Last weekend at my family reunion I was talking to my cousin who is an avid fisherman and he brought up the solar/lunar cycles/tables and how they have a bearing on good times to fish and believed in them, and I had always took notice of "the best times to fish" when I look at the Lake Link website but honestly never took them serious as they seemed like such random times and I have always fished by the rule of thumb that at dawn and just before sunset being the ideal times to fish however.... My wife and I went out to Gerber Lake on Sunday, we just had those heavy storms on Friday, cool down afterwards Sunday morning it was on and off sunny and overcast with a steady east wind...not ideal conditions for fishing but was glad just to be on the water, fishing not always about catching. Fishing was very slow, moved around to our favorite spots, fished the deep hole thinking maybe they were hunkered down and nothing. Cant get a boat into this lake so we were on our canoe so didn't have any electronics. at about 9:00 we ended up where we started, was ready to call it quit and all of a sudden about 9:30 it was like someone flipped a switch, one right after another to a point where we literally ran out of bait and it didn't matter what direction or where you casted from the canoe...they were there. I probably had my best bag of filets I had all year, most all of them were nice big bluegill and sunfish and a few average size. When we got back to our place I looked on my phone, checked out lake link, there was not a listing for Gerber Lake but another right close by and one of the best times to fish was 9-11. My question is...did I end up with a big school traveling through and based on the casting area it had to be one hell of a school or is there merit to "the best time to fish" based on solar/lunar cycles/charts?
Solar/Lunar tables....best times to fish
- Thread starter euphoric1
- Start date
skiroule
Well-known member
Guess I've never put much stock in the lunar/solar predictions but they must have originated for some reason. Who knows, there might be something to it. Seems like there are a lot of other variables that can also come into play.
I do think the fish can sense pressure system changes, even in the winter and it seems like some of the best fishing up here is right before a storm or when a low pressure front moves in. It's weird, every so often we run into a real "feeding frenzy" where the fish go after everything you throw down there. I'm not very good about keeping a log so I can't point to any common thread. I've seen it happen in all four seasons so it isn't just a summer thing.
You said it best though, it's not always just about catching. Very frequently, I'll be out on the lake and there is not another boat in sight. Getting a fish now and then is a bonus but having the lake to yourself is something to be enjoyed even if the fish aren't being cooperative.
I do think the fish can sense pressure system changes, even in the winter and it seems like some of the best fishing up here is right before a storm or when a low pressure front moves in. It's weird, every so often we run into a real "feeding frenzy" where the fish go after everything you throw down there. I'm not very good about keeping a log so I can't point to any common thread. I've seen it happen in all four seasons so it isn't just a summer thing.
You said it best though, it's not always just about catching. Very frequently, I'll be out on the lake and there is not another boat in sight. Getting a fish now and then is a bonus but having the lake to yourself is something to be enjoyed even if the fish aren't being cooperative.
X1000!!!
pclark
Well-known member
I really like fishing right before a front comes through, have always caught fish and have had great activity. As for the solunar tables, they seem to work sometimes but full moon is a great night for fishing!
agree on approaching fronts and full moon makes for awesome night fishing but throws out the early a.m. fishing plans and that holds true on inland lakes and out on the big pond.