Solunar Theory questions
Printed From: The Fishing Website
Category: Diving
Forum Name: Spearo's Corner
Forum Description: Free-divers & spearos chat about their sport
URL: https://www.fishing.net.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=73158
Printed Date: 10 Jun 2026 at 10:18am
Topic: Solunar Theory questions
Posted By: Gundry
Subject: Solunar Theory questions
Date Posted: 08 Dec 2011 at 12:02pm
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A) does any one put merit in this system for working out bite times? B) Has anyone noticed increased fish activity during these so called MAgor bite times and Minor bite times? C) If so would it hold that the fish might be more attracted to your burly during these times? D) Again has or does anyone think about this at all when planning a afternoon or morning misson for a dive. As in if you had a small window would taking into account these Bite times according to the Solunar theory be of any use to planning when to go for a dive. E) Like for instance do Kingis adhear to this as well if so then would being around current and bait fish during these times produce more of a result RE fish coming in etc than at other times? Serious questions Hope im not wasitng any ones time more interested to appease the inner geek as opposed to actually basing my dives off it. ------------- Winter is Meh |
Replies:
Posted By: Ces
Date Posted: 08 Dec 2011 at 12:45pm
i think that is mainly aimed at stickos gundry
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Posted By: Zambezi
Date Posted: 08 Dec 2011 at 12:57pm
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I dunno, things like last and first light first/last part of the day makes sense to me from the point of fishing behaving more boldly if you're in the water. Was when we used to do 90% of spearing where I grew up. And the low tide for when kingi's get more active, would have thought that if they're charging around looking for a feed, you'd have more chance of running into them. ------------- A man’s comfort in life can be measured by the quality of the toilet paper he uses to wipe his arse. |
Posted By: JRDO
Date Posted: 08 Dec 2011 at 1:13pm
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huh? bite times? who cares if the fish are hungry, find them and shoot them. ------------- BANNED from doing anything about anything anymore. |
Posted By: herby
Date Posted: 08 Dec 2011 at 1:36pm
| They're a joke made up by Bill Hohepa that's gone waaaaaaaaay too far. |
Posted By: Gundry
Date Posted: 08 Dec 2011 at 1:47pm
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Ok cool thats the sort of info I was after Herby. I mean I realise they are aimed at stickos Im not totally stupid question was geniune though if there was any merit in it then wouldnt it stand to reason that weather you above on or under the water if the fish were hungrier then burley would be more attractive. As JDRO mentioned just get out there and shoot them and trust me thats how im rolling presently. Was just curious is all was keen to quash any misconceptions. Seems I may have achieved that. ------------- Winter is Meh |
Posted By: Uncle
Date Posted: 08 Dec 2011 at 2:54pm
Mmmm.... Herby's sweeping statement deserves a bit of a look-see. For a start,Bill Hohepa wasn't even around in 1926 when John Alden Knight came up with his solunar theories. Here's a bit of info for those who might see past the blinkers>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solunar_theory - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solunar_theory |
herby wrote:Posted By: mjl
Date Posted: 08 Dec 2011 at 3:05pm
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Matts Solunar theory for Spearfishing
During Solar periods you can see the fish and the spearfishing is good.
During Lunar periods you can't see the fish so the spearfishing is bad. ------------- "It was the Law of the Sea, they said. Civilization ends at the waterline. Beyond that, we all enter the food chain, and not always right at the top. " Hunter S. Thompson |
Posted By: Rusky
Date Posted: 08 Dec 2011 at 3:06pm
| I personally believe moon phases play some role in the aggregation of fish in shallow diveable areas and how active they are. |
Posted By: Falco
Date Posted: 08 Dec 2011 at 3:36pm
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Moon/tides for sure,agree with Rusky.
A fishers thoughts. From the end of slack to through outgoing seems to be the winner for kingis.More often than not down the Cape I spend the morning looking at nothing on the sounder and eating, but once the tide starts to run (out normally) the fish start congregating over the pins and eating.
Using the sounder to see the fish is pretty impertive to our success,none of the fishing I do involves
wasting time chasing ghost's. ------------- as dead as dead is |
Posted By: Spider Monkey
Date Posted: 08 Dec 2011 at 3:40pm
| Falco - Do you find that to be the norm wherever you go or just your main spots? Does it change with different areas? |
Posted By: bigbrett
Date Posted: 08 Dec 2011 at 3:45pm
 ------------- Also known as "Dory Rider" |
Posted By: Spider Monkey
Date Posted: 08 Dec 2011 at 3:52pm
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I've only been doing this for a few years but I've heard heaps of theories and magic times. They all seem to fall on a time when I'm working or I can't get out. So I just go out when I can and usually I come home with something. Sometimes it's magic and I copy the best I can with moon, tide and whatnot but the next time, dead! Maybe too many variables and I'm looking at the wrong ones! |
Posted By: Ces
Date Posted: 08 Dec 2011 at 4:11pm
i tend to hunt by mjl's theory. i think i'll stick to it
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Posted By: JRDO
Date Posted: 08 Dec 2011 at 4:46pm
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aww, isn't this nice, we're so collectivly clever, to summarise, fish like current, find the current and you'll find the fish. ------------- BANNED from doing anything about anything anymore. |
Posted By: Dobo
Date Posted: 08 Dec 2011 at 4:57pm
| I agree with JRDO^^ I find the fish are more active during incoming tide. The current holds the food which attracts the little fish which attracts the bigger fish............which attracts the spearo! Never paid any attention to moon phases whilst spearing...my guess is it plays little or no role as a spearo is actively hunting the fish even when they are not feeding.. |
Posted By: Mullins
Date Posted: 08 Dec 2011 at 5:14pm
| Why not the outgoing Dobo? |
Posted By: jaydogfish
Date Posted: 08 Dec 2011 at 6:04pm
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i agree with spider monkey i dont have enough spearfishing hours to allow for moon phases tides ect. just have to take it as it comes. i guess i should have stayed single and not had a kid! ------------- THE DOGG |
Posted By: Falco
Date Posted: 08 Dec 2011 at 6:45pm
I fish mainly East Cape,White,Mayor for Kingfish.The best bites in my dairy has most often been the outgoing. Obviously they like structure current and bait,but I have found they turn up more consistantly on the outgoing. Thought it would be relevent to you guys as I mostly fish around 50m +or-. Out of interest do you guys ever sound contours and drop in on fish over sand? Some big kings being taken that are moving over no foul at the momment here in the BOP - not scenic but if your goal was to bang a big king then could it be effective. The moon will have an effect on your spearing also Dobo - big tidal movement vs smaller shifts,I have no intrest in the moon for "bite times" ------------- as dead as dead is |
Posted By: Spider Monkey
Date Posted: 08 Dec 2011 at 6:50pm
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Make the most of what ya got! Mullins, didn't you say something on current not being such a big deal with our local species? I might of got stories mixed up. |
Posted By: CRAYMOUNTS
Date Posted: 08 Dec 2011 at 7:00pm
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ive been a serious fisho for years but do spear alot more these days and i have to say the moon does have an effect on the fish,bite etc there is a lot of science in it but the old snapper some times turns up on ya line when ya think it wont,i think with spearing it doesnt matter. ------------- CLASS CRAYMOUNTS DONE |
Posted By: Spider Monkey
Date Posted: 08 Dec 2011 at 7:04pm
| Thanks for that Falco! I'm always interested in what seems to work for people. |
Posted By: Mullins
Date Posted: 08 Dec 2011 at 7:18pm
Don't think that was me. But I've been watching the 'hou, telescopes, sweep and butterfly perch on Hunters recently and they seem to feed for a short time a little while after the start of the tide. At slack they mill around, then once the current starts properly they sit up off the reef for about half an hour feeding (got some videos of telescopes sucking stuff in). When the current really picks up the reefies hunker back down onto the reef and the larger pelagics keep going.
Of course that's just the midwater feeders. I've watched schools of tarakihi and moki over the change of tide and they seemed to do all their feeding while it was still. Once the current started up they were back in formation.
So yeah, umm, fish like current and stuff.
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Posted By: Spider Monkey
Date Posted: 08 Dec 2011 at 7:56pm
| I must have crossed my wires. Still interesting though! |
Posted By: Dobo
Date Posted: 09 Dec 2011 at 9:08am
Does anyone know how many times a snapper needs to feed to sustain itself? Wouldn't suprise me if they only had to feed every other tide providing there was heaps of feed for them.. feed on the incoming/ skip outgoing then feed on incoming again? Just a theory from what i've observed but i'm probably wayyyyyyy of the mark!
I've never paid attention to the moon before whilst spearing but It makes perfect sense to me that if the fishing is good for the stickker then it's gotta be good for the spearos..although the current might be hard work!
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Posted By: mjl
Date Posted: 09 Dec 2011 at 9:12am
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Every spot works better on different tides and current angles. For example if I'm going for a local shorey I'll go to one spot if its incoming and another if its outgoing.
------------- "It was the Law of the Sea, they said. Civilization ends at the waterline. Beyond that, we all enter the food chain, and not always right at the top. " Hunter S. Thompson |
Posted By: Gundry
Date Posted: 09 Dec 2011 at 9:36am
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You need to teach me the art of deciding where is better on what tides locally MJL getting an idea in certain places I have been 2 at different times but there so many others that I think im picking the best conditions but Often im not ------------- Winter is Meh |
Posted By: mjl
Date Posted: 09 Dec 2011 at 9:42am
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You need to turn up with beer then.
ps as much as calling it an art appeals it's not. It is simple. Where there is current there be fishies, where there is no current there be none. ------------- "It was the Law of the Sea, they said. Civilization ends at the waterline. Beyond that, we all enter the food chain, and not always right at the top. " Hunter S. Thompson |
Posted By: Gundry
Date Posted: 09 Dec 2011 at 9:53am
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Was going to swing by for a beer later this arvo anyhow so Ill bring a coupel extra for you fullas if you going to be in.
------------- Winter is Meh |
Posted By: Gareth27934
Date Posted: 09 Dec 2011 at 10:10am
| There's a channel in Kaikoura that I swim through at the seal colony just before dead low tide. If you try it on the incoming tide then the water gets dirty through it but just before slack tide it runs nice and clear. This lets me sneak up behind quite a few fish and has a lot of other fish going past me as the fish use it to transit from the north side to the south side on the colony. |
Posted By: BeachedAsBro
Date Posted: 09 Dec 2011 at 10:25am
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Bottom of the tide and first two hours of incoming best for kings off the bricks. Never known why this is but is. Maybe less water colomn to push baitfish up against the ledge? Don't know. But if you want to shoot a kingie close to shore be in the water at low tide. ------------- Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish caught will we realise we can't eat money. |
Posted By: Gundry
Date Posted: 04 May 2012 at 7:45am
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Ok so flogging a dead horse aside. ok so SUEPR MOON apparently doesnt change the tides much I am just to hear what if anything spearos notice different about this weekend. Im not saying that it will be I dont know but would be interested to hear back from people. Maybe if there is a super low tide I can fianlly attempt some weedlines haha. But seriously do people think there be anything different going on below the surface. ------------- Winter is Meh |