Tides, currents and the moon...

[greendiver]

Hi guys,
I have been using a tide table (chart), for spearfishing.
I have to do this, otherwise I might end up in marocco, due to very strong currents.. (straights of Gibraltar)

Also, I try to fish with incoming tide and with a high coefficient, here..there will be alot of fish.
A local fisherman told me there is alot more to it, the influence of the moon, and an other few very interesting things!

Does anyone no more about this?
Any traditional fishermen tricks or tips?
Greets!!

 

[greendiver]

I just found an intersting link, for the ones of you that want to know a bit more about all this!

Hunting and Fishing Solunar (sun and moon phase) Calendar

Fishing By Moon Phase Increase Your Catch

 

[deep thinker]

From my personal experience, and this is mostly for when diving from the shore, I have found the following.
1st is dead tide during this phase the moon is dark and there is not much difference between high and low tide so the fish tend to stay in deeper water as there is not much surge in shallower areas to churn up food. 2nd would be your normal differences between high and low tide where you find fish in the shallower water during high tide but they move deeper with low tide this would be during the early growing phase of the moon and the late shrinking phase. Lastly would be spring tide during, just before and just after the full moon phase you get big differences between high and low tide and strong current surges between these two variants so the fish seem to stay in a more constant position, not really goin very much deeper during low tide but still comin closer to shore during high tide. This does vary from place to place though and when diving from a boat it does not have such a big impact as you can reach most places where they hide easily and you also tend to move away from areas seriously affected by tides.
Hope this helps

 

[Bill]

This is a very interesting study. Solunar tables. Moon up/moon down. Currents and tides. What makes it even more interesting (spearing) is that most of the big fish that I shot were not feeding at the time. The rules for line fishing can be opposite for spear fishing. For California Halibut and White Sea Bass some of my best hunts were at low tide in very shallow water.
Aloha
Bill

 

[wet]

Hi Greendiver,

I just copied the Solunar link to my post about ancient divers and ears, thanks for that. When I used to go bowhunting for whitetail deer, I always watched where the moon cycle was, generally the more perceptive to the natural cycles, the more lucky is the hunter.

DDeden

 

[greendiver]

This is a very interesting study. Solunar tables. Moon up/moon down. Currents and tides. What makes it even more interesting (spearing) is that most of the big fish that I shot were not feeding at the time. The rules for line fishing can be opposite for spear fishing. For California Halibut and White Sea Bass some of my best hunts were at low tide in very shallow water.
Aloha
Bill

Hi Bill, I have noticed this too, with bass and cudas , I think that "predatores" hunt during the normal feeding cycle, then they are "patrolling", if they notice a strange entity in their territory they will come and have a look...that might explain it.
Line fishers cannot only fish if the fish are hungry!!

 

[scrounger]

if you want to fish the least amount of tidal current dive the half moon. this is when it will pull the least amount of water, so i am told.

 

[Virgili]

Observed that during full moon great pelagics used to hunt at night close to the surface and swimm at the day close to the thermocline...
in Med Sea full moon is not the best period for spearfishing.