| I have always believed that the sun and the | | | | determining to the minute, when the sun came up |
| moon movements affect fish and wildlife activity. | | | | and went down, and when the moon came up |
| Looking on the internet you will find numerous | | | | and went down each and every day. His 21 year |
| products offered that will show you the best | | | | old fishing log revealed without question that fish |
| fishing times for any given day. Some of these | | | | were active during a 90 minute window |
| seem pretty generic and often don't seem to | | | | surrounding each one of these four daily |
| truly coincide with real time results. A long time | | | | influences. |
| fishing guide and pro fisherman, Joe Bucher has | | | | Unfortunately many of the current publications do |
| recorded stats and activity for many years. He | | | | not make their predictions based on these four |
| has studied the information offered in many of | | | | vital factors sun rise, sun set, moon rise and |
| these products. | | | | moon set. |
| He often pondered the validity of factors such as | | | | It is certainly no secret that feeding movements |
| full moon, dark moon, and major and minor | | | | of both fish and game is accelerated during dawn |
| activity periods. He wondered if any of this data | | | | and dusk. This correlates with sun rise and sun |
| really could be validated and also wondered if the | | | | set. Moon rise and set is a bit trickier to key in on |
| solunar theory is a valid tool to determine the | | | | though since they can often occur at mid-day or |
| best day and time to go fishing. | | | | mid night. |
| In 1976, when Joe decided to become a full time | | | | Another fact that his logs identified was the |
| fishing guide, he began documenting daily fishing | | | | predictable frequency of big fish catches during |
| catches and solunar chart predictions. He was | | | | the peak moon phases of full and new moon. |
| then able to use his data from catches that | | | | Many more big muskies, walleyes, and bass were |
| included hundreds of muskies, and thousands of | | | | taken right on the scheduled calendar day of both |
| bass and walleyes on a daily, monthly, and yearly | | | | the full or new (dark) moon peak, and continued |
| basis. He cross referenced his data to the | | | | for a three to five day period afterward. This |
| predicted activity levels from some of these | | | | would indicate that if the full moon peak is on |
| solunar tables and learned more about determining | | | | June 10th, June 10 thru 15 have great potential |
| the best time to go fishing. | | | | for trophies. |
| One conclusion immediately came to mind. His | | | | He came to the conclusion that you should plan |
| analysis convinced him that some of the traditional | | | | your fishing trips to fall during the peak of the full |
| solar, lunar criteria proved all too often to have no | | | | or new moon. Then you want to be on your |
| validity. He came to the conclusion that most of | | | | favourite big fish spots during the daily rise and |
| the solunar tables published offered no real | | | | set of both the sun and the moon. |
| consistent correlation to fishing success and at | | | | He also discovered that you should consider one |
| that point he decided to put these theories on the | | | | other factor. That would be the influence caused |
| back burner. | | | | by the local weather changes. Whenever a major |
| Over time he just could not continue to ignore | | | | weather change occurs during the daily rise or set |
| this popular theory. Why do you suppose it kept | | | | of either the sun or the moon and during a peak |
| nagging at him? It was because he actually | | | | monthly moon period, he expects to catch big |
| discovered that there was in fact a certain solar | | | | fish. Given a severe summer thunderstorm right |
| and lunar effect on fish activity. His discovery | | | | at sunset, and just before moon rise during the |
| worked so well that it was hard to believe at first. | | | | new moon period and he is comfortable in claiming |
| His daily fishing logs had surely disputed the | | | | that he will catch some of the biggest muskies or |
| commonly accepted predictions, but they just as | | | | the biggest catch of lunker walleyes. |
| surely pointed to indisputable evidence that here | | | | His ultimate conclusion is now that the rise and set |
| did exist solar and lunar factors that were worthy | | | | of both the sun and moon has far more impact |
| of closer attention. | | | | than any other daily sun or moon position. That is |
| He gained a new respect regarding the solar and | | | | without exception the single most important daily |
| lunar theories being offered. He confesses that he | | | | triggering factor of both fish and game. Monthly |
| went from totally disbelieving to being totally | | | | peaks in both the full and new moon are a |
| convinced. In fact, He now will tell you that he can | | | | secondary factor definitely worth considering. |
| predict the most probable daily, monthly and even | | | | When fish of all sizes are feeding infrequently due |
| yearly times when the biggest fish are most likely | | | | to a prolonged streak of bad local weather |
| to be caught. He discovered that his own | | | | conditions, that small window of three to four |
| predictions about the best time to go fishing were | | | | days right after the actual moon peaks, full or |
| correct almost every single time! | | | | new, may be the only time that the largest fish |
| He had concluded that the true secret to | | | | of any species is truly vulnerable. Fishing during the |
| determining actual daily solar, lunar influences was | | | | daily rise or set of the sun and moon during these |
| nothing more than observing when the sun and | | | | key monthly moon phases should be your priority |
| moon rose and set on a 24 hour basis. The | | | | when arranging your fishing schedule. |
| answer to using this data could be best utilized by | | | | |