(1.4) BASS: Does The Moon Influence Bass Feeding Activity Even in a Flowing Stream?

Largemouth Bass caught about 2 hours before MOON-UNDER 

Largemouth Bass caught about 1 hour after MOON-UNDER 

MOON-OVER (directly over your location on the Earth's surface) and MOON-UNDER (directly under your location on the Earth's surface -- which would mean MOON-OVER in China perhaps) is when HIGH TIDES occur if you are at the coastal shoreline of the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf, etc. During high tides fish usually feed more actively in tidewater areas. But they also seem to increase their feeding pursuits, especially as to chasing artificial lures, in inland non-tidal waters during MOON-OVER and MOON-UNDER. These feeding periods, called "majors" by some, may last up to two hours both before and after the exact time of MOON-OVER and MOON-UNDER at your location. Many times, however, the possibly 4-hour feeding "frenzy" starts and ends quite gradually. 

Largemouth Bass caught about 1 hour after MOON-RISE 

MOON-RISE or MOON-SET on the horizon from your location is when LOW TIDES occur if you are at the coastal shoreline of the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf, etc. MOON-RISE and MOON-SET also appear to trigger "fish feeds", called "minors" by some, in inland non-tidal waters which may again last for up to 2 hours both before and after the exact time of MOON-RISE and MOON-SET at your location. Once again the maybe 4-hour "frenzy" usually starts and ends very gradually. 

Striped Bass caught about 50 minutes after MOON-SET 

Our accepted normal clock-time day, which we Earthling human beings live by in the various time zones across the globe, is based on the measurement of time between successive zeniths (high points) of the Sun and is 24 hours long. Noon in Standard Time, in whatever time zone you are, is usually the zenith of the Sun in the sky. 

The Moon, though, is much more complicated to figure-out. "Tidal days" are about 24 hours and 50 minutes long because the Moon reaches its zenith (high point or MOON-OVER) about 50 minutes later every 24 hours of our normal (based on the Sun) clock-time day. The fish feeding periods based on the events of MOON-OVER/UNDER and MOON-RISE/SET will correspondingly start about 50 minutes later every calendar day. 

Largemouth Bass caught about 20 minutes before MOON-SET 

Ocklawahaman did not invent this daily "Moon madness" fish activity stuff. It is nothing new and you can read about Moon based fish/game feeding periods in many books, magazines, or online. I first read about this theory back in the 1970's in an article from Florida Wildlife magazine (published by the old Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission). My late fishing buddy -- who probably caught and released more "lunker" bass up to 13 pounds in Ocala National Forest ponds on ARTIFICIAL LURES from a CANOE than anybody else in modern history and undoubtedly was the best still-water bass fisherman that I have ever saw or knew -- practically "begged" me to use the "feed times" in the early 1990's after he became convinced that they actually worked. 

Largemouth Bass caught about 50 minutes after MOON-SET 

Stubbornly, I was an unconvinced skeptic about this "feed lunacy" for over 10 years and refused to plan my bass fishing by it -- I usually had only one day a week to fish so I did it INTENSELY from dawn to dusk. Anyhow, I reasoned, stream bass are mostly "governed" by the current that they watch for food and probably little else except shade matters to them. 

BUT I did maintain computerized detailed creel surveys (including catch times for noteworthy fish) of my trips during those skepticism years. Later on in 2004 I procured a PC program that displays Moon data present, past, and future which made it possible for me to compare my "blind" success versus Moon event times (and phases) for those earlier days -- after I converted my logged catch times back into STANDARD TIME from Daylight Savings Time, if necessary. This ability to have "20-20 hindsight" helped me to believe in this Moon madness! 

Striped Bass caught about 5 minutes before MOON-UNDER 

I have maintained electronic creel survey logs for some 35 years now (including dates, times, and Moon data) of my larger size catches of largemouth bass, striped bass, shoal bass, Suwannee bass, channel catfish and other species using artificial lures. My records show that well over 85% of these larger and more sought-after fish were caught during the Moon event "feeds" from all of the Florida freshwaters that I have fished! Also, at least for me, the "minors" have been nearly just about as productive as the "majors" although my late fishing buddy reported that the "major" periods had been better for him. 

Channel Catfish caught about 1 hour 40 minutes after MOON-SET 

MOON POSITION EVENTS AND THEIR INFLUENCE

UPON RAINY SEASON SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS 

My own experience during the north-central Florida rainy season (usually June through September) seems to suggest that the changing gravitational pull of the several MOON POSITION EVENTS -- MOON-OVER, MOON-UNDER, MOON-RISE, and MOON-SET -- may actually attract the moisture-laden, sea-breeze formed rain clouds to certain areas of Florida. Many, many times, I have been drenched by heavy storms while attempting to fish during the Moon-influenced feeding periods -- possibly more so during the "majors", MOON-OVER and MOON-UNDER! THINK ABOUT THIS: If the Moon can cause the tides, can it also pull or push the water-filled clouds in a particular direction?

MOON PHASES: 

NEW MOON

FIRST QUARTER MOON

FULL MOON

LAST QUARTER MOON

Ocklawahaman Paul Nosca

 "MOON PHASE WEEKS"

"New Moon Week" includes all 7 days from 3 days before until 3 days after New Moon (NM).

"First Quarter Moon Week" includes all 7 days from 3 days before until 3 days after First Quarter Moon (FQ).

"Full Moon Week" includes all 7 days from 3 days before until 3 days after Full Moon (FM).

"Last Quarter Moon Week" includes all 7 days from 3 days before until 3 days after Last Quarter Moon (LQ). 

FINAL THOUGHTS 

There is an approximately 2-hour lull between each 4-hour feeding period when the bass fishing action with lures is usually "very few and far between." I endeavor to use that time for vehicle travel, upriver canoe paddling, eating lunch, swamp-stomps, photography, cooling-off in the summertime and all the other things that I need to do before my serious fishing begins again with the next "feed."

"There are lake fishermen and there are river fishermen and seldom do the twain agree!" - Original author unknown. 

"From the rivers that flow from our sister states of Alabama and Georgia to the rivers that originate in our own Green Swamp, real experience in the Florida outdoors matters!" - "Ocklawahaman" Paul Nosca.

www.facebook.com/groups/381885503129660 

www.facebook.com/groups/1937718656450177 

REFERENCE AS:  Nosca, P. 2025. "Does the moon influence bass feeding activity even in a flowing stream?" webpage report. "Paul Nosca's bass fishing photos" website. Paul Nosca, Eureka, FL.

https://sites.google.com/site/paulnoscasbassfishingphotos/does-the-moon-influence-bass-feeding-activity-even-in-a-flowing-stream

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