Full moon fishing

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    Posted: 20 Mar 2019 at 8:53am
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Titanium
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Its that time again -Full moon.

It is often said full moon equals poor fishing. But does it.?
I dont know the answer to that.Its easy to be put off by what people say ,and not bother fishing too much over this period.
My only experience is having a good catch the day before full moon,and once as a super moon came over the horizon the fishing was fast and productive as early evening fell.. Other than that i dont know.
What about the day of the full moon,or the few days either side.
Has anyone taken note from personal experience of fishing the full moon times. Is it possibly better than people generally say.
What have you found.?

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Post Options Post Options   Likes (1) Likes(1)   Quote Big -Dave Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Mar 2019 at 9:15am
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I admit I am hopeless at taking notice of stuff like this, I just go fishing and sometimes it is productive, sometimes not.
But it's better than sitting at home
you can't fix an idiot with duct tape, but it does muffle them for a while...
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (2) Likes(2)   Quote bazza Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Mar 2019 at 9:22am
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Personally I prefer to fish with trousers or shorts & undies on, but each to their own I guess.
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fart just ONE time !!!!!!!!!!!
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (1) Likes(1)   Quote CrayZfish Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Mar 2019 at 10:27am
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I have kept record of every trip on the Manukau since late 2016 and have 6 records on the full moon. 2 Hot fishing, 2 steady, one marked as slow and one marked dead. So nothing remarkably different to normal. When I filter the Hot only trips, where generally you get limit of snapper in an hour or so there is a mix of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th quarter, full and new moons.
 
The most remarkable trend from the almost 40 entries is the best fishing is generally when the Maori calendar says is will be Poor fishing.
 
Good question Cirrus, nice to actually look back on my data.
Why choose either diving or fishing when you can do both. Besides crayfish tail is very good bait!!
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Tagit Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Mar 2019 at 11:15am
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Generally, if worrying about the moon, I try to avoid the week after the full moon. If planning a marlin trip I do try to avoid that period if I can. The few days prior to the full moon can be pretty good though. I have also had killer Snapper sessions start up at 9/10pm on the full moon evening. Bite stops at dusk as usual, then fires up again after dinner so quite convenient when it happens.

We had a killer big Snap session on Sat night just prior to the full moon with 4 over 20lb and one at 19lb. Very aggressive feeding. That stopped at dusk and we left the spot then so didn't wait to see if there was a late evening bite.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Alan L Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Mar 2019 at 6:16pm
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I have observed this on several occaisions, and asked others (charter guys usually). They all favour the period just before full moon and it seems to drop off progressively after full moon. The other favoured spot is the new moon. I am talking game fishing.
I definitely observed this last year as I invited a friend to come over because the fishing was hot. It progressively got harder each day after full moon. The fish were still around - just not as many strikes and took longer to get them compared to several days earlier. If I can I tend to plan around that now.
Alan
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (1) Likes(1)   Quote Muppet Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Mar 2019 at 6:58pm
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Moon up in morning is great for Kings.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote smudge Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Mar 2019 at 7:06pm
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I hate fishing the big tides on the big muddy. With one condition. The Manukau sees the big tides at around 11.00am to 12 noon. That makes low tide around 5.00pm til 6.00pm. That is the time I have had the most consistently good fishing ever. There was one exception and that was the day CrayZfish and another boat followed me out so he will think I am full of it. 

But yeah it was a relatively simple exercise to get a very respectable catch of up to 3kg in a few hours. The best fish I have 'helped' to catch in those conditions was an 8.2 kilo fish. 


The trick is to fish the guts that run up on to the banks in 2 to 7 or 8m of water. While the big fish was in 7m my preference is to fish much shalower using straylines. Yes the big old muddy works really well with light weights in shallow water but don't tell anyone it's my best kept secret Wink


Best gurnard fisherman in my street
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote smudge Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Mar 2019 at 7:07pm
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Originally posted by bazza bazza wrote:

Personally I prefer to fish with trousers or shorts & undies on, but each to their own I guess.

Probably your best joke Bazza Big smile
Best gurnard fisherman in my street
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote fish-feeder Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Mar 2019 at 7:39pm
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Super moon tonight isn't it? Looks big and orange rising right now.
dont get my personality mixed up with my attitude,my personality is me,my attitude depends on you.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Dukeas Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Mar 2019 at 8:40pm
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I do not fish through night, mostly pre dawn, up to midday, in Northland.
I've kept a fishing, and weather diary since 1995.
Snapper fishing on full moon, No particular decline.
Kingfish fishing, it's extra good, as usually bigger tides, more water flow.
I do know, for certain, that most cyclones, bad weather events, flooding, most always during full moon times.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote MB Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Mar 2019 at 8:46pm
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Don't worry about it too much, in fact, I'm pretty sure that in some parts of the world, a full moon is thought to be a good thing for fishing. Regardless, so many other variables to think about, including days off work! 

One key ingredient for successful fishing is confidence. If you've got a hang-up about full moon fishing then maybe it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy? 
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote terrafish Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Mar 2019 at 9:15pm
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Most consistent for me has always been the three or for days leading up to the full moon, then drops right out for four or five days after. Confidence or not i'm not fishing any differently. Old boy once told me to fish further into the foul, but never managed to zone it in.
Either way "I'm Not Gunna Let No Big Ole Moon Get In My Way"
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote kaveman Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Mar 2019 at 9:31pm
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Caught more 20lb snapper on actual day of full moon than any other day but generally not lots of fish
Gamefishing, i avoid fishing after full moon like the plague

www.kavemantackle.co.nz
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote smudge Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Mar 2019 at 9:49pm
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Originally posted by Dukeas Dukeas wrote:

I do know, for certain, that most cyclones, bad weather events, flooding, most always during full moon times.

Wow I have always associated the full moon with settled weather, which we have right now. I may pay this a little more attention.

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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Steps Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Mar 2019 at 12:38pm
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Ah hah our regular monthly subject..
If there is a weather window we go..
As to better or not.. We come home with a feed.. Be it on before or after..
I eliminated the moon off my data base info a little while ago..

As greeting into new grounds now Manukau west Coast need experience..
Thu was with the east coast high tides caution stay out of current lines cause of logs trees.. I know for the wiakato River.
As to the harbour.. I just fi
Follow what smudge says on this matter.. And note the water clear stuff later... Its the weed stuff did get frustrated with a while back.

But as to good fishing or not.. Full moon or any moon. Doesn't matter
A thought.. If get out often enough to consistanly catch a feed every trip.. You always will.
If patchy at doing so up grade your skills on how to bait a hook.. Baits that don't spin.. Feel the line letting the hook sink. How you hang a burley etc.
Don't look to the moon as excuse..


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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote JustAnotherSpearo Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Mar 2019 at 8:34pm
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Ah classic tackle fiddler debarcle here.
A full moon just makes it a bugger to launch or retrieve the boat at low tide..

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Post Options Post Options   Likes (1) Likes(1)   Quote Marligator Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Mar 2019 at 7:04am
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My two cents worth, is that the lead up to and including the day of the full moon can be quite good fishing but the 4 or 5 days after the full moon are usually very hard fishing. But my philosophy is if the weather is good and no other commitments then go fishing irrespective of the moon phase.
 
With respect to game fishing, night drifting for broadbill is best over the full moon period, chasing marlin is usually hard over the full moon period.
 
I had an interesting conversation with a guy the other day at my local fish and chip shop in Papamoa, and we got talking about fishing etc and I mentioned that I had been out to the Mayor Knolls chasing bluenose and hadn't got any as there was a blody Gill netter working the Knolls I usually fish on. I also mentioned there were a lot of skippies out of Tauranga at the moment but they were spread out with no tight schools and he said wait until the full moon then they will start forming up into big schools. I said great that will be when the Purse Seiners turn up again, well at that comment he went berserk saying you guys no nothing about purse seining bla bla bla. turns out he is the owner of Pelco NZ Ltd. who have recently purchased all of the Sandfords purse seining boats. I hit a raw nerve there, he wouldn't calm down either, got really ****ty with me.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Fishb8 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Mar 2019 at 8:16am
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I was fishing off North Cape during a full moon in the late 90s and for several days there were about 30 or 40 marlin were caught, every day, mostly live baiting. This was mid April.
Fist day about 12 boats at TB Bay, then 20, then 30 +
Be yourself; everyone else is already taken
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote BananaBoat Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Mar 2019 at 11:38am
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used to do heaps of fishing out around anchorite, little barrier, flat rock & simpsons rock in a falas 7m boat, best fishing in those locations was right on the full moon - big fish, in big numbers.... then turned into big number of boats

Before that would fish same locations on or around new moon, fish size was smaller & less of them...
water depth 30 - 40m

land based fishing, in this case, top of coromandel
first quarter till full, 3 days after full, then barren till new moon or if a storm passes thru
was told once by an old fala.... watch how the moon first starts to form in the sky, as it starts, it will look like a saucer, as it grows it will slowly tilt to one side
the saucer has content in it, as it tilts to one side, the content tips out
this is the time to fish & hunt as the content provides feeding for all stock
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