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SOLUNAR THEORY - Fact or Fiction
?? WHAT IS THE THEORY?
In 1926, John Alden Knight theorized some folklore he picked up in Florida
and began work developing his hypothesis. During the process, he complied a list
of 33 factors that influence or control the day-to-day behavior of fresh and
saltwater fish. His investigation took everything into account that could have
any bearing on the matter. One by one, each factor was examined and rejected.
Three of them, however, merited further scrutiny—the sun, moon, and
tides.
Certainly, the sun could have no effect, seeing that its cycle was
the same day after day. Besides, fish are usually active anytime, day or night.
The effect of the moon had already been considered by other investigators and
found wanting. So what about tides? A possibility. But there’s no tidal movement
in a trout stream. Yet, the fact remains that tides have always guided saltwater
anglers to good fishing. Could it be then—that the prompting stimulus lay in the
influence of the sun and moon, which cause ocean tides, rather than the actual
tidal stages or flow? Eureka!
When the original research was being done,
only the approximate times of Moon-Up and Moon-Down were considered. Gradually,
it became evident that there were also intermediate periods of fish activity
that occurred midway between the two major periods. As a result, the more
evident periods were called Major Periods and the two intermediate periods,
shorter in duration, were called Minor Periods.
One compelling experiment
occurred when Dr. Frank A. Brown, a biologist at Northwestern University, had
some live oysters flown to his lab near Chicago. Oysters open their shells with
each high tide, and Dr. Brown wanted to see if this was due to the change in
ocean levels or to a force from the moon itself. He put them in water and
removed them from all sunlight. During the first week, they continued to open
their shells with the high tides from their ocean home. By the second week,
though, they adjusted their shell openings to when the moon was directly
overhead in Chicago or half a world way.
Knight published his Solunar tables in 1936. Then, as today, you need to
calculate the precise activity times of each table, taking into account the
geographic location (east or west) of a base point (Time Zone). When
appropriate, Daylight Savings Time adjustments need to be made. The tables are
rounded to the nearest 10 minutes.
PROVING THE THEORY
To substantiate his theory, insofar as fish are concerned, Knight made a
systematic inquiry into the details surrounding record catches—both of large
fish and large numbers. He studied nearly 200 of these catches. Over 90 percent
were made during the dark of the moon (New Moon) when the effects of the
activity periods appeared to be greatest; and more important, his investigations
were made during the actual times of the Solunar Periods.
Initially, only fish behavior was examined. But from 1935 to 1939, Knight
included birds and animals in his study. And as he suspected, they also
responded to the prompting stimulus of the Solunar Periods.
PEAK DAYS
Through Knight’s exhaustive study, it’s now known that the sun and moon are
the two major sources of the astral energies that daily bombard the Earth and
her life forms; and the closer they are to us at any given moment, the stronger
their influence. The day of a New or Full Moon provides the strongest influence
each month.
PEAK MONTH
June always has more combined sun-moon influence than any other month. During
a Full Moon, the sun and moon are nearly opposite each other; only a few minutes
occur with neither being in our sky. During a New Moon, both bodies are in
near-perfect rhythm traveling the skies together with their forces combined.
Because of the interaction between the many lunar and solar cycles, no two days,
months or years are identical. During a particular month, peak activity
occurs:
- When a period falls within 30 minutes to an hour of sunrise or sunset. At
that time, you can expect great action!
- When you have a moonrise or moonset during the same period. Now the action
will be even greater!
- When the above times occur during a New or Full Moon. This will be the best
action of the season!
LENGTH OF PERIODS
Every fisherman knows that fish do not feed all the time. He also knows that
for some reason fish go on the “bite” and take almost anything that’s
offered—whether its live bait or artificial.
According to John Alden Knight,
this sort of thing happens during Solunar Periods. Generally, fish feed at
sunrise and sunset. But sometimes, the “real” fishing of the day occurs at
odd-hour feeding periods. And if the weather and feeding conditions are right,
the fish will be active for at least one to two hours.
BEST
FISHING DAYS
For anglers who enjoy fishing at sunrise and sunset, the Solunar Fishing
Calendar gives you the absolute best dates and times to be on the water at your
favorite spot. As you will notice on the calendar, there are Major and Minor
Periods that fall near the times of Sunrise or Sunset during a Full or New Moon.
This is the time when fish will be on the bite, attacking anything they see or
smell. Limits are almost guaranteed, provided fish are in the vicinity.
It’s no secret that fish and game tend to feed during dawn and dusk. But what
adds to the activity is the effect of a moonrise or moonset, plus the specific
monthly period of a New (dark) and Full (light) Moon. When these times coincide,
the action can be spectacular. In addition, a change in weather, during a
Solunar Period, can increase the activity even further.
WATCH THE WEATHER
For best results, the calendar must be used intelligently. Every day will not
show a clear-cut reaction to a Solunar Period. In the case of fish, barometric
fluctuations, particularly when the trend is down, often ruin fishing. When it
comes to weather, wildlife knows what to expect. Any bird, fish or animal can
sense the approach of a storm. A cold front, moving through, will drive fish to
the depths, rendering them inactive.
Adverse temperatures, abnormal water conditions, all sorts of things will
offset the effects of a Solunar Period. Nevertheless, every sportsperson knows
that it is beyond all reason to expect good fishing or hunting every day. The
Solunar theory will point the way to the best activity that each day has to
offer. But in no sense is it a guarantee.
WATCH THE BAROMETER AND THERMOMETER
The intensity of the activity also varies from day to day, according to
different conditions. If the barometer happens to be steady or rising, and if
the temperature is favorable—15 degrees above the water temperature—then you can
expect lots of action during the period.
WATCH THE MOON
Another thing to remember in dealing with the periods is that the Solunar
influence will vary in intensity according to the position of the moon. A New
Moon (dark) means maximum intensity. Ocean tides reflect this intensity in
their magnitude. Maximum intensity lasts about three days, and wildlife respond
to it with maximum activity. After a New Moon, the intensity tapers off, until
it is at its minimum during the third quarter phase of the moon.
Saltwater anglers argue that tides have a greater influence on fish-feeding
habits than the moon itself. It must be understood, though, that tides are
governed by the phases and transit of the moon. Certain marine phenomena occur
with precise regularity during the lunar month and solar/lunar cycle.
Research has shown that a natural day for fish and many other animal
species differ from our own. Their biological clock appears to coincide with
lunar time—which is the time that it takes for the moon to reappear at a given
point during its orbit of the earth. The average time takes 24 hours and 53
minutes. This is called a Tidal Day and explains why the ocean tides are about
an hour later each day—and why most fish, freshwater species included, will feed
up to an hour later, in relation to our solar clock, each day.
CALCULATING THE TIMES
The key to accurate Solunar Times is the ability to chart the relative solar
and lunar positions with respect to a particular location. Major Periods
correspond to the upper and lower meridian passage of the ensuing gravitational
force. Minor Periods occur when these forces are rising or setting on either
horizon—i.e., the right ascension of the resultant force and the local sidereal
time vary by 90 or 270 degrees. Major Periods happen when those forces are at
zero and 180 degrees.
CONCLUSION
It goes without saying that if there are no fish or game present, you will
not be successful. Plan your days on the water or in the field so that you are
where the game is most likely to be during the Solunar Periods. We sincerely
hope we have been able to improve your understanding of the theory — and how it
can improve your angling success.
But always remember ... the BEST time to go fishin’ is whenever you can—and
always keep in mind “catch and release.”
References:
>>Click here
to download a PC Program to calculate Solunar Times
>>This site offers a free solunar
chart for the East Coast
Ref:: Moonup~Moondown ... Library of Congress #72-93383
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