Best moon phase for night fishing?

[pd]

Throwing this out to guys who’ve spent some time night fishing for bass. I’ve fished a few reservoirs and a couple ‘off the record’ spots at night for decades. I usually focus on the full moon. It’s easier to see stuff, and I’ve always believed the mantra that daytime bass fishing gets real slow during the full moon because they were feeding that night. It seems to hold true. Daytime fishing on the full moon is historically bad for me. But I’d like to hear folks’ opinions who have spent time night fishing as to what they’ve noticed during one moon phase vs. another.

Thanks.

[WRB]

In regards to pre spawn and spawn cycle the full moon affects bass activity day or night.
Summer night bass fishing the full moon’s light give us better casting accuracy and a more enjoyable outing but haven’t experienced more or less feeding activity at night during dark moon phases.
Tom

[BIG DADDY BLUE RANGER]

I’m sure there’s others with more night time experience but I always found 3-5 days before or after a full moon to be best at night. Popular opinion suggests fishing the full moon but the full moon itself was typically pretty slow for me; too bright out

Butch Brown has said he’s never done well (daytime fishing) if he can see the moon high in the sky

[WRB]

When talking about the “full” moon it generally means the 5 night periods 2 before, full and 2 after. The old saying a moon that holds water is your best fishing period….too many/wives tails!
Tom

[milehi]

When I was a much much younger man I did alot of night fishing using black lights & fluorescent line, always like dark nites

[Sam K]

New moon. CSS could be a problem.

[WRB]

SoCal public lakes were closed at dusk until the early 90’s when a few night charity events were held at Castiac and Casitas, plus the Trolling Motor sponsored derbies.
These early tournaments were off the charts, you needed 35+ lbs to get a check!
Predominate lures were Lunker Plunkers and crank baits before dusk and big worms during darkness.
The derbies were also held near a night full moon period.
Tom

[milehi]

Guy I knew got a 14 on a crankbait in one those

[pd]

Yeah I remember those Casitas and Castaic night tournies years back. Fished one of them Casitas. It’s definitely a different game at night. There are some interesting YouTube videos from the Tactical Bassin guys on night fishing. They mentioned the factor of water clarity has a big effect on which moon phase can be most productive. Clearwater favors darker moon periods, murky water bigger moon phases, related to light penetration. I thought that was pretty interesting.

[Kelly Ripa]

I'm with Butch on this. If you can see the full moon during the day it's going to be bad. I think when it's full on the other side of the planet or at least not visable at night the tidal pull increases the activity periods during the day. I have always done best with Blue Daddy's 3-5 before and after here at Casitas. I fished a whole WON night series one year at Casitas and they didn't even weigh my 10 pound fish for big fish honors just for my total weight because there were so many fish over 12-14 pound class caught that night... 37+ pounds won it ...I'll never know what broke my partner off that night but it totally screamed his line off his spinning reel....It was as fast as a bonita and got into brush before he could even slow it down. Eric and Larry Elshere fished off the bank with crawdads right across from the marina one full moon summer night and had 55 pounds for there best 5. I sorely miss those days.

[pd]

Night fishing at Casitas with a spinning reel (in a tourney) sounds like a recipe for disaster back then or even today!

I think a lot of the old school team tourneys WERE held on the full moon. Maybe just to make things easier for visibility I suppose. Sounds like dark is better overall. Appreciate the feedback. There aren’t too many lakes that let us night fish.

Those were good times indeed, Rip.

[toddmc]

Yeah I remember those Casitas and Castaic night tournies years back. Fished one of them Casitas. It’s definitely a different game at night. There are some interesting YouTube videos from the Tactical Bassin guys on night fishing. They mentioned the factor of water clarity has a big effect on which moon phase can be most productive. Clearwater favors darker moon periods, murky water bigger moon phases, related to light penetration. I thought that was pretty interesting.

I'm have been fishing golf course ponds once or twice a week and many night tournaments on Socal lakes for over four decades. I have over 10,000 fish on black spinnerbaits alone. I wanted to be the next Doug Hannon when I was young. I kept very detailed journals for about 20 years before I just decided go fishing when I want, instead of worrying about the moon phase.
There are so many factors beyond moon phase. As mentioned above, the darker the water the brighter the moon you want to fish is what I found to be a general rule, but fish have better senses than humans, and it all matters. I prefer to fish the full moon with any color water simply because you can see better and it is much more majestic in a lot of the desert mountain golf course lakes that I fish, but I am not afraid to fish dark water on a dark moon. My expectations are a lot less though. I fish very close to cover and structure in this scenario.
Bass use cover and structure at night, just like they do during the day. On brighter moons in clearer water, fish the shadows and darker sides of points. Also, fish faster with more power baits when you have more current/wind. The number one factor in whether a golf course lake it good is whether it has a waterfall/current/water movement and it is used for irrigation of the course. You almost always get clear water and grass when you have a waterfall. I don't like fishing night tournaments on bigger water when you don't have wind in the forecast because I am forced to throw plastics so much during the day.
Beyond these things, having a new bait that other people aren't throwing is key. I will be on DVL this Saturday night and my 16 year-old and I will be trying to do plenty of stuff other people aren't doing.

[WRB]

I fished the early Casitas night events with my son when he was 15 and he caught a 14.2 using his Iovino Split shot spinning rod near the bout line on a 8” split shot worm and we had the cable to deal with!
I miss those times
Tom

[pd]

So then…”theoretically speaking”, if one was to go night fishing at a local lake (not a golf course pond - thx for that anyways, haha! done enough of that, doesn’t count) it sounds like the darker moon phases are favored.

I’ve only ever fished nights in summer. Love to hear any knowledge of different times of year. I know some Clear Lake guys fish nights quite a bit, not necessarily all in the summer.

[Kelly Ripa]

I fish Clear Lake at night every chance I get regardless of lunar phase. Sometimes I swear the big fish are tuned into the night there because of the pressure.

[WRB]

A late friend fished Toledo Bend at night from March to November for over 35 years logging his outings and came to the conclusion there wasn’t any moon phase that was better, some nights are tough and others great, the only way to know is fish.
In SoCal our public lakes are closed at dusk and open for a few nights each summer, very little opportunity to night bass fish from a boat. I can’t recall not catching a few decent bass at night, but the hour of 1st darkness was always tough until adjusting to darkness. Being a jig fisherman could catch bass on the bank down to 30’, the most aggressive strike's being in shallower water.
Looking back anglers with bright stadium lights did’t just as well as anglers with no lights, another night fishing topic to explore.
Butch was talking about moon phase overhead during daylight not night for what it’s worth.
Tom

[jiggin4bass]

Night fishing Big 1/2oz. & 3/4oz. Arkie head mop jigs in a variety of colors and big daddy pork and Short arm Spinnerbaits 1/2oz & 3/4oz. Deep cup colorado single blades (Black) 1/2oz Buzzbaits. (Black/Red) Chatterbaits. (Black/Red)
Eastman & Hensley lake night fishing April til Sept

[toddmc]

So then…”theoretically speaking”, if one was to go night fishing at a local lake (not a golf course pond - thx for that anyways, haha! done enough of that, doesn’t count) it sounds like the darker moon phases are favored.

I’ve only ever fished nights in summer. Love to hear any knowledge of different times of year. I know some Clear Lake guys fish nights quite a bit, not necessarily all in the summer.

Night fishing isn't just about the summer. A couple of warmer nights in the winter can push the fish shallow and turn night fishing into some of the best fishing of the year. I don't just fish golf courses. I regularly do well in night tournaments on bigger lakes. I caught a 7.23 last night in a tournament at DVL. Moon phase applies anywhere anytime. I do fish Clear Lake at night also.

[toddmc]

A late friend fished Toledo Bend at night from March to November for over 35 years logging his outings and came to the conclusion there wasn’t any moon phase that was better, some nights are tough and others great, the only way to know is fish.
In SoCal our public lakes are closed at dusk and open for a few nights each summer, very little opportunity to night bass fish from a boat. I can’t recall not catching a few decent bass at night, but the hour of 1st darkness was always tough until adjusting to darkness. Being a jig fisherman could catch bass on the bank down to 30’, the most aggressive strike's being in shallower water.
Looking back anglers with bright stadium lights did’t just as well as anglers with no lights, another night fishing topic to explore.
Butch was talking about moon phase overhead during daylight not night for what it’s worth.
Tom

Yes, a good angler can catch fish on any moon phase and I never let the moon phase only dictate when I day or night fish. The only time I won't night fish is after several well below average temperature day/nights in the winter. This is often very tough fishing.

[WRB]

Thunder storms w/ lightning keeps me off the water day or night!
Tom

[Steve]

I fish extensively at night year round. Ive kept great records for moon phase when Ive caught "big fish". For me and the way I fish, there is no doubt that the best moon phase for night fishing is from the last quarter through 3 days after the new moon. I cant stand fishing at night during a full moon and will avoid it at all costs if I can.

[toddmc]

I fish extensively at night year round. Ive kept great records for moon phase when Ive caught "big fish". For me and the way I fish, there is no doubt that the best moon phase for night fishing is from the last quarter through 3 days after the new moon. I cant stand fishing at night during a full moon and will avoid it at all costs if I can.

What water color are you fishing? Why don't you like the full moon?

[WRB]

In SoCal our public lakes are only open for one night fishing during the 5 days around the full moon phase. If you don’t fish the full moon phase you don’t bass fish at night from a boat.
Tom