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Date: May 22, 2006 at 15:39:05
From: ken, [pool-70-109-196-72.prov.east.verizon.net]
Subject: Half moons.


I call them half moons because the look like half moons. I know they are quarter moons but they are also half moons. They are half way between new moons and full moons either way. IF the shadow is on the right side then it is moving toward a new moon and if it is on the left side it is moving toward a full moon.
High tide in R.I. is close to moon rise what ever the phase.

I was told years and years ago by Dick Lema that the fishing got better each night as he moon was coming.

He gave me many examples and told me lots of stories.
He is right.
Still there are places that work the opposite way and normally.

I will give an example of what I am talking about.
It is inclusive of both patterns of the fishing getting better; and then getting worse and a detail that many folks never consider or use.

I fish a place where there are two tidal rivers that empty about about 1/8 of a mile apart.

In between these two rivers is a flat that is fairly stable current wise and does not have a strong tidal flow. It moves but it is gentle.

When the moon is coming to a new moon I fish the river and the fishing does get better as the moon approaches. Evey night there are more and more fish and the bait is always there in force and the bass feed continuously right up to the new moon and often for a few nights after then the bait diminishes and the fishing slows.

Each night there is less and less bait and then the current weakens and hits the lowest volume and speed and hight of tide and on the night of the half moon itself the fishing is very spotty or even dead.

The same happens on the other river but the flat in between the two rivers has good fishing. The fish are not fixed in position like they are in current but wander and ambush schools of bait and that fishing holds for about three days before the half moon and until three days after it.
Then the rivers start to produce again. First night three to five fish, next seven to ten and each night gets better and better right up to the full moon.
That is the norm and it varies.
Also this half moon time is good for daytime and dawn fishing. Big coves with fish roaming and feeding in the day time. So if you like to fish dawn and daytime with sinking lines and Clousers pay attention to low current areas or stretches between high current areas. You can also fish with other tactics successfully.
THis general Pattern holds true in the surf also. Places like Point Judith and Watch Hill on the moons and the coves on either side of the point on the half moons. Look for the bait.
Word to the wise.

On the moons, fish current - on the half moons fish coves and flats and places where the bait stages and wanders around.
Low current areas with bait milling and flipping and jumping over grass and out of the way areas that are sedate and not dynamic.

Over the course of the year this pattern will catch you many many fish. It is a flexable pattern and not written in stone and there are fish in both types of areas and other patterns throughout the month but as a basic method to use to hunt fish with - it does work very well.

Sometimes the areas the baitfish are using are right next to high current areas and sometimes not connected at all.
The low flow areas are seldom fished - ever - especially if they are next to a river mouth.
People see what they come to see and if they don't leave and complain, and seldom see anything else.
People are very routine orientated and seldom deviate from their routines even if their routines are incredably ineffective.

Another way of visualising this pattern is to picture the mouth to a salt pond. Breachways etc.

People may always fish the current in the mouth and catch fish there on both tides. Then when the fish are not there, they keep fishing the mouth and do not catch.
They complain that there are no fish and that the year is bad and that it never used to be this way and that the tide is wrong and the water temperature is bad and the wind is not good and there is no bait, recite any an all of a zillion perfectly reasonalble and stupid excuse reasons why they are not successful.
(Thinking up reasonalble excuses is a sport unto it self)

On the half moons though - the bait and the fish just may have have moved up into the back coves of the pond and are sitting there quite content.
They may be up there in the pond itself, just swimming around and frolicking undisturbed.

Then come the moons and the current and the bait is back in the flow.
People are again happy and everything is just right. The dry period is totally erased from their memory. Until two weeks later.

There is more to this pattern than this but I am sure you get the order...


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