A lot of fishermen have theories about the moon phase and/or wind direction and the effect it has on fishing. For instance I never liked fishing the full moon and the big tides that it brings. Right now we are coming into that pattern. In the harbour the big tides make deep water very difficult to fish and every time I tried fishing shallow I don’t catch many fish.

To this day I seldom fish these big tides during the day. The biggest tides occur during the full moon and high tide is around midday and midnight. A deep full tide also means a very shallow low tide, which leaves the mud banks well clear of the water. That is great for collecting scallops, just motor into the shallows, jump off the boat and pick them up. It really can be that simple but make sure you have a boat man who knows what to do or may find yourself stranded and the tide will rise another four metres.

I think it was during one of those scallop missions in the evening of a full moon that I decided to cast out a line once the banks were under water. I discovered that fishing shallow water, with a good berley trail where water is flooding into a gut, that runs up onto a bank is a very effective method of catching trevally and snapper in fading light. All those stars line up on the full moon evenings. Straylining small baits can be a particularly productive method. You can have success in deep water too but it is best to target an hour each side of the low tide.

For fishing the west coast, I have no real preferences when it comes to the moon phase. I pick my days simply based on the weather and the swell. The big tides do make bar crossings particularly interesting though and I make sure I cross the bar at slack water and then only if there is minimal swell running.

While it’s unlikely there will be many heading out wide this weekend, the good weather will come and snapper fishing has been red hot. It’s likely to continue for some time yet so if you get the opportunity and have bar crossing or beach launching experience then don’t let the opportunities pass you by. Try lure fishing using inchiku jigs, butterfly jigs, slow pitch lures or sliders. Rigged on braid and a softbait rod you will most likely find it much more rewarding than bait fishing. Up until mid to late December I’d be fishing in 50 to 60m and anchoring up. There is very little current out there and regardless of what style of fishing you chose to do, the fish will generally come to you.

Take care, Smudge