Moon phases for fishing...the same on the Atlantic?

[bajafisher]

The thought occurred to me that maybe you fishermen of the Atlantic coast use this same folklore method to guage wind and fishing conditions that I do in the Sea of Cortez.

The first Mexican fisherman I ever met in Baja was Manuel Dias, who was an experienced fisherman and diver. I met him in 1973 and one of the first things he taught me about saltwater-fishing was to look at the stars and moon the night before. Maybe some of you will remember this and possibly still practice this old bit of folklore.

Here it is as told to me:

WIND PREDICTION; 1. Look at the evening stars. First the ones directly overhead. If they are 'twinkling' the wind will be up by noon the next day. Second the ones on the horizon. If they are 'twinkling' it will be windy early in the morning. Think of 'windy' as 10-12 mph or better. Whitecaps at 12mph.

GOOD/BAD FISHING PREDICTION: Night before going..Look at the moon phase. As you are standing/sitting there with your Pacifico looking at that gorgeous Baja moon, note if the image of the moon..will hold water or not. If the shape is half-moon, quarter-moon, whatever-moon...will it hold water if you poured some into the shape? If it can hold water...go fish, it's going to be a good day. If it's tipped over so it won't hold water, good luck, because you'll need it.! Maybe best to go arrowhead-hunting.

Now, does this work? Yes, it does. Been using that formula as my criteria for predicting winds and fishing for 33 years of great fishing success. Lots of reasons why, but let's just keep it Baja-magic and chalk another one up for my good friend, Manuel. By the way, Cree Indians in northern Canada use the same methods for fishing the huge lakes and Hudson's Bay waters.

What do you think? Do you guys do the same thing...maybe you knew this all along? Good luck and watch those night skies!

[tubbyama]

Concerning the moon phase: I agree that full moon is pretty lame in baja for Marlin, however one of the most wide open bited for tuna and wahoo occured for us a Isle Cerravo on a completely full moon. But that was probably the exception. What are you to do though? When I'm down there for a month, its gonna be full at some point, and im gonna fish reguardless.

[bajafisher]

If you have a choice I'd fish the new moon. Some say billfish feed on squid at night more actively on a full moon and therefore are not as active in the day.

[tubbyama]

I'm flying to Loreto on the 13th. This time its mostly for surfing ot at San Jaunico. I may fish a day or two, but I've heard the Dodo fishing at loreto is not good this fall. Oh well.

[bajafisher]

Maybe this report can help you...it is getting better down there, so cheer up, you might gt into some good fishing after all!

From Mexfish.com for Loreto:

Oct 1, 2005 - Loreto, Mexico Fishing Report:

I have been back fishing a Loreto for about two weeks, and since I have been back I have found the best fishing in Loreto so far this year.

The first three days fishing I saw yellowfin tuna each day but managed only two striped marlin and four dorado, the largest around 20 pounds.

The fourth day out, Monday, September 26, I scored on 5 yellowfin to 26 pounds and also 1 marlin, 1 sailfish, 2 dorado and a bonito. That is a pretty good day of solo fishing in Loreto or anyplace.

On Wednesday I went out with Robert Lawson. We did not find the school of tuna until midday, and then although we had many bites, both tuna and billfish, we caught only two yellowfin, one 37 pounds and another around 30.

The school of tuna with porpoise over them has been northeast of the marina in Loreto offshore, about 25 miles out, slowly drifting south for the past week or ten days. Hardly anybody is fishing it.

Two days I was out there and saw not a single other boat all day.

On Thursday a stiff breeze piped up in the afternoon and the sea has since been unsettled as Hurricane Otis bears down on Loreto.

The many acres of baitfish that have been holding the tuna may have been broken up and scattered by the turbulent surface waters.

Yesterday I went out and could not find the tuna. The swells 20 miles offshore were 4 to 5 feet, and I came back in early with only 2 small dorado caught off Punta Lobo.

Since I have been back to Loreto and before the storm, the water has been a beautiful clear blue with surface temperatures in the mid-80s in the early morning to the high-80s in the heat of the day.

Loreto fishing weather has been so calm until early afternoon and sometimes all day that you can see from a mile away boils of tuna crashing balls of bait they have herded to the surface.

Twice I have seen Loreto surface water temperatures of 90 or above. About ten days ago between Catalana and Monserrate it reached 91 degrees, and earlier this week east of Coronado 20 miles out of the marina it peaked at 90.

In late August, with much more fishing than catching in Loreto, I made an early foray out to Thetis Bank and then on down to the East Cape to try for a big blue marlin on his way south for the winter.

I went to Thetis via Puerto Lopez Mateo and was accompanied by Ruben Duran, without whom I would have never made it in and out of the entrada. We saw no billfish or wahoo and caught only two small dorado on the bank. On the way back in, however, about 10 miles outside the entrada we found yellowfin tuna and over about two hours in the late afternoon caught 14 averaging around 15 pounds.

On the East Cape, I stayed at the Hideaway at El Cardonal. Until my last day of about 3 weeks fishing, with the exception of a couple of hours on three mornings trying in vain for wahoo, I trolled big marlin feathers for blue marlin. I caught only one blue, around 175 pounds, and a couple of ambitious stripers. There were no other out of town fishermen while I was in El Cardonal. Three pangueros targeted blue marlin while I was there. We each caught one. Two were around 300 pounds and the other was about the size of mine, something under 200. On September 16, my last day on the East Cape I fished with Vicente, the dean of the El Cardonal pangueros. We jigged up three big squid and chunked them off Punta Pescadero for 15 yellowfin 12 - 20 pounds.

(Related articles and reports may be found on the main Loreto fishing information page of Mexfish.com. See this week's edition of Mexico Fishing News for current photos and reports for Loreto and all other areas.)

MEXICO FISHING < LORETO FISHING < FISHING REPORT

[tubbyama]

Thanks Man. Hope I don't have to run from some angry Chubasco (I dont think I spelled that right).

[bajafisher]

Oddly enough, I just posted this reply on another fishing thread here...Another Hurricane, etc...So I will just paste it here. It has to do with you, too. Weather here now is a little surly but not too bad...we need the rain anyway.

From the other post: Typically, those storms that do form roll off to the west without significantly impacting the peninsula. Otis was the exception for this year (so far). You are now nearing the end of the hurricane season and should be fine. The GOES 9 sattelite photo shows some storm development off Acapulco, but otherwise clear weather.

You should be fine. Go have fun - it is a great time of the year

[59022]

I avoid the full moon, unless I'm baying at it!