Fishermen are probably one of the most superstitious people in the modern world. Do not count the popular signs that they believe in, the rites that they adhere to, etc. But it must be recognized that not all of them have any scientific justification. Today, let's try to figure out how the moon affects fish biting.
Lunar cycle
Since the time of Ptolemy, it is known that the Moon revolves around the Earth. The full cycle for which it passes the Earth is 29.5 days and is called the lunar month.
In turn, the month is divided into four phases: new moon, first quarter, full moon, last quarter. The full lunar day is 24 hours and 53 minutes.
How does the moon affect earthly life
The most obvious example of the influence of the moon on our lives is observed on the coast, when the tides are forming. They appear due to the effect of gravity on the waters of the oceans. In addition, scientists believe that all storms and storms are also tied to the lunar phases, and most of them occur during the full moon.
In addition, studies have been carried out proving that during the full moon the number of suicides, traffic accidents and serious crimes increases sharply, therefore, lunar cycles have an effect on the human psyche.
Such examples can be given endlessly, but it is still worth returning to the original topic of our conversation. So fish ...
Fish and its surroundings
There is a wealth of scientific evidence showing a close relationship between the influence of the moon and the behavior of fish. It is most pronounced among marine life and is that:
- The amount of hormones in the blood varies depending on the specific cycle of the moon.
- The frequency with which the fish spawns changes.
- The migration of many salmonids begins precisely on the full moon.
But if the dependence of sea fish on lunar cycles can still be explained, but almost all the same signs are observed in freshwater fish that live in bodies of water in which there is no obvious influence of the moon, there are practically no tides.
It can be observed that the freshwater inhabitants not only change their behavior depending on the lunar phases, but even change their growth rate - the growth in the new moon phase is much lower than in the full moon.
Predator nibble
The first results of a study on the influence of the moon on fish biting, which had at least some scientific soil, were published back in 1991 and were carried out by Konstantin Kuzmin. Being an avid fisherman, he drew attention to the fact that in the month there are two peaks of the highest activity of the fish, and they are directly related to the lunar cycles. The first peak occurs at the beginning of the month, almost immediately after the new moon. It lasts almost a week. And the second cycle begins on the second day after the formation of the full moon and lasts for five days. These activity peaks were most noticeable when fishing for pike, but to some extent they also acted when fishing for asp. Later, Kuzmin came to the conclusion that these cycles are most pronounced in the pike, which lives in small reservoirs, while in the "big water" they are not so pronounced.
Trying to substantiate these peaks of the bite from a scientific point of view, Kuzmin at the same time contradicted himself, arguing that the influence of the phases of the moon on the bite of the fish does not matter, but still tied it to the lunar cycles.
And what do foreign sources say?
The American fisherman John Alden Knight became especially popular after the light of his "Solar theory" saw the light. It happened in the 20-40s of the last century. He believed that within a month there are 4 activity cycles in fish. These cycles were called solar. Based on this theory, a peculiar lunar calendar of fish biting was developed.
According to the theory of D. A. Knight, during the lunar month there are two large cycles of activity and two small cycles. The former fall on the period when the Moon is at the very top and at the very bottom of the observer, that is, on the other side of the Earth. A small cycle falls on those moments when it is in the middle of its movement between these points, and the bite of the fish during this period increases significantly.
He further considers the effect of the phases of the moon on the biting of fish. When these cycles coincide with a sunset or moonrise, then all indicators increase significantly. And if these cycles plus everything else coincide with a full moon or a new moon, then all the prerequisites for a wild fish bite come.
But despite the fact that Knight supported his theory by catching more than 200 different fish of trophy significance, the attitude of his compatriots to the influence of the moon on the nibble of the fish is still ambiguous. Someone perceives literally as a guide to action, while others rely on their intuition, weather conditions and other factors, and it cannot be said that one of them is in greater gain.
Fishing calendar
There are different opinions among the fishermen about the lunar calendars of fish bites compiled by someone. Let's try to figure out if they are as useful as many people think of them. So, opening any such calendar, we see that it is based only on the phases of the moon, but at the same time it is made up for different types of fish: marine and freshwater, predatory and peaceful - for each fish its own calendar. And it turns out that the effect of the Moon on fish biting in August is recorded in it (for example), but the weather conditions of August are not indicated, there is no reference to a specific area, the geographical location and many other indicators, which are also of great importance for the fisherman, are not taken into account.
A vivid example: on August 15, an increased fish bite is shown, but throughout the first half of the month there was unbearable heat and the reservoir on which it was planned to fish was almost completely dry. In such a situation, no calendar will tell you the truth. Still, to a greater extent, the nibble of the fish will depend on nature, on the weather and the like. In addition, the climate has recently changed at an appalling speed, and in such conditions not only the fisherman’s lunar calendars cease to work, but also all well-known fishing principles.
So after all, what other arguments exist in favor of the fact that the moon does influence the bite of the fish? Let’s not now consider the marine life, but talk about freshwater.
Moon phases and freshwater fish bite
So, how do the lunar influence advocates relate the phases of the moon to the behavior of freshwater fish?
- Genetic memory. All freshwater fish came from their sea counterparts, and, accordingly, knowledge about the effects of ebbs and flows in their genes.
- Gravity impact. Not only ocean currents are subject to such effects, but also land. It is also able to rise and fall, but with a significantly lower amplitude. Accordingly, the movement of land affects all fresh water bodies.
Whether these statements are true, everyone must decide for themselves. Scientists have been arguing on this topic for many years. But if you nevertheless agree that the Earth’s satellite does have an effect, then under which moon is the best fish bite?
When it is at its peak, i.e. at its highest and lowest point, the activity of the fish is significantly reduced. These are the so-called turning days of the lunar month. A good nibble of fish is observed with the waning moon, but the peak itself can still be seen in the phase of the growing moon.
The influence of the satellite on predatory fish is more significant, since the peaceful one is more dependent on weather conditions and natural phenomena.
Reliable facts
Among the many conflicting facts, there are several that really confirm that there is an influence of the moon on fish biting:
- In large bodies of water, fish nibble increases significantly during high tide. This is explained by the fact that water floods the coast, on which a wide variety of food and fish knows about it, respectively, at this time tends to the coast.
- In ponds in which sharp changes in water level are observed, the fish bites much worse - this is due to the fact that she thinks not about nutrition, but about how to survive.
- In its various cycles, the moon gives a different amount of light and, accordingly, the illumination of the reservoir changes. And along with the degree of illumination, the behavior of the fish also changes.
Based on these facts, it is clear that the behavior of fish does not change so much due to the influence of the moon, but more in connection with the consequences of such an impact on our planet. A causal relationship, of course, is monitored, but it rather affects the behavior of the fish itself, but it is not known whether this fish will peck on your bait. Here a lot depends on your knowledge and skills, on understanding the characteristics of the reservoir and the habits of its inhabitants, as well as on many other factors that will matter in any phase of the moon.
Conclusion
Probably no scientist will be able to give an exact answer to whether the moon affects the bite of the fish or not. Each fisherman must rely, first of all, on his knowledge, observations, experience, but whether or not he is guided by the fisherman’s calendar, moon phases, and everything else is everyone’s personal business.
But in any case, for most of us, fishing is a great way to relax, relax, sitting on the shore with a fishing rod in hand. And it’s not really important what phase the Moon is in and whether the test fish is biting today - a real fisherman enjoys the little things: in the cod of a fire, in the sound of crickets, in the buzzing mosquito ... and of course in the lunar path on the water, along which the largest Fish in his life will come to him.