# Solunar Tables vs Tides



## MarkDido (Jul 6, 2003)

I've been doing a little reading about using the solunar tables to predict the optimum time frame for fishing, but I'd like y'alls opinion.

I plan to go out Thursday morning, starting at Playalinda. High tide for that day is at 6:57am.

The solunar table for that day shows the optimal morning fishing time to be between 10:24 am and 12:24pm

Sunrise is at 7:08 am and it should warm up to 74 degress.

So what influences your decision when to go out and hit the surf?

Mark


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## FL FISHERMAN (Sep 30, 2002)

If I have to work or not! 

No really the tides are my main preference even though if I got the itch I will go no matter what the tides say.


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## piker (Mar 14, 2003)

I like to fish 1-2 hours on either side of high tide. The stronger the tide the better. However sometimes the strong tides are a result of a full moon which is not usually good as this leaves all the bait fish available for the predator fish. But for me just before and just after high tide.

Just my $2.50.

Piker


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## MarkDido (Jul 6, 2003)

That's pretty much what I figured. As lousy as my fishing has been this year, I'm looking for any way to gain an advantage. Next step would be casting chicken bones down in the dirt and reading them while throwing magic pixie dust up in the air!

So Thursday should give me a pretty good shot. High tide is somewhere near 6:30 am with a 7:15 or so sunrise.

Now, all I have to do is to get the fish to cooperate!


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## Beachbms (Jan 10, 2003)

Mark, if work does what I think is going to happen ....cancel..... I will join you out there.....but proubly not at sunrise...lol


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## piker (Mar 14, 2003)

Mark, I all ready tried the chicken bones and pixie dust...no good...after the smoke cleared...all I got was a very large, p...off Rooster staring me in the eye...in heat no less !

Gave me a whole new meaning to cock a doodle doooo !!!

Piker:


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## Kozlow (Oct 25, 2002)

Moon Phase

Here is a great link for moon phases U.S. Naval Observatory
http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/

Where the moon is in the sky and what phase the it is in can determine when fish feed. This is once again not to say that fish don't feed at other times. However, I have been out on days when I thought the fish had set their clocks by the solar lunar tables. 

Full moon New moon

When thinking about the moon and its relationship to fishing look at it this way. When you have a full moon that is going to be up at night. The fish holding near the bottom have a big advantage on the smaller bait that schools near the surface. The predators are hiding down low in the dark shadows watching everything that swims by. They blend in so well with the rocks and vegetation that nothing sees them. Then, overhead the outline of a baitfish swims by with the moonlight. The moon works like a spotlight following singer across the stage . As long at the moon is up and full all night the show is on and there is nowhere to run.

Now with that in mind, if you want to be apart of this feeding show you have to be there when the audience is waiting. If you get on the water during the day chances are everyone has already eaten. The best fishing on clear nights when the moon is full is usually between 2 to 3 hours after sunset until an hour or 2 after sunrise. 

Now the other side of that coin is when we have a new moon. The predators can't see much of anything and do most of their feeding during the day. During this time I have done some of my best fishing within a half hour prior to sunrise to throughout the day.

Exception To The Full Moon Rule

With every rule there is an exception and when it comes to fishing there are a lot of them. One thing I have found over the past few years is if you have a full moon and a cloudy night the fish get thrown out of wack. The fish have been use to feeding every night for a few days and now they can't see anything during their regular feed. On days like this I have found one thing to be true, I don't know how they are going to act. One day they will go nuts at sunrise, the next you couldn't pay a fish to hit anything. The good news is more times then not the are starved and will hit almost anything till late in the morning. 

Solar Lunar Tables

We all know that the tides are affected by the rise and fall of the moon. Most fishermen also know that the tides have always directed them to the best fishing times. Could it be that these feeding times are being influenced more by the position of the sun and moon rather than the actual tidal stages. That is exactly what John Alden Knight hypothesized in 1926. 

When John originally started his research of his Solar lunar Theory, the approximate time of moon up - moon down were his first consideration. Slowly but surely it became evident that there were in-between periods of activity that occurred between the two major periods. These times became known as the MAJOR PERIODS and the two transitional periods became known as the MINOR PERIODS. 

To validate the Solar lunar Theory, John attempted a organized query to acquire complete details about record catches of both individual large fish and large numbers of fish. He examined approximately 200 of these catches. Over 90 percent were made during the new moon when the effects of the Solar lunar Periods appear to be greatest, and, more important; they were made during the actual times of the Solar lunar Periods. 

It is known that the sun and moon are two major sources that daily effect the Earth and all living things. The day of a NEW or FULL MOON provides the strongest influence in each month. However, June has more combined sun-moon influence than any other month. During a FULL MOON the sun and moon are nearly opposite each other and very few minutes pass without one or the other being in our sky. During a NEW MOON, both bodies are in near-perfect rhythm traveling the skies together with their forces combined. Because of the interaction between the many lunar and solar cycles, no two days, months or years are identical. 

When a Solar lunar Period falls within 30 minutes to an hour of sunrise or sunset you can anticipate the best fishing. When you have a moonrise or moonset during that period the action will be even greater. And, when these times occur during a NEW or FULL MOON, you can expect the best action of the season! 

Every fisherman knows that fish do not feed all the time. He also knows that for some reason fish often go on the feed and take most anything. This happens, according to John Knight during a Solar lunar Period. Fish usually feed actively at sunrise and sunset, but generally, the real fishing of the day is at the peek feeding periods. 

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## Fatback (Aug 6, 2003)

Ok, heres something that I think is overlooked when considering fish behavior. Baromitric pressure. I think fish react to this just as much solar/lunar cycles. We all know that fish seek out an enviroment that is comfortable to them. Just like we do. They look for areas with suitable temp, salinity,sructure, and availibility of food that they are comfortable with. I feel like that if the baromitric pressure is real hight or real low that fish get lock-jaw.

Back in my younger years I broke my leg. Now when there is a big change in pressure my leg will hurt. For example....Getting a strong fast moving cold front causes the pressure to change real fast.....and so my leg hurts.

so....they say fishing is good before a front comes in and during the summer fishing seems to get good just before a strong thunder storm comes in. I feel that this is due to barometric pressure changes.

Therefor when everything comes together...Solar/lunar cycles,tides,water temp, water clarity,dawn/dusk, and baromitric pressure the fishing will be unbelievable. If one of those conditions is not right the fishing is good. If two are not right the fishing is ok and so on.

Anyone else feel the same way about barometric pressure?


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## Anthony (Jul 3, 2002)

I agree with you fatback. Most of the good fishing that I had last year was when the weather was really bad, usually storms were brewing.


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## FL FISHERMAN (Sep 30, 2002)

Yeah we had good fishing before and during most of the storms in 2003. We ended up being the only crazies out there most of the time but it payed off.


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## Beachbms (Jan 10, 2003)

I also agree, some of my most memorable fishing was with the storm rolling in.......was always that decision...safty or more catchin......lol. Elsewhere in the US I usually opted for the fishing, but here in Fl I weight on the side of caution during a storm.


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## surfnfish (Dec 15, 2003)

hey koz, where did you gt that table? if you could print those evry month you would be the really helpin out. my good catch days match those in the tablepretty much? thanks ,aloha, cfd


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## Kozlow (Oct 25, 2002)

Here is the link surfnfish http://www.landbigfish.com/astrotables/table.cfm

Good luck to ya .


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## surfnfish (Dec 15, 2003)

thanks coz , will let you know if i catch any keepers  aloha,cfd


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## Kozlow (Oct 25, 2002)

Your welcome and aloha back atcha .


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