Solunar Tables

[OzarksRiverman]

I agree with everyone else. I may glance at them from time to time, but never really pay much attention to them and certainly wouldn't plan a trip around them.

I did that a few times this summer. I went to places where I'd had no luck in the past at the time the Solunar tables indicated, and I didn't do any better than before.

[flytyer57]

Solunar theory was advocated by a fellow named John Alden Knight, who was a sports writer back in the 1940's & 50's......he is also the originator of the Mickey Finn fly. I have a couple of his books in my collection......His "Black Bass" is a good one..Lots of color plates of old timey bass flies...

Anyway, I put about as much faith in the solunar tables as I do his Mickey Finn fly. Still have a couple someplace, but I cant remember catching a fish on that fly. Cheers.

Go north and cast those Mickey Finns for northern pike. They love 'em. Just be sure to use a wire bite tippet. In fact I used to epoxy the bodies of my MFinns. Tie 'em on size 2 or larger hooks, get out the 9wt, cast them into a known pike holes and hold on.

[ozarkstripers.com]

Throw away the old moon phase charts but dont overlook the astro tables. They have their place. I agree with everyone that local conditions are the most important factor in fishing, however, during long periods of stable weather conditions i live and die by the astro table. For example last winter walleye fishing, generation and weather patterns were fairly consistent and me and a couple walleye buddies began using the fishing buddy app on our droid phones to record exact times and weather conditions for each walleye caught. When you catch a walleye you click a button on your phone and it records all pertinent info. After doing this for nearly all winter we then went back and compared our catches to the astro tables predictions and were amazed at the results. It was very accurate in predicting heavy feeding times. We did catch fish outside the times predicted on nearly every trip but almost always had our best catch rates on days with the highest fishing values and during the predicted times. Only exceptions were due to changes in local conditions; fronts moving through or generations variances. There is a link at ozarkstripers.com for the astrotable we used. I will also note that when we tried the same experiment during the walleye spawn and white bass run in the spring the results were all over the place. I do use the table religiously for striper fishing after I refer to generation and local weather conditions. Again I have went back and checked predicted times with actual times fish were caught and most of my big stripers have been caught during predicted times and most of my multiple catch days have occured on days with a fairly high value. In my opinion(for what it is worth) I would say it is worth taking a look at if for no other reason than to increase your confidence which affects the intensity in which you fish. Perhaps that is the true magic of the Astro Tables!!!!

[Al Agnew]

Throw away the old moon phase charts but dont overlook the astro tables. They have their place. I agree with everyone that local conditions are the most important factor in fishing, however, during long periods of stable weather conditions i live and die by the astro table. For example last winter walleye fishing, generation and weather patterns were fairly consistent and me and a couple walleye buddies began using the fishing buddy app on our droid phones to record exact times and weather conditions for each walleye caught. When you catch a walleye you click a button on your phone and it records all pertinent info. After doing this for nearly all winter we then went back and compared our catches to the astro tables predictions and were amazed at the results. It was very accurate in predicting heavy feeding times. We did catch fish outside the times predicted on nearly every trip but almost always had our best catch rates on days with the highest fishing values and during the predicted times. Only exceptions were due to changes in local conditions; fronts moving through or generations variances. There is a link at ozarkstripers.com for the astrotable we used. I will also note that when we tried the same experiment during the walleye spawn and white bass run in the spring the results were all over the place. I do use the table religiously for striper fishing after I refer to generation and local weather conditions. Again I have went back and checked predicted times with actual times fish were caught and most of my big stripers have been caught during predicted times and most of my multiple catch days have occured on days with a fairly high value. In my opinion(for what it is worth) I would say it is worth taking a look at if for no other reason than to increase your confidence which affects the intensity in which you fish. Perhaps that is the true magic of the Astro Tables!!!!

That last is a good point, but I kinda turn it around...I DON'T want to know what the tables say, because I don't want to enter the day with preconceived notions as to whether it will be a good day, or a good hour, or not. I guess if I could simply go fishing anytime I wanted, I might want to maximize my chances of catching fish by going by the tables, but since, like most people, I can't always choose the days I go, and I go seldom enough that when I go I usually fish all day, I want to go into it thinking every day and every hour I fish might be terrific. I use my own optimism to keep my confidence level up. If I was pessimistic about the time period from noon to 4 PM, for instance, I might not be fishing with enough confidence and enough concentration to do well...and it would therefore become a self-fulfilling prophecy!

[flytyer57]

That last is a good point, but I kinda turn it around...I DON'T want to know what the tables say, because I don't want to enter the day with preconceived notions as to whether it will be a good day, or a good hour, or not. I guess if I could simply go fishing anytime I wanted, I might want to maximize my chances of catching fish by going by the tables, but since, like most people, I can't always choose the days I go, and I go seldom enough that when I go I usually fish all day, I want to go into it thinking every day and every hour I fish might be terrific. I use my own optimism to keep my confidence level up. If I was pessimistic about the time period from noon to 4 PM, for instance, I might not be fishing with enough confidence and enough concentration to do well...and it would therefore become a self-fulfilling prophecy!

I agree 101% with you here Al.

[laker67]

That last is a good point, but I kinda turn it around...I DON'T want to know what the tables say, because I don't want to enter the day with preconceived notions as to whether it will be a good day, or a good hour, or not. I guess if I could simply go fishing anytime I wanted, I might want to maximize my chances of catching fish by going by the tables, but since, like most people, I can't always choose the days I go, and I go seldom enough that when I go I usually fish all day, I want to go into it thinking every day and every hour I fish might be terrific. I use my own optimism to keep my confidence level up. If I was pessimistic about the time period from noon to 4 PM, for instance, I might not be fishing with enough confidence and enough concentration to do well...and it would therefore become a self-fulfilling prophecy!

That's good advice Al. My father used to tell me that the best time,to go fishing, was whenever you had the chance.

[gramps50]

I was wondering about the solunar tables printed in magazines and online, plus the multiple Android apps that attempt to perdict when the fish will be biting. So I came here to see what other had to say. You guys pretty much said what I thought, they are page filler or an attempt to scam you out of a few bucks in some cases.

My observaton from looking at several of them, they are not the same. I get one in the magazine by Barnet, I think and it says for instance today is a Good day, with good being the best, another one that I got online yesterday says it's average and the prime times are not the same.

I would have to agree that weather conditions and water condition have more to do with the fish bite than anything else.

My moto "Fish Every Chance You Get"

[Justin Spencer]

If you ever notice deer movement in the daytime many times if you see one deer out and about, you see several others in different places. Don't know if fish activity is similar, but it seems like during an hour or two a day the fishing is better than at others. I always wondered if it was the "spot" or the sun or moon position.

[id10t]

I use them, They work great in the fall,winter & early spring. Not for fishing mind you. I do most of my float camping during those times. I like to camp during full moons. If you know your river and where it is you want to camp the moon can give you that extra time on the water when fishing is good. The extra light helps on the gravel bar when your moving about at night. There is nothing better than a small fire, the sound of moving water and full moon crossing the bluff while you sit and enjoy an adult beverage for me.

The other thing the full moon is supposed to do is keep Bigfoot away or so I have been told. I have to believe it cause I have never seen one around camp when the moon is full. Come to think of it I have never seen one during in other moon phase either but they are out there or so I have been told.