Will Full Moon Kill Hot Bite? Let's Fish Daylight to Moonlight!

[@marktorello3133]

This is a great question. I ask this of experienced fisherman all the time. Especially trout fishing guides when I do a trip out west. This is striper fishing with a fly rod and mostly from a boat. As a general rule I won't fish on the full and new moons. Two days before or two days after is always better catching. My theory is the moon phases are moving days for the fish since the tides are the strongest. This is experience is based on 25 years of saltwater fishing in LI sound and Block island sound. I have not fished at night in over 15 years. I prefer dawn till 7:30/8:00 in the summer.

[@patrickgregory1078]

I have seen them before once in a lifetime sighting, also saw the space shuttle chasing the space station also once in a lifetime sighting. 🛸

[@YAYOSKAYAK]

I never had any luck before or after a full moon. Awesome starlink footage.

[@billmiller1263]

Canal rig that spook John......

[@robertlukas3036]

The satellites' winking out in exactly the same place was each of them entering the Earth's shadow. From the satellite's point of view, nightfall. Beautifully captured!

[@nightsurf3927]

Full moon from the beach has only been good under full cloud cover for me. I feel under a bright moon in the shallow water of the surf the bass are too light shy.

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

Thanks for that.

[@chazbickel4518]

I like to fish the dawn bite, full moon always seems to shut it down.

[@usobninja14]

I definitely prefer a new moon to a full moon, I’ve done ok full moon but never really killed it but new moon on the other hand ohh man lol. My issue with this particular moon phase is it hit after a full week of very strong winds and it scattered and moved the clouds of spearing, peanut bunker, and snappers out of my area on the south shore at least where I’m fishing and has only left small patches of tiny rain bait so everything pretty much shut down, luckily this morning I saw a slight return in life and managed to squeak out two short fluke to avoid a skunk but still little to no sign of bass and blues

[@Scottysevins]

I’m in total agreement with you about everything you said.

[@vipergeddy]

Jhon for the question it seems to hert just like deer hunting the morning of the full bass are feeling all night with the light of the moon no bites just like deer in the morning feed all night with the moon

[@goodvideos.113]

I really enjoyed fishing here today, my dear friend. 22:30

[@johnrichjr.415]

Full moon , unless there is heavy cloud cover or even better stormy wx , i stay home. Decades of surf fishing the full moon, in my younger years, ive learned those are the nights to stay home and take care of gear or rest up for coming nights after the big night light in the sky dims.

[@brianhughes4309]

I love the, “I swear I can smell the blue fish”. Awesome cadence on the rod twitch, never seen that before.

[@knuckknucks9075]

I saw the satellite two weeks ago just south of you about 100 miles

[@jasonkemp202]

Typically don't do so good on fool moon thanks for the vids and all your information

[@michaelsimko7694]

I've done better during full moons. Calmer conditions with at least 30% cloud cover during the daytime help me get more hits. A big advantage here in southwestern CT during full moons is the low tides are at low levels, which gives me the advantage to wade out farther and have better chances at catching fish. Evening low tides about an hour or two before sunset during full moons is my favorite time. As long as the wind isn't too breezy or the water isn't choppy, the evening incoming tide during full moons normally produces excellent action.

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

Your low tide pattern is very similar to what I liked when I lived in Wading River. Thanks for the input.

[@klarkgoros2343]

I'm in the same general area as you, and I'm a firm believer that the effect of moonlight is overstated. I actually did some calculations and little write-up for myself trying to quantify moonlight penetration into the water and potentially tie it to fishing. It's hard to make definitive conclusions cause of how many variables there are in fishing, but my takeaway has been to be focus less on moonlight, and it's paid off. I've actually had more memorable nights on bright moons, but overall I'd say there's little difference in my fishing. I know there's tons of anecdotal evidence for bad fishing under bright moons, but I have a hard time pinning bright moons as the primary culprit when there are so many other variables at play. In the context of your video, I will say that daytime bites rarely ever transition well into nighttime for me. The times I've actually fished 4+ hours in one go, it's almost always taken at least a couple of hours for something to start re-materializing, if it does at all. If I'm targeting a night window, I wait for true night (before/after astronomical twilight). Jerry Audet talks a bit about this, and honestly it was one of the most impactful adjustments I've ever made.

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

Great comment. I'm also not a fan of that hour after sunset period, and would rather have "dark dark". I fished until 2.5 hours after sunset, so definitely experienced that.

[@gregdorey3394]

Really nice work. Searching to find the fish. The full moon doesn't seem to be helpful on the stripers here in my location. Rising tide at dusk and dawn.

[@Teach_1ne]

Always the new moon near Halloween. Big big night stripers

[@fishingthesalt1]

I fish in RI. Although there are plenty around me who say they do great , ive never seen it. Ive copied their tactics and have not done well at all.

[@shawnharris2242]

I always seem do do better in early am as dawn breaks but have been skunked the past few days fishing the incoming high tide. Have you ever thought about making a video targeting weakifish from shore at night? Thats on my surfcasting species hit list but not sure how to go about it.

[@callmeishmaelk767]

Delaware Bay looks very similar. Be interesting to see what a master class fisherman can do from the shore

[@dstratton9419]

@johnskinner do you have any videos of how you retrieve

[@InTheFlow66]

Great video. Your cadence always seems to be the same on your pencil retrieve. Do you ever vary it from cast to cast or within the same retrieve?

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

I tend to thrash it hard when being followed.

[@potcrak1]

Notice how Skinner uses shore rocks for camouflage.

[@tolpacourt]

Stop smoking pot and crack.

[@potcrak1]

I don't. Tolpa.@@tolpacourt

[@samuelsellers3829]

I have a question I used to have a rod that was 8 foot medium heavy casting rod I use a ton in the salt water here in the Carolinas dose any companies still make a 8 foot rod like that

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

I'd look at St. Croix offerings.

[@samuelsellers3829]

@@JohnSkinnerFishing ok sound good

[@FishingwithBrewski]

Full moon seems to hurt the shallow water NC speckled trout bite. I've seen a pattern over the years. Usually an incredible bite somewhere in the days before or after with full moon day itself being tough.

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

Thanks for that!

[@Fords_N_Fishin]

I’ve noticed the same with weakfish at night, maybe some type of similarity

[@willie-the-fisherman]

When it's full moon, I never get something good, I think when it's full moon fish be less active

[@Nightrangersb]

Great stuff as usual John. What determines whether you stand on the beach or on a rock? I don’t have nearly enough experience to opine about full moons. How much of a full moon have y’all makes a difference? In other words, how many days around full moon are affected? Obviously, other conditions obtain and may be more important. But all other things being equal? Maybe a silly hypothetical.

[@pastapaul150]

Great daytime catch! You always make it look easy. What tide was the daytime fishing?

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

Incoming the whole time.

[@TridentDriver]

I've always seemed to do poorly fishing the full moon night catfishing.

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

Thanks for that input!

[@christopherdiesso]

When was this I was just out there in orient at your same spot yesterday and it was super rough. Was this during the week last week?

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

It was. Keep in mind this area is very windy and there are points and coves that take the wind and waves differently.

[@thecoastalboysband.]

John, It's hard to tell. When you cast, how far do you get the lure out?

[@paulb9376]

Full moon has always produced for me. And I’ve also have had better luck with larger fish at night, 2-4am range on a incoming tide

[@chuckdumas1023]

Full moon with good cloud cover can be good ! Other than that not that great

[@Oooweee440]

How deep was the water? I keep hearing people say you have to fish striper from 15ft drop off but it looks barely 8ft where you are catching these

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

15 feet end of the cast

[@michaelfoley1966]

My pb 46lb bass was on a BRIGHT full moon in October in the surf…

[@josephgomes8543]

Full moon fishing is often beautiful but I haven't had much luck when it was clear. You can always READ about CATCHING by the light of the moon: maaybe a John Skinner book !

[@JohnKolb-iq3gw]

how far is your casts? No perspective in the video

[@Fords_N_Fishin]

I find that it depends on the spot you fish, a full moon seems to do better in spots that turn on with moving water because of the high volume of water dumping, on a neap tide you’re more or less better off fishing places that are more productive with less current movement because there is less! That’s when I like to fish bait for cows.

[@MrSmashAdams87]

At night, Sp minnow. Darker colors or bone. 60% of the time, it works every time. 👍🏾

[@jamefishin3333]

What do you mean you could smell the bluefish Mr skinner

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

Strong oily smell, similar to bunker.

[@duffmeister6480]

I’m considering the 4000 Saltex, if you have both sizes, why do you prefer the 6000 ? It seems a little large for a 9 foot rod. Thanks.

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

For me, a 4000 goes on an 8-ft rod. A 9-footer gets a 5000 or 6000.

[@johnc6228]

Black poppers and frogs are used for largemouth bass at night. Has anyone ever tried any of the bigger black poppers or bombers for striped bass?

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

Black and purple are good night colors for stripers on dark nights.

[@johnc6228]

@@JohnSkinnerFishingThere is a new trend in lures recently where the lure is lifelike in addition to the regular lures painted with color on top and a white belly. Baitfish species are dark on top for predators looking down and light beneath for ones looking up. I always thought that lures should be dark on the bottom so that fish looking up see the contrast with the sky. It singles the lure out. Striped bass also see red but you only find redhead lures and some recent Rapalas have a red belly.

[@roywright5485]

I have had good luck with painting one of my pencils with a dark purple color changing paint. Nothing like it on the market.

[@johnc6228]

@@roywright5485 That sounds interesting. -something to try. If you also do any deep sinking lures purple is an important color to have. It shows up as lavender in deep water.

[@BIGGANT78]

​@@roywright5485...Shifters paint?

[@callmeishmaelk767]

@johnskinner, love the videos, if you ever want to try south jersey fishing I own a place a block and a half from the bay in Villas NJ. Cheap rental...$1,400/week.

[@vipergeddy]

Looks like war of the world's lol isn't that rich dudes satellites

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

Yes.

[@BlastinBassFishing]

I never have a good bite on a full moon

[@johnw.cirago9300]

YOU SMELLIN THOSE CUCOMBERS / BLUE FISH

[@gennerobootz6490]

John aren’t you a doctor or an engineer at Brookhaven?

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

Software developer, retired.

[@gennerobootz6490]

@@JohnSkinnerFishing oh ok 👍 cool

[@meirshamai1]

Erly morning fishing of a full moon means no fish. Fishing in israel

[@JohnSkinnerFishing]

Thanks for that input from so far away!