When is the best time to fish? This is a question that many fishermen ask, whether they are fishing rookies or have been fishing for many years and consider themselves to be fishing veterans. It seems that everyone knows that the morning is traditionally good for fishing and this is certainly true, especially in hot weather, but the true answer to the question posed in the title of this article goes a bit deeper than just “the morning.
Many anglers would say that the best time to fish is anytime that you can, which would probably also be technically correct, but the truth is that we as fishermen can do a little bit of research that will really help us to determine the best time to be on the water fishing. If you really want to answer the question of when the best time to fish is, the answer lies with the weather and the moon. These two forces of Mother Nature have as much to do with when fish will be biting as any two factors and learning about the ways that the weather and moon affect fishing will go a long way towards figuring out when the best time to fish is.
Don’t worry, it’s not necessary to become a scholar on these two subjects, an hour or two of study will due just fine. At the end of the day all you need to know are the basics of how the weather and moon affect fish behavior and then do your best to use this information to your advantage. As average anglers, becoming an expert on the ways is which the weather and moon impact fishing isn’t necessary, but the basics are if you truly want to have a good idea of when the best time to be fishing is on any given day.
Let’s begin with the weather. The weather, or more to the point the barometric pressure, has an incredible impact on the feeding activity of fish. Fish can detect barometric pressure changes through their lateral lines (that line that runs through the middle of most fishes bodies) and their temperament changes accordingly. So, as the barometer rises or falls, fish “feel” these pressure changes and adjust their feeding behavior and/o activity levels accordingly. As an angler you want to know the basics of how these pressure changes affect fish and use this information to help you be to fishing when the fish will be the most apt to be feeding.
Next we have the moon, which also impacts when the best time to fish will be and this information needs to used to your advantage as well. There are four major phases of the moon during every thirty day period (full, waxing crescent, waning crescent, and new) and fish are much more active during certain moon phases than they are during others. In other words, when the moon is in a certain phase at night fish will be more or less active during the day. Although this might sound strange it is nonetheless very true. Learn which phases of the moon are most conducive to fishing, fish during those times, and you will experience more fishing success.
The bottom line is that the weather and moon have an amazing impact on when the best time to fish is and learning a few simple rules pertaining to these two forces of Mother Nature and the ways in which they impact fishing will go a long way towards helping you experience much more fishing success.
