Maybe you're not a moon person. You don't follow them, don't plan your fishing around them, and maybe don't care about them. Well, you should. Not all of them are as important to all of us during the same months. An August moon, New or Full, may mean more to the anglers in Montauk or Block then say here in New Jersey. A September or October moon may mean more to someone who waits for the bait to move, while an April or May moon may mean more to those fishing natal rivers where shad, herring, and bass will move on them. Anglers take vacation time and book trips based on the moons.
Moons affect tides, which affect water, and bait and predator fish live in the water. A New or Full Moon will mean higher water, just think of when a storm falls on a high tide with a moon, not good. You will have more water on a high tide, and less on a low. Yesterday I fished an upcoming Moon tide, on the outgoing and near dead low, coupled with a West wind, and found it hard to find fishy water on a blow out tide.
Some say you don't fish on the Full Moon as the days before and after are better. They say the bright moon turns off any bite. Ever catch fish on a slack tide, a south wind, or on bright sunny days? You never know until you go. When nature calls and the bait or bass have to, or are driven, to move or bite you just have to be there. If you're not scared of the dark then a New Moon maybe more your liking.
When it's your night a sand eel bite in the dark on a moon tide can be great. The above pic was from a November 11th bite back in 2013. While night fishing may not be your thing, or fishing at night in the cold, it can be rewarding, and if anything it allows you to avoid the crowds and usually have a stretch of beach to yourself. That's not to say bass won't eat, at least on the beach, when the sand eels are around, during the day. Ocean County is a great place for just that as the sand bars, cuts, bowls and troughs can trap sand eels and patrolling bass love to pick them off. I prefer a little churn in the surf over lake like conditions, so a west, to me, isn't always best, like it is for a bunker bite.
It's the slow down time of year, at least in 2023. Anglers were hoping for the Thanksgiving Week blitzes that happened in 2022. Well this year it was early. We had good days in between stretches of blows that at times lasted a week. Now with T-day past us and Christmas approaching participation will be much less. There won't be as many sick or personal days requested, the charters will slow down, and the move will be to hunting, Sunday football, and preparing for the holidays. You'll still have those harcore cold-weather fishermen out there braving the weather looking for those good bass in between the Bonus Tag and slot sized fish that push through in late November into December.
There's still bunker around and soon the gannets will be diving into the Raritan Bay and out front as the ocean or sea herring arrive. It's late November and for some the focus will move from the beach to the vice as fly tying season comes into its own. The shows will be here before you know it to quell the cabin fever that usually sets in by mid-January.
The winter is a good time to reset. If you like your routine and like how you tie and fish then no change is needed. If you want to step up your game then it's a good time for change. Improve your fly tying. Make sure your gear is up to par. Look at your 15 year old fly line and backing. And most importantly scout out some new water and take a chance in learning new spots during a different season. You just might like the results.
