Interested in catching more stripers? Keep an eye on the Moon.

While many elements contribute into catching striped bass, seasoned surf fisherman will tell you that fishing "the moons" may make or break a season. If you don't plan your meals around the new and full moons, you're losing out on some of the finest tastes of the year, in my view. Here's why you should pay more attention to moons this season, and how to make the most of them.

 

What Does "Fishing the Moons" Mean?

 

When a fisherman says they "fish the moons," what they truly mean is that they are targeting the full and new moon phases. These are the periods when the moon is closest to the sun (new moon) or furthest from the sun (full moon) (which is the full moon). It's simple to predict when the full moon or new moon will occur, and you may do it months ahead of time. There are other internet resources, but I like timeanddate.com. To acquire a correct date, I just pick the closest large city to my house, which is Boston. Many tide maps, however, will include information on when the new tides will begin.

 

 

At its most basic level, the moon phases (new and full) are significant because it is during these times that the moon's gravitational pull, along with that of the sun, produces the highest tidal volume exchange. This is also known as the tide height. The "off moon" times, on the other hand, are when tidal exchanges are at their lowest. These are known as neap tides, and they occur during the first and third quarter phases of the moon. The difference between the highest and lowest tidal exchanges each month might be as much as 20%.

 

The full and new moons bring more water, bait, and stripers closer to the beach.

 

The Moon Brings More Fish and Water

Moon tides (tides around full and new moons) cause two significant shifts in the inshore environment, both of which contribute to better fishing. At high tide, they result in deeper water closer to the beach. Stripers, I've discovered, will use the deeper water to take advantage of feeding chances that aren't available the rest of the month. That is, they can access regions that would otherwise be too shallow for the remainder of the month. This is especially true in regions with huge tidal differentials or areas that are very shallow.

 

Although it may not seem like much to us, I've discovered that moon tides attract stripers to the shallows, where they are easier to catch by shore-bound anglers.

 

The second element, which I feel is even more essential, is that all of the water circling the moons causes stronger currents. Stripers prefer current because it is forceful, even if it is not quick. Even in the most violent rips, they employ their huge, broom-like tails to overwhelm victims. During the moons, I see increased current speeds at all of my places, but it's the single most important factor in making some of them fruitful.

 

When the place has a 1/2-knot average, a hypothetical 10 to 30% increase in current speed (which is reasonable) has far greater influence than when the spot has a 4-knot average (like in an inlet). The difference between peak moon phases and off-moon periods may be the difference between zero current—and zero fish—and just enough to make it lights-out activity all night in some of my areas.

 

 

The Moon Can Also Affect Bait Movement

Changes in tidal volume aren't the only thing that might send stripers on the hunt. Bait movements, breeding or spawning behavior, and migratory timing are all influenced by peak moon phases. To begin, bait may utilize the increased depth or current velocity to transition from one habitat to the next, or simply to time their inshore motions. Large tides, for example, can push juvenile bait fish into the sea by flooding and draining estuaries. This results in a significant rise in local feeding options.

 

Squid coming inshore during the spring moons is another example I observe. Stripers may binge feed as a result of this, making them easier to trap. Next, bait species reproduce heavily around the moons—and this occurs throughout the season, depending on the species. Prey are both vulnerable to ambush (since they're distracted) and fatigued, making them simpler to devour for the striper. Finally, lunar phases cause species such as menhaden, mullet, and herring to move north in the spring and south in the fall. This renders them vulnerable to assault, and many of the best "blitzes" of the year will occur around high moon phases, especially in the fall. Moons, simply put, move bait.

 

Stripers become more aggressive and competitive as a result of all of this feeding opportunities, deeper water, and stronger currents. This means they're more likely to strike your plug or fly by accident. It can make a huge impact in their conduct, and it's been crucial to my surfing success.

 

 

A New Moon is preferable than a Full Moon for fishing.

Another significant benefit of the new moon over the full moon is that it is not as brilliant. Fishing at night is the single most important piece of advise I can provide to a rookie surf fisherman or someone looking to improve their game. And your best hope is to concentrate on the darkest nights of each month (during the new moon).

 

Though it may appear to be a slight distinction, seasoned surf anglers frequently credit the new moon with their success. You may count me among them. Striper behavior changes dramatically with the new moon, in my opinion. Stripers become more aggressive, less finicky, and much more eager to swim near enough for my casts to reach them. This is especially true if you're using lures or flies in water that's somewhat shallow (less than 10 feet deep). This also applies to boat fishing, although most people don't think it's as crucial as it is for shore anglers.

 

 

 

A striped bass is held by a fisherman in the water.

 

The optimum time to go for huge stripers is during the new moon.

On the other side, when the moon is particularly bright, the full moon period may be rather annoying. Even if the tides, currents, bait, and other elements are all in place, the bite might still be wrong. Even though it might be aggravating at times, I'll choose a full moon over an off-moon period any night of the week. The fish will be there; all you have to do is work a bit harder to deceive them. During these light nights, I recommend being even more attentive with your plug selection and concentrating on nailing your presentation.

 

Alternatively, just fish eels, living or dead. Stripers are so fond of eels that they'll take eel baits even on lighter evenings. Fly fishing instead of using lures is another approach to fool stripers during full moon lockjaw. With medium big fish (8 to 20 pounds), I do quite well with the fly rod during full moon phases, since the fly rod is an amazing instrument for giving really realistic profiles in incredibly subtle and natural ways.

 

 

 

How Can I Take Advantage of Moon Phases?

There are essentially two principles to follow if you want to make the most of the full and new moon phases. To begin, target the three to four days surrounding the full and new moon phases. Larger tides, stronger currents, and more frequent bait movements are all to be expected. Although the finest fishing takes place over a longer length of time, focusing your efforts for three to four days is ideal if you're short on time. However, the darkness that is so important during the new moon phase lasts for much longer. I usually consider the final quarter to the first quarter of a calendar month to be the "dark time," but if you want to catch the best tides and currents, you should adhere to the three-day window.

 

Regardless of the moon stage, the second guideline is to fish the "correct" tides and circumstances. That is, just because it is the three days around the moon, doesn't mean you can ignore all of the other crucial criteria for a certain place or bite. For example, if you prefer fishing on the entering tide, you can't start fishing on the outgoing tide since it's the new moon—you'll have to wait till the correct tide comes around. Simple: I fish the period closest to the moon that coincides with the correct tides, breezes, or bait movements surrounding my location. Unfortunately, this means it occasionally misses the three- to four-day window, but that's life; you can't force it. Just make sure you prepare ahead of time so you don't miss it.