How does moon phase and barometric pressure affect fish activity?
I started paying attention to moon phases nearly 45 years ago. Back then, I was obsessively fishing in western Long Island Sound, and I couldn’t help noticing how the striper bite spiked around the full moon – specifically from one day before to one day after. The uptick was so dramatic, I’d find myself counting down the days to the next moon.
I also noticed that the biggest striper of the year in my local zone – from Mamaroneck, NY to Norwalk, CT – always seemed to be caught on the night of the July full moon. It wasn’t just me and it wasn’t just my area; it was common knowledge that full moon nights around Montauk, Block Island and other striped bass hot zones, were “can’t-miss” windows for big bass.
A “Life-Changing” Book
Later on, I read a book that changed the way I looked at fish behavior. It was written by the legendary “Bass Professor” Doug Hannon, titled Big Bass Magic, and it focused on largemouth bass. The chapter on moon influence really rocked me. Doug laid out how the moon had a tremendous effect on the behavior of gamefish – all species. According to his research, three-quarters of all IGFA All-Tackle World Records, in both fresh and saltwater, were caught between three days before and three days after the full or new moon, with many of the others falling during the quarter moon phases.
Why? Because those timeframes coincide with peak activity across the entire ecosystem – land and water. It wasn’t just stripers – though, of course, it was stripers. But man, it was everything!
The Worm Swarm Revelation
Once I started saltwater fly fishing – something I took to with obsessive enthusiasm – I began studying one of the Northeast’s most fascinating phenomena: the cinder worm swarm. I spent countless nights observing it firsthand and with friend Jay Bobowitz, digging into the biology.
| CRAZY ALBERTO’S “WHAMMY” |
| Here’s a golden nugget passed down to me from the legendary “Crazy” Alberto Knie. He told me to fish dead low tide – plus or minus 30 minutes – four days after the new moon to target a truly big bass. I tried it. Boom – two giants. I’ve used that pattern with success ever since. At one point, I was driving five hours each way just to fish a two-hour window on one specific rocky point around that magic low tide mark, four days after the new moon. The best action consistently came in the half-hour before to the half-hour after dead low. Alberto’s “whammy” never disappoints. |
I discovered that these swarms consistently occurred from five days before to four days after the full moon, with the peak nights falling just before, during, and after the full moon, and again during the new moon. But here’s the kicker: I started seeing major swarms on the quarter moon, too – something that contradicted the common myth that spring tides alone triggered these swarms. That quarter moon activity told the real story; it wasn’t just the tide height or flow – it was a moon-driven activity cycle across the entire food web.
The same logic applied to striped bass. I came to believe that the primary reason big stripers got active wasn’t just stronger currents or bigger tides – it was because the entire ecosystem was buzzing, from baitfish to gamefish, from crustaceans to copepods. Doug Hannon nailed it: big fish wait for the times when it’s easiest to find and feed on active prey. And when the food chain lights up, they take full advantage.
Bigger Fish, Better Days
Fishing with a moon-conscious strategy has consistently led me to better action and bigger fish – whether in saltwater or freshwater. I’ve become a full-fledged moon believer. I like to catch big fish – I strive for it – and the moon has absolutely helped me succeed. Whether I’m fishing locally or traveling across the continent, it has paid off. That said, fish behavior can be “funny” around the full moon. Sometimes they get spooky, follow but don’t eat, or become inactive – day or night. But there are exceptions; in places like Montauk, Block Island, or western Long Island Sound, for instance, the full moon can be incredible. It pays to learn the nuances of each spot before planning a trip.
| THE MOON PULLS ‘EM IN |
| Back in the late 1990s and early 2000s, when we were targeting massive summer resident bass in New England, we’d see something special: those fish – big, migrating schools – would show up, en masse, at their seasonal haunts (like certain shallow shoals and points on the south side of Montauk, Block Island, Nomans Island, or Cuttyhunk) right on the full or new moon in mid or late June. Then they’d stick around until the water hit 70 degrees (they like plenty of oxygen) in July or August, and move on. Sometimes you’d find them back in these spots in the fall, most times not. It was incredible fishing, and it’s so sad that it’s been only a memory for many years now. But it was like clockwork, those fish were glued to the moons. |
When I can, I plan my exotic or high-stakes trips to fall on the day of the new moon and the day after. These are known as big fish days all over the planet – and it’s worked for me. I’ve landed a fly-rod world-record lake trout, giant brown trout in Arkansas, and trophy stripers… along with many other species during those new moon windows.
Here’s something worth noting, and this holds especially for Montauk, which is the most varied “moon sensitive” spot I’ve ever seen: in certain years, fishing leading up to the full or new moon is excellent, even starting a week ahead. But sometimes the bite is better in the days afterward. Sometimes it’s right before to right after that moon. Every year is a little different. Sometimes markedly different. The key is to stay tuned in to the current patterns. But if I had to pick only one? I’d always fish the new moon.
The Other Half Of The Equation
Can barometric pressure influence fishing? Absolutely. For largemouth, smallmouth, and striped bass, I’ll take three or four consecutive days of high pressure – warm, calm, sunny conditions – and show you excellent fishing. The longer that high pressure lingers, the better the bite tends to get.
But here’s an even more critical barometric clue I learned from Michigan trophy trout guide Tommy Lynch: 29.8 inches of mercury – write that down. When the barometer goes to 29.8, and drops below that, big trout start feeding. But it gets better, if it drops to 29.8, continues to fall, stall, and then drops again, watch out! That second drop will trigger an explosive feed. Lynch told me it often happens during a series of thunderstorms rolling through. Trophy trout hunters – take note. That second dip is gold. And, guess what, it’s not just trout!
It was early June, vast bunker schools over deep water were roaming my home waters. Big bass were holding tight in the middle of western Long Island Sound. I saw a pressure forecast calling for 29.8 and made plans to be out there, along with my friend Andrew Shasha of Greenwich. I knew good things would happen. Sure enough, when we reached our spot, there was one other boat nearby – and they were hooked up. That angler turned out to be my friend, Capt. Ian Devlin, fighting and landing the biggest striper of his life at that very moment.
Coincidence? I don’t think so.
Moon phases and barometric patterns aren’t just old fishermen’s tales. They’re real-world, proven tools that can put you on more consistent bites – and bigger fish, too. Following the moon, tracking barometric pressure, and adapting your trips accordingly has led me – and many others – to some of the best fishing of our lives. Want a big fish? Fish the new moon. Want the best bite windows? Watch the moon and the barometer. You’ll be amazed what happens when the whole ecosystem turns on – and you’re there for it.
| CHEAT SHEET: WHEN TO HUNT GIANTS |
| There is a lot to process in this story, but the bottom line is that certain conditions have the power to produce ‘fish of a lifetime’ results. There are other parts to putting this all together, you will need to know spots that produce big fish, you will need to know when big fish are in that area and you will have to possess the diligence and the obsessive mindset required to track all this stuff. You’ll also need to have a lifestyle that allows you to ‘drop everything’ when things line up for a can’t-miss situation.
For those of us who can’t always break away at the “drop of the barometer”, there are a few ways to cheat the system and plan ahead for the best fishing.
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