Full moons and carp fishing

I have never really had any success targeting carp on nights that have had full moons. Do any of you have the same experiences, or can I keep using this excuse for blanking lol

I will fish full moons but my personal results have been poorer at this time than others for carp and other species.

I have found the same, and night fishing under a full moon usually finds me fishing for eels instead.

The moon affects the tide so it must have an effect to some degree on water bodies. Full moons mean high pressure and I've not found that very good for results. Now the new moon is the opposite, just got to wait two weeks then......

A mate of mine swears by the adage "big moons means big commons". I generally feel it's a load of rubbish. However, the first time he said it to me he had the lakes resident big common out overnight.

Nobby C (ACA) said:

The moon affects the tide so it must have an effect to some degree on water bodies. Full moons mean high pressure and I've not found that very good for results. Now the new moon is the opposite, just got to wait two weeks then......

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Always preferred new moon myself but surely pressure will be equitable with full moon. Certainly high tide is similar 'height'.
Prey size fish are way too vulnerable in strong moonlight. Especially in the sea I feel. As a result the predators who are big enough to know this sleep on thro it rather than waste time chasing what ain't there.

sam vimes said:

A mate of mine swears by the adage "big moons means big commons". I generally feel it's a load of rubbish. However, the first time he said it to me he had the lakes resident big common out overnight.

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I have heard of that one before and wish it would happen to me

moon phaze is *******s it might put a bow in your lake but who evr suggested it makes fish feed? I once read somebody followed a chart for 6 months solid and it gave best times worse times to fish and fishing was no better or worse.
I just go along with dusk and dawn works for me.

I can only give you some observations. I am not a avid carp man so you can dismiss these findings, no problem. However, I have caught a good few over the last 14 years. I keep records of everything caught including the moon phase. Using a simple scoring method of points for small, average, bigger than average for the water fished including carp and turning it into a percentage I have these results for carp.:-

new 12%
1st quarter 43%
full 21%
2nd quarter 23%

This is all day time fishing ! I do not fish at night. A better carp angler than me suggested this might mean that carp are feeding more at night and less during the day at certain times of moon phases. So, if that's right; it may suggest the 12 % for a new moon actually means they are very active at night during a new moon. And very less active during the 1st quarter given the 43% figure. I do not know, you will have to decide for yourself. However, 43% for 1st quarter day time is quite emphatic and I could easily assume that they would be feeding less at night during this moon phase.

I would never fish by the moon phase myself but, if I did; I think I would fish for them at night during the new moon and the day time during the 1st quarter. And of course, that's if the better than me carp angler's assumption was right.

Water is affected by the gravitational pull of the moon and the sun. You can see the effects of this in a large body water like the sea (tides). The tides are bigger around the new and full moons. The effect in such small bodies of water like a lake or river are minimal. I don't know if coarse fish can sense them but, who knows. The darkest moon is a new moon, this I could understand may have an effect on a fishes night time behavior.

However much my methods are unscientific and however much I am a novice-The results would have been more even if the moon had no effect whatsoever. Over time the results would even out to a degree. As that has not happened I would submit that at least it shows the moon does have an effect in some way and shouldn't be dismissed out of hand.

I am no carp expert and I don't expect to be given a lot of credence but, at least I hope you found that interesting.

I wonder if a study of bug life and how that is affected by the moon would shed more light on fishes behaviour.

sam vimes said:

A mate of mine swears by the adage "big moons means big commons". I generally feel it's a load of rubbish. However, the first time he said it to me he had the lakes resident big common out overnight.

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in the anglers mail this week some bloke pulled out a 57lb common under a full moon. the angler reckoned it was the best time to fish.

to be honest though I try not to think too hard about these things - tends to make my head hurt

I've fished all phases of the moon and have caught equally as well in all phases.

I'm sure that many people do believe in it, so you'll find more people out on the bank in certain phases, so therefore more fish come out.

I would only submit Law, that individual records do not take in fish caught by other anglers. If more anglers are fishing during a certain moon phase (and I doubt this happens) they are probably only noting down what they caught as a individual and comparing it with what they catch during other moon phases.
And of course carp are caught during every moon phase, and some some bloody good carp in every moon phase, I am sure. However, over time and with some careful recording, a pattern emerges. If the moon has no effect or very little, then a pattern would not emerge. And yet it does ! ?

There are some interesting theories so far, thanks. I myself do not get to choose when I can or can't fish so I go regardless of a full moon or not. I just noticed, and this is on different lakes, that if it is a full moon I always seem to blank

I have never subscribed to the new moon, first qtr theories etc but a few of my friends do and they seem to do alright by following it. Saying that they fish more during these times and have more fishing time than me lol

Thats right Shep and so you should. Its more of a academic interest to me; a debate on how the moon affects fish. If you want to go fishing , go. The only thing I do that's maybe a bit different is , if I don't think the conditions are suitable for a species, I fish for something else. But then I am more of a pleasure angler and time fishing being limited; I always go fishing if I am in the mood. What i fish for and were I go are secondary decisions.