Fishing tables

[Wish-I-Were-Fishn]

What's your take on the fishing tables that predict feeding times. I'm sure it is still influenced by weather, bug hatches, being in the right location, etc.

My Garmin GPS has them listed as hunt/fish times. Do they really work? I have a friend that swears by them.

[Random guy]

I will watch the lunar tables, I think or have a hunch that on stained lakes such as Upper Red fishing while a full moon is hanging overhead can be brutal but awesome before that moon rises. Why this is I have no idea but I do find myself checking them from time to time.

I am also under the assumption that most of these charts tie in the lunar tables to some degree so who knows. One thing when they are saying it is going to be a good day it gets you pumped and when they say it is going to be a bad day you just want to prove the chart wrong so I guess they work.

[harvey lee]

I have watched these for game movement while deer hunting and cannot believe that they make much sense from what I personally have observed.

[Scott M]

If you look at the largest muskies ever caught on tackle, most of them were taken within 3 days of a full or new moon. That is one species that I believe is tied into lunar phases, or those "best fishing time" tables you are talking about. I can't remember where I read that, but I'm sure it's somewhere on the internet.

[snowfighter]

I have always gone by them fishing and hunting.There was one time 20 years back that I had one of the best of many days fishing and the table showed a blank for the am time I was fishing.

[Questor]

Those things were debunked decades ago, but the solunar tables are still making money for whoever is still preparing them. Consider that their origin is in the late 1800s when most of our outdoor misinformation originated. Yes, there are still some people who navigate by checking which side of a tree the moss grows on, but most of us have given up on such ideas because they are invalid.

The full moon/new moon phenomenon has been observed to have some influence on the quality of fishing, but the influence is still indistinct enough to remain unworthy of consideration in planning a trip.

[Finns]

In my job I have to put in for vacation for the whole year by the end of January. I plan my hunting and fishing trips for the year by the moon signs. Hope the weather doesn't interfere too much.

Finns.

[BobT]

I believe the moon phases do have some impact on animal behavior. My wife has been a bartender all her adult life and she never looks forward to working during a full moon because she claims people are much more roudy and difficult.

As far as moss growing on the north side of trees. After spending nearly 10 years in the logging industry I have learned first-hand that there is some truth to this. While it is true that moss will grow on all sides it does have a tendancy to be more predominant on the north face of the trees in general. One must look at the whole forest around you though and not just one or two trees.

As far as fishing and hunting are concerned, I don't pay much attention. I'll go fishing and hunting regardless of the solunar tables.

Bob

[MuskieJunkie]

I use to use a garmin gps and I would check those tables all the time (now I do it on infishermans website, but they don't tell you what location it is for???). Are they "acurate", I don't know, but I can tell you for sure I have had a good day on the water and then checked the table and it showed an overall rating of "excellent". And the reverse is true, one time ice fishing mille lacs the perch were there on the camera, we threw everything at them and they wouldnt even look at lure, checked the table and the rating was "poor".

I don't live and die by them but they are definately worth looking at, IMO.

[lookincalifornia]

i have never really based a trip on them, but most times if i had a great day, i'll take a peek. alot of times they are right. if not i just figure it's my skill

one day on wissota we had trolled all morning with no luck. on the way in for lunch, i hit a 36"er. we swung through again and i stuck a 32"er. when we got to the cabin we checked the "best times" tables and sure enough they hit as if they were cheching there watches.

[Finns]

Coming down I-35 yesterday-deer feeding in a bean field-temp was 93 degrees and it was mid afternoon. Clicked on the solunar tables on my Garmin. It showed prime time had just started.

Finns.