tides. This semi-monthly variation between the spring and neap tides is called the phase inequality. These are the waxing and waning quarter phases of the moon, when the moon appears like a half a moon.

The actual range of tide in the waters of the open ocean may amount to only one or two feet, However, as this tide approaches shoal waters and its effects are augmented the tidal range may be greatly increased. In Nova Scotia along the narrow channel of the Bay of Fundy, the range of tides may reach 43 feet or more (under spring tide conditions) due to resonant amplification.

In every case, actual high or low tide can vary considerably from the average due to weather conditions such as strong winds, abrupt barometric pressure changes, or prolonged periods of extreme high or low pressure.

So how did the Intrepid and Royal Polaris trips do arriving on the grounds just at the March super full moon and fishing into the waning quarter of this moon phase? Phenomenal may be the best description. The RP had to head back early with a plugged boat which included 27 cows and a new record 9 super cows, making it the best "big tuna trip" ever. The Intrepid on a shorter trip also experienced great fishing during this same waning moon phase between super full and 3rd quarter, March 19 - 26.

At least during this period fishing was great to phenomenal through all phases of the moon. When we asked the captains of the Intrepid and Royal Polaris their thoughts we received these emailed responses:

"I was once sold on moon phases for big tuna until the fall season of 2009-2010 when the Intrepid experienced two exceptional bites on cow sized yellowfin tuna during full moon cycles. Those two trips changed my thinking and forced me to open new doors and develop new strategies targeting cows. One of those full moon trips produced 28 cows (over 200lbs) and one super cow (over 300lbs) with many, many, more in the 130-190lb range landed and lots more released intentionally or unintentionally. The other produced 17 fish over 200lbs and many in the 120-190lb range. The full moon cycle was clearly not a negative factor on these trips. There are clearly other factors that are much more important and influential for fish behavior than the phase of the moon. These fish counts strengthened my way of thinking about how big fish re-act day to day to various critical factors especially currents and tides.

The single most important factor is current. In a given situation and/or location, you must have a good current in order to be successful on the big fish grounds. Full or new moons don't guarantee good current. Current is a critical factor that can be strong (good) or absent (bad) during any moon phase and will not be determined until that given fishing day.

Tidal flow is also going to play a big role in how the fish re-act. This can be a negative reaction or a positive one and is usually answered on the fishing day it-self. Tides and tidal flow are greatest during the full moon cycle and more stable during the new moon or waning moon cycle. I guess you need to be there to find out how these factors are going to play out and how the fish are going to act. My advice is pick a good time for your fishing vacation and get out there. Then let the Captains do the research on what, where, and when to catch your trophy Tuna!"

"Earlier in my career I maintained a daily diary of my boat catches and tried to correlate our catches with moon phase, tides and currents. I developed a very strong bias that the very best time to be in the zone is the week before the full moon and then 3 and 4 days following the full moon. I know some guys that like the dark moon better but that's probably a bait thing. That's if everything else is working. But there are so many other more important factors, and the correct current is the single most critical factor turning fish on and off. The moon affects tides but not current and I'd prefer a good current on any moon phase than a bad current or no current on the best moon phase. I hear some guys say fish feed at night during a full moon and won't bite during the day. That is just not true. They will bite, at least most of the time, when the current is good.

Sometimes I get really close to thinking the whole moon phase thing is a bunch of hogwash. You can predict and plan a trip around the moon phase if you really want to but you can't predict the currents. My feeling is just book your trips when it's most convenient."

I also asked long range legends Tommy Rothery and Tim Ekstrom for their theory and opinions.

Tommy Rothery - Polaris Supreme
"The advice I give my daughters and my anglers is to make decisions based on fact and science not emotions. I think most personal experiences don't have someone standing back looking outside box and seeing the whole picture unemotionally. We know the full moon pushes fish and especially bait to bite better during day light hours. Night bites seem better in dark of moon for bait and game fish. The moon affects tides and currents and that's HUGE. Any angler having a really good or really bad trip on a particular phase of the moon ought to ask the following questions: What was the tidal effect that day? What was the current? Were the fish in spawn mode? They are very dumb when they are. I don't know if there is any science on spawning and moon phase. That might help an argument one way or another."

Best for Last I have fished on a lot of boats with a lot of skippers, most of whom are experienced and excellent. I have total confidence in every captain on each of the boats I charter each year. The Royal Star is unique in that they have 3 owner operators who are all best of breed. Here are Tim Ekstrom's thoughts about moon phase from the Royal Star Triumvirate.

Imagine the peril of touting one moon phase over another to the business minded sport fishing Captain trying to promote a schedule operating through every lunar cycle eleven months per year. One strong opinion could influence the outcome of angler's decisions in the best, or worst, kind of way. I could just see it - "but Tim said they always bite coming into the full", or "Tim said we should have slayed them on the new"; talk about bearing the brunt; and rightly so. That said let me offer what my experience has taught me, and how my opinion compares.

Moon phases absolutely correspond to fishing results; but unpredictably. One can't determine in advance, say next season for example, what the fishing outcome of a moon cycle will be with any accuracy; there are just too many variables. Pinning the success of a voyage on a moon cycle reminds me of one of those old useless trivia facts that reveal that every cure for warts, from taping a penny on it, to rubbing it nightly and believing it will disappear, to burning it off with liquid nitrogen is successful fifty percent of the time; same thing with the moon cycle and fishing results - at least fifty percent of the time it is the reason, at least fifty percent of

But then is it really the moon itself or the conditions brought about by the changing moon? Fishing is about conditions - current velocity and direction, water color and temperature, wind direction and strength, all these factor into the equation. And, out of respect to my chief mentor Steve Loomis, ofcourse the presence of game fish. Less a solid combination of the above, anglers are destined for a long, fruitless day on the water. The strength of these conditions is definitely more reliable around full and new moon phases; especially current. That current really seems to activate the life beneath the surface - bait fish are on the move gulping down nutrients agitated and rising to the surface layer from strong upwelling; game fish are quick to take advantage of vulnerable prey out of hiding; current lines and rips form to define more productive zones to focus fishing effort; all these conditions benefit fishermen targeting the big haul. I like fishing during peak moon cycles full and new.

Then there are the more subtle periods often associated with the back side or waning phases that require more refined technical strategies, and much keener observation to identify the likely zones of production. Mind you these periods don't always correspond to the certain phases but for the sake of this effort I'll say they often do. More than anything however I want to emphasize that the moon phases are not what dictates the success or failure in fishing as much as the fish and the fisherman working toward success. There are an awful lot of times when individuals are quick to blame the moon for poor fishing when the results, or lack thereof, were relative to the effort - as in whomever was driving convinced themselves that the full had them shut down so they shut down their eyes, ears, and instinct in response; big mistake.

All the experience I have gained does tell me one certain thing: anglers are just as well planning a voyage that corresponds to a full moon cycle as a new moon. I'd be willing to bet that statistical analysis of fishing results through many lunar cycles would prove this correct. My personal preference is fishing while coming into a phase, full or new then being on the water for three or four days following the cycle peak. That is simply my personal preference however - no guarantee attached. And, levity aside, almost every voyage five days and longer encompasses one side of the new or full cycle taking advantage of a waxing stage. But, to throw a final wrench into the

works, I have seen unbelievable fishing, coastal and offshore, unseat every theory and notion of what should be time and again - the fall 2005 big fish season, summer 1999 - 2003 offshore albacore and Bluefin fishing, and fall/winter 2006-2007 Hurricane Bank fishing being perfect examples. Those time periods, through multiple consecutive lunar stages, produced amazingly consistent catching the entire time; waxing, waning, full, new, first quarter, etc. - it didn't matter; we clobbered them for months on end. Honestly, trying to predict what will happen on a fishing excursion relative to the lunar cycle is an exercise of faith. But, isn't faith at least an element of all fishing?"

Paul's Science & Statistics We took another more scientific approach to the question. Paul Yarnold, AKA Planet, is one of the preeminent medical and space statisticians in the world. Just Google him if you have any doubt. His books, theories and publications are used by medical universities as the definitive text for medical research requiring statistical analysis. Paul also loves to fish. Terrence Berg at 976TUNA generously provided the actual daily fish counts for albacore, yellowfin tuna and bluefin tuna for the years 2003 through 2010 for the day boats out of San Diego. We assigned a moon day for each of the days during this period with 1 representing the new moon and 14 representing the full moon and the remaining 26 days of each lunar period it's appropriate number. Paul then researched and tested the data to discover if there were any correlations between fish counts and moon phase for each of the tuna species. Unfortunately the data was imperfect and we could draw no conclusions or implications from this actual data.

Conclusion I am a charter master on 7 long range trips each year. My trip dates are assigned and scheduled well in advance with no consideration to moon phase. In other words I don't have a choice. But I am out on the water 50 plus days a year, which is arguably more than most anglers. I have experienced epic bites on all phases of the moon, and unfortunately I have also experienced slow trips on all moon phases. I'm inclined to go with the above captains' experience and judgment that there are many other critical factors, like current, current and current, which can't be predicted in advance. My advice is choose your favorite boat and your favorite group and book a trip that is convenient during the season that fits your schedule and target species.