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Okay, sometimes I'm very suspect about what moon phase and barometric pressure have to do with fishing success, or the lack of it. I often think the best "luck" indicator is how you hold your mouth open while fishing![shocked] Anyway, can changes in moon phase and barometric pressure be detected by fishies UNDER the ice? Do they know;do they care? (Okay, Tube Dude, I expect nothing less than 5 paragraphs of unbounded knowledge in response.[blush])
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I'm not sure about the effect it has on fish, but ice is no barrier to barometric pressure changes.
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The best time to go fishing is when you can. But if possible, I try to be on the water right before an incoming storm which is when the barometer drops. The fish are more active then, though you have to know when to get off the water since fishing poles make great lightning rods. On the flip side, post cold-front fish are generally deeper and more lethargic. That's not to say you can't catch them--you have to downsize and fish deeper and more slowly--but you won't catch as many as before the storm.
As for moon phases, some swear by solunar tables. And there are scientific arguments both ways. I look at solunar tables, and though I don't bother looking at the barometer, I do like to be on the water right before a storm. After a cold front I usually wait for three days of stable weather. To me, it's all about making every trip count and maximizing the enjoyment each trip.
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[cool][size 1]Okay, Mr.LR. I accept your challenge. Others have already expressed my opinion that moon phase may or may not affect fishing. I tend to believe that there are many more important factors in the averager fishing trip than moon phase. But, it has always served as a convenient excuse when we get humiliated by the fish. [/size]
[size 1]I have been working on an outline for a "writeup" on the factors that influence ice fishing. So far, I have not included moon phase. My observations and experience leads me to believe that a bright moonlit night affects the feeding habits of fishes primarily when the water is clear and the fish are feeding on visible food. If they can feed at night, safe from their own predators...and less visible to their prey...then they pig out at night and digest during the day.[/size]
[size 1]In murky water and/or with species that feed according to smell or vibration, more than vision, the full moon does not seem to have such a marked affect. My opinion only.[/size]
[size 1]Now, I have a couple more paragraphs to complete, so I will address the REAL factors that can influence ice fishing success. Most of us know them, whether or not we put them down in an organized list.[/size]
[size 1]1. Light levels. Some fish feed better in bright light and high visibility. Others prefer low light or even total darkness. For some reason, perch are daytime feeders, while their cousins the walleye seem to like low light levels better.[/size]
[size 1]Early in the ice fishing season, there is usually not as much snow on the ice...which is thinner and clearer...so the light levels are higher and the fishing activity more intense...for longer periods. Not always.[/size]
[size 1]2. Visibility. Related to light levels, but also influenced by algae and/or runoff...turbidity. Most lakes get very clear when the ice covers the shole lake...causeing algae dieoff and keeping the wind from stirring up mud. But, if runoff clouds the water, fish that are sight feeders may shut down.[/size]
[size 1]3. Oxygen levels. Again, for a short time after complete ice over, the fishing holds up pretty good. After the ice has completely covered the lake, and shut off light to the acquatic weedbeds, the oxygen is depleted by fish and by decaying vegetation. Fish in some lakes virtually quit moving and feeding during the last few weeks before the ice comes off.[/size]
[size 1]4. Temperatures. It would seem that when the ice covers a lake, the temperature would be close to freezing all over. NOT. There are temperature layers in deeper lakes and warm springs or other anomalies in shallower lakes. If the fish can find food and more enjoyable temps in one zone, that's where you will do better fishing for them.[/size]
[size 1]5. Noise levels. Some fish are not as affected by unusual activity on the ice as others. My experience has been that when I fish by myself, and keep my motions and noise level at a minimum, I catch more and bigger fish...especially walleyes and big perch. Sorry, guys, but I think some trout are dumb and still associate humans with being fed. They sometimes seem to become thicker and more aggressive when there are a lot of folks dropping bait down to them and making lots of ruckus.\[/size]
[size 1]All of these things combine to determine the fishes' "mode"...active, neutral or negative. Those things have an influence on what size and color of lures we should use, and how important it is to use "sweetener" on our lures...and what kind and how much.[/size]
[size 1]When the light levels and clarity are good, and the temps and oxygen levels have the fish in an active mode, all you have to do is find the fish and use your sonar to determine what level they are cruising. After that, it often doesn't matter what you serve. They will literally chomp an unbaited jig hook at times.[/size]
[size 1]When the fish are in a neutral mode, they will still munch something that is presented right in their face and is small enough and tasty enough to stimulate at least a "yawn". The bites are not hard and you will miss more than you hook. But, it encourages you to hang in there until they turn on.[/size]
[size 1]If the fish are shut down...in a "negative" mode...you will see a lot more on your sonar screen than you ever bring to the ice hole. On some days you begin to wonder if your sonar is malfunctioning, because it says there are lots of marks...and you can't buy a bite.[/size]
[size 1]Most of us who have fished with sonar under the ice have had the experience of being able to watch fish change modes during the day. They may start out right under the ice, hitting everything you drop down before it reaches the bottom. Then, they may drop deeper in the water column and slow down or shut down. On other days, they may just hang at mid depth most of the day, and then dive for the bottom and begin searching for food in the lower zones.[/size]
[size 1]It is not hard to find fish, but it is sometimes very frustrating to try to figure out what mode they are in...and why...and how to get them to bite.[/size]
[size 1]But...does the moon affect the fish under the ice? I doubt it. After all, when a fish rises a couple of feet in the water column, that is the same as having the barometer drop a full point or more. The fish take care of regulating their own pressure and don't need the moon to ring the dinner bell for them.[/size]
[size 1]That's a wee bit more than 5 paragraphs. I'm done. Anybody else got any input?[/size]
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[size 2]The fly(zipper) down phase of the moon cannot be left out. [blush] [/size]
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