Muskies and the Looney Tables

Hey guys I’m back looking for that little piece of info that’s going to tip the % in my favor.

I’m a believer in going fishing when I can. Screw the moon phase, pressure and what the wife says.

Do most of you guys plan for the major and minor fishing times? Is it hog wash?

I know I was talking to a fella from in-fish, he said it’s one of the most visited parts of their site.

What you pro ski guys think?

PS I have about 10 hours on the Croix so far… Ski’s $150.00 BK 0. But I’m having fun…sort of!!

Hi Brian,

The only 2 rules I’ve noticed are:

They don’t bite right after a cold spell. Once the cold has settled in the fishing returns.

If the day is clear blue sky without any cloud cover they can be a little spooky at times.

Just observed these trends with toothy critters after may years of fishing for them

Not a pro and mostly fish for Tiger-Musky’s, Pike.

JOC

If the day is clear blue sky without any cloud cover they can be a little spooky at times.

Guess I’ll just have to be careful and not scare them.
Thanks joc!

The two best times to go fishing are when it’s raining and when it ain’t.

Pay attention to the solar lunar tables BK! I fish when I can but still check majors and minors moon rise and set. 2 of my 3 over 50″ this year came within 10min of some sort of moon activity.
Also some of my biggest muskies have came on flat calm blue bird days.

Also some of my biggest muskies have came on flat calm blue bird days.

I’m liking the sound of that!!

I think I’ll have to hire someone to track them for me if that’s the case.

I look up the moon majors and minors every time I go out. It sure seems like big fish activity peaks during these periods. Put yourself on your best spot at these times or go back to where you saw that big hog then. I guess apex predators that have been around since the late Jurassic period might be tuned into something that we don’t know about.

Now that’s interesting Gordon.

hAHA gOrdonk.
I about spit my coffee after reading your first paragraph…..

Works 50% of the time…Every time.

Hey BK, why don’t you give Ryan McMahon a call and spend a day on White Bear?
Start the day off with breakfast at the Cobblestone Cafe and then boat a couple in the high forties and call it good!

Good luck, you’ll really enjoy the first one!

The Crawler and I did that last year…and it was a hoot!

That guys knows his fish!

I used to plan my month around solanar forecasts. Moon rise and set. If it was a 4 star day. With plus signs… I was definitely fishing.
But. I realized the very few fish I’ve caught were on average days (per solanar predictions) and highly predicted days I wouldn’t even see them.
For example today is a GREAT DAY TO FISH according to predictions. But it’s flipping beautiful outside. No clouds, wind, weather…
WEATHER TRUMPS THE MOON
I do believe in the tables. And hear there are other more accurate ones people have from the Muskie old timers. Like on paper… Not in the internets.

The only time they’re guaranteed not to bite is when you’re lure is not in the water.

I’ll go out any time I can, which isn’t very much as of late with a newborn at home, but I check the solunar tables before I go out every time. If there’s a major or minor happening, I make sure I’m on a spot that I know holds fish during that time.

For example today is a GREAT DAY TO FISH according to predictions.

I think this would only apply to people that do not have a hex following them around. 8O

lhprop1 wrote:

The only time they’re guaranteed not to bite is when you’re lure is not in the water.

I’ll go out any time I can, which isn’t very much as of late with a newborn at home, but I check the solunar tables before I go out every time. If there’s a major or minor happening, I make sure I’m on a spot that I know holds fish during that time.

WORD!!!

I check the solunar tables before I go out every time. If there’s a major or minor happening, I make sure I’m on a spot that I know holds fish during that time.

Now this makes sense to me.

gordonk wrote:

A few years back, the In-Fisherman ran a story about moon phases and big fish. They found that the seven days around both a full moon and a new moon caught about 50% of the fish. Big news and all.

What they failed to mention, is that a moon cycle is 28 days! The two key periods were 50% of the phase and 50% of the fish came from that period. So, throw in the fact that more fisherman try and fish those periods and what you have is that they actually UNDER performed.

We’ve all seen times when the fish just seem to go on a tear and then an hour later you can’t find one. I’ve never seen that correlate to a solunar or other table, I just know that they happen. I’m like you. Just get on the water enough and you’ll be there when one happens.

Amen I’ll second that,rather than hocus pocus. In fact how does this moon thing explain why I’ve caught 17 pike and tiger-musky’s in one day and 1 the next.

Phil Bauerly wrote:

I look up the moon majors and minors every time I go out.

Don’t forget moon under and over as well

Check!!!

Mark

lhprop1 wrote:

The only time they’re guaranteed not to bite is when you’re lure is not in the water.

…but I check the solunar tables before I go out every time. If there’s a major or minor happening, I make sure I’m on a spot that I know holds fish during that time.

…and don’t forget to check the moon over and under.

Check!!!

Mark

coleycrawler wrote:

WEATHER TRUMPS THE MOON!!!

Check!!! …and don’t forget to check the moon over and under…

Coley, when you can put together one of the four daily moon periods with weather, then you really better look out. Some of the nicest fish, I’ve caught, friends have caught, guide friends have caught have come when weather is involved with one of the daily moon peaks.

Now do I plan every fishing event around the moon peaks??? Nope, but when I am going fishing, I always check these times. If the fishing is picking up just prior to a moon event, if I can squeeze out a little more time in the boat with my line wet, you bet!!!

And when the weather is bad/stable and the fishing hasn’t been good, one of those bites may come from one of those peaks. I know you said you still believe in them, keep using them!!!

http://www.solunarforecast.com/solunarcalendar.aspx

Once this loads, there are 3 brown rectangles, one with the zip code, change that to your location, then check the month and year to be sure they are correct, then on the left, there is a long rectangle that you hit to refresh the info for that month.

I don’t plan my trips around the moon as much as I used to, but I have a copy of this and the wind forecasts from windalert with me on every trip, even in my back yard!!! Used to bring em on paper, but now I can bring them up on the net…

Mark

You guys have it dialed in!

Brian Klawitter wrote:

The Crawler and I did that last year…and it was a hoot!

That guys knows his fish!

A fellow worker and I booked a day with Ryan yesterday on White Bear Lake. VERY SLOW! Very slow all week I guess. Need a change in weather and water temps. No muskies… I did catch a northern on some huge jigging lure (forgot name) along the boat while we were running suckers. Then had another hit at the side of the boat that I thought I was going overboard. Ryan was looking up at the front of the boat when it happened and his thoughts were…WTF! We had a red horse sucker we called her Lucy Lu that was acting pycho at times and would scream out line then nothing. I told Ryan she needed to be checked for steroids the way she behaved. All in all it was a great time and we will be back. Photo I took of fellow worker chuckin a bulldog off the front.

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I spent 3 hours on the St Croix starting at 6 pm…

It’s true I could be doing everything wrong, but the only thing I caught was this sunset. The trip was a success.

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BK, I shared a moon story from today on your FB page from Rob Manthei

Mark