-
Great question.
I really don’t give moon phase a lot of merit. Some people mention it coincides with certain tides, but this doesn’t account for tidal lag. I think moon phase is just like air pressure: it’s something we can relate to above the surface of the water.
But fish are beneath the surface of the water, as you alluded to. I do think that a full moon over a clear sky can give fish that perfect ambient light to feed under, like they use in the morning and evening, but that’s about it.
I know many people get preachy about “moon overhead” and “moon underfoot”, but that sure doesn’t explain why guides still launch in the morning. I think what matters the most are the conditions at hand here on Earth, and how those conditions affect your target species, i.e. tide, primary forage, spawn or not, water temp, wind, river water, etc.
