The Fishing & Surf Almanac

The Observatory Almanac — Living Environment Series

Reading water, reading sky, reading moon — the art and science of being in the right place at the right time.

PART ONE: SOLUNAR THEORY

Origins: John Alden Knight's Lunar Calendar

In 1926, American outdoorsman John Alden Knight systematized observations from hunters and anglers into a predictive framework he called Solunar Theory. The theory holds that fish (and game) activity is rhythmically tied to the positions of the Sun and Moon relative to Earth.

Knight analyzed hundreds of catches and hunting records, cross-referenced them with Moon phase data, and identified repeating patterns: animals were most active during specific "solunar periods" each day — windows of feeding activity dictated by gravitational and light cycles.

The Four Daily Periods

Each day has four solunar periods — two Major and two Minor:

Major Feeding Periods (~2 hours each) - Moon Transit (Upper): When the Moon is directly overhead (local meridian transit) - Moon Transit (Lower): When the Moon is directly underfoot (opposite meridian, or anti-transit)

Minor Feeding Periods (~1 hour each) - Moonrise - Moonset

How to Calculate Solunar Times

Find the time of moonrise and moonset for your location and date (weather.gov, timeanddate.com, or a dedicated fishing app)
The moon transit (overhead) occurs roughly midway between moonset and moonrise
The anti-transit (underfoot) occurs roughly 12 hours after the overhead transit
Minor periods center on moonrise and moonset
Adjust for your time zone

Practical example: - Moonrise: 7:20 AM - Moonset: 8:45 PM - Moon overhead: approximately 2:02 PM (midpoint + adjustments) - Moon underfoot: approximately 2:02 AM - Minor periods: 7:20 AM (±30 min) and 8:45 PM (±30 min) - Major periods: 2:02 PM (±1 hour) and 2:02 AM (±1 hour)

Scientific Validity Assessment

Solunar theory remains controversial in peer-reviewed literature, but there is supporting evidence:

Evidence for: - Multiple studies show zooplankton and benthic invertebrates (the base of the aquatic food chain) have documented lunar-linked activity cycles - Tide prediction overlaps with solunar — in coastal areas, the two systems reinforce each other - Experienced anglers across cultures and centuries independently discovered similar patterns

Caveats: - Barometric pressure changes, cold fronts, and water temperature have larger effects on immediate fish activity than lunar position - Individual species vary in their lunar sensitivity - Scientific studies show mixed results when controlling for other variables

Practical consensus: Solunar theory works best as a tiebreaker — when other factors are equal, plan your peak effort around major solunar periods. It should not override weather, tide, or seasonal factors.

PART TWO: MOON PHASE AND FISH BEHAVIOR

Full Moon Effects

The full moon is paradoxically good for night fishing, sometimes bad for daytime fishing:

Positive effects: - Fish actively feed through full-moon nights (natural light enables prey detection) - Night saltwater fishing peaks: striped bass, snook, tarpon actively hunt in lit water - Tidal range increases (spring tides) — more baitfish swept off flats and through inlets

Negative effects: - If fish feed heavily overnight, they're less active at dawn - Bright conditions at night can make fish more wary of presentations - Some surface-feeding fish go deep (too much light = exposure)

New Moon Effects

The new moon is generally excellent for daytime fishing, especially in saltwater:

Spring tides again (same range as full moon)
Fish that were inactive at night (low light, no feeding) are hungry at dawn
Low-light conditions mean fish less spooky, less line-shy
Strong tidal movement around new moon moves bait — fish follow

Quarter Moons (First/Last)

Neap tides — reduced tidal exchange, calmer currents. Often considered slower periods for tidal-dependent species (stripers, redfish, snook). Better for calm-water species that prefer slack conditions (panfish, bass in still water).

Moon Phase Calendar (Annual Patterns)

Moon Phase	Saltwater	Freshwater	Night Fishing
New Moon	★★★★★	★★★★	★★★
Waxing Crescent	★★★★	★★★★	★★★
First Quarter	★★★	★★★	★★★
Waxing Gibbous	★★★★	★★★★	★★★★
Full Moon	★★★	★★★	★★★★★
Waning Gibbous	★★★★	★★★★	★★★★
Last Quarter	★★★	★★★	★★
Waning Crescent	★★★★	★★★★	★★

PART THREE: SEASONAL FISH MIGRATION PATTERNS

Atlantic Coast (Eastern United States)

Striped Bass (Striper) - January–March: Wintering in Chesapeake Bay, Delaware River - April–June: Migration north — trophy fishing off NJ, NY; schoolies in Long Island Sound - July–August: Summer grounds — Montauk to Maine; night fishing surface peak - September–November: Southward migration — epic bluefish/striper blitzes in surf - December: Back to Chesapeake

Bluefish - May: Arrive NJ/NY in large schools chasing bunker (menhaden) - June–September: Range throughout NE — relentless feeders, will hit almost anything - October–November: Fall run southward; often running with stripers in surf

Atlantic Bluefin Tuna - May–June: Schools appear off the Mid-Atlantic canyon - July–August: Offshore Cape Cod, Nova Scotia; giants (900+ lb) near Prince Edward Island - October–November: Staging in the Gulf of Mexico

Pacific Coast (Western United States)

Pacific Salmon (Chinook/King) - January–March: Winter/spring Chinook in bay systems (Sacramento, Columbia) - May–August: Ocean trolling season — offshore Washington, Oregon, Northern California - August–October: Rivers open for returning adults; the great fall run - Steelhead: Depend on rain events; winter steelhead December–February is peak

Yellowtail (Amberjack) - May–June: First schools arrive Southern California from Baja - July–October: Peak season; follow warm water north (Catalina, Channel Islands) - November: Retreat south as water cools

Halibut - April–October: California halibut season peaks in June; Pacific halibut in Alaska peaks June–August

Gulf of Mexico

Redfish (Red Drum) - Year-round in Gulf, but: - September–November: Trophy reds congregate in large schools offshore (the "bull red" run) - Spring/Fall: Flats fishing peaks when water temperature is 68–80°F

Speckled Trout - Fall (October–December): Peak activity; feeding aggressively before cold - Winter: Move to deep holes during cold snaps; feed actively on warmup days - Spring: Pre-spawn feeding frenzy March–April

Cobia - March–May: Spring migration along Gulf Coast; sight-fishing from boats - October–November: Fall run as fish move offshore

Freshwater: Great Lakes and Interior

Walleye - Spring (March–May): Spawning runs up rivers and into shallows; best fishing of the year - Summer: Go deep (thermocline) during day; surface at dawn/dusk on low-light nights - Fall: Second-best season; active in shallows again as temperatures drop to 55–65°F

Largemouth Bass - Spring (March–May): Pre-spawn; biggest fish moving shallow to feed - April–May (Spawn): Fish on beds; controversial but targeted - Summer: Early morning/evening topwater peak; deep during midday heat - Fall: Aggressive feeding as they bulk up; follow shad

Smallmouth Bass - Similar seasonal pattern but prefer cooler, clearer water; rocky points and current - Often better than largemouth in summer due to comfort with cooler temperatures

PART FOUR: SWELL ANALYSIS AND SURF FORECASTING

Understanding Ocean Swells

The four key swell parameters:

1. Wave Height (Hm0 or Hs)
Significant wave height — the average of the highest one-third of waves. What you'll see most of the time. Reported as "face" height (what a surfer reads) or "Hawaiian scale" (face/2 — confusingly half of face height used in big wave tradition). A 6-foot surf report may mean 12-foot faces in Hawaiian parlance.

2. Swell Period (Peak Period, Tp)
Time in seconds between successive wave crests. This is the most important parameter after height for surf quality.

Period	Quality	Energy
4–8 seconds	Stormy, choppy, low energy	Weak
8–12 seconds	Average; adequate for most surfing	Moderate
12–16 seconds	Good quality; solid power	Strong
16–20 seconds	Excellent; high-energy groundswell	Very Strong
>20 seconds	Exceptional; blue-water groundswell	Extreme

Why period matters so much: Longer-period swells have traveled farther from their generating storms and have become more organized. They carry more energy per wave (energy is proportional to period²), arrive more regularly, and "feel" much bigger than their stated height. A 6-foot swell at 8 seconds is far less impressive than a 6-foot swell at 18 seconds.

3. Swell Direction
Expressed in compass degrees of where the swell is coming FROM (like wind). A 270° swell is from the west.

Direction matters because: - Reefs, points, and sandbars only work on specific swell directions - A north-facing beach won't receive a south swell - "Corner spots" may refract certain swells into exceptional quality

4. Swell Height vs. Wind Swell vs. Groundswell
- Wind swell: Generated by local wind within hundreds of miles; short period (4–10s); choppy, messy surface - Groundswell: Generated by distant storms; long period (12s+); clean, powerful, organized

Reading a Surf Forecast

Key resources: - Surfline (paid); Magicseaweed (free/paid); Windguru; NOAA WaveWatch III - NOAA National Data Buoy Center (buoys.ndbc.noaa.gov) for raw ocean data

What a surf report looks like:

Location: Sebastian Inlet, Florida
Date: Saturday
Swell 1: 3.5 ft @ 14s from 070° (ESE)
Swell 2: 1.5 ft @ 9s from 120° (SE)
Wind: 10 kt from 020° (NNE)
Tide: Low 7:45 AM (0.8 ft), High 2:00 PM (4.2 ft)
Conditions: Offshore wind, incoming tide — EPIC

The ideal conditions combination: - Offshore wind (blowing from land to sea) — cleans up wave faces, creates barrel conditions - Mid incoming tide (rising tide pushes water onto sandbar/reef, improving shape) - Swell direction hitting break at optimal angle - Swell period 12+ seconds (groundswell)

Surf Break Types

Beach break: Waves break on sandbars; shape changes constantly with sand movement; generally forgiving for beginners

Point break: Waves wrap around a headland and peel consistently in one direction; can be world-class quality but often crowded

Reef break: Waves break over coral or rock; very consistent and often hollow; more dangerous (shallow water, sharp reef); requires experience

PART FIVE: BAIT SELECTION BY SPECIES

Target Species	Best Live Bait	Best Cut Bait	Best Artificial
Striped Bass	Live bunker (menhaden), herring, eels	Bunker chunk	Pencil poppers, sluggos, large spoons
Bluefish	Live bunker, mullet	Any oily fish	Metal jigs, poppers (anything)
Redfish	Live shrimp, blue crabs, mullet	Mullet head	Gold spoons, soft plastics (shrimp)
Flounder	Live finger mullet, mud minnows	Squid strip	Bucktail jig with trailer
Largemouth Bass	Live shiners, frogs	—	Spinnerbait, crankbait, worm
Walleye	Live minnows (fathead, creek chub)	Nightcrawler	Jigs, jigging raps, crankbaits
Trout (stream)	Nightcrawlers, salmon eggs	—	Dry flies, spinners, spoons
Catfish	Stinkbait, chicken liver	Cut carp, skipjack	—
Pacific Salmon	Herring, anchovies (trolled)	—	Spoons, flasher-fly combos
Yellowtail	Live mackerel, sardines	Squid	Iron jigs, surface iron
Snook	Live pinfish, mullet, pilchards	—	Soft plastics, swimbaits
Permit	Live blue crabs	—	Crab flies (fly fishing)

PART SIX: SIX ESSENTIAL FISHING KNOTS

1. Improved Clinch Knot

Use: Attaching line to hook, swivel, or lure

Thread line through eye of hook, leaving 6 inches tag end.
Wrap tag end around main line 5-6 times:

Main line ---------+
                   |
Hook eye --> [===] O  <-- Wrap 5x around
                   |
Tag end ---------->|

Pass tag end through loop at eye, then back through large loop formed.
Moisten; pull tight.

2. Palomar Knot

Use: Strongest hook-to-line connection; works with braided line

Double 6 inches of line; pass through hook eye.
Tie overhand knot with doubled line (leaving hook hanging free).
Pass hook through loop.
Pull both ends to tighten.

Step 1: Double line through eye
  ====O====
     ||
Step 2: Overhand knot
     __
    /  \
   |    |
   |  O |
    \  /
     \/

Moist; snug carefully.

3. Blood Knot

Use: Connecting two lines of equal or near-equal diameter

Overlap two lines 6 inches. 
Twist one line around the other 5 times; pass end back through center gap.
Repeat on other side (5 twists, pass end back opposite direction).

Left side:    Right side:
  XXXXX  |  XXXXX
    \    |    /
     \   |   /
      [center]

Pull both main lines to tighten. Trim tags.

4. Uni Knot (Duncan Loop)

Use: All-purpose; attaching line to reel, joining lines, hooks

Thread through eye. Double back and lay parallel to main line.
Make a loop over both.
Wrap tag end through loop and around both lines 4-6 times.
Pull tag end to tighten. Slide to eye.

       [===loop===]
       |          |
---main| >>>>>>   |
       |  (6 wraps)
       [tag end]

5. Surgeon's Knot

Use: Fast method to join two lines (leader to main)

Overlap last 6 inches of both lines.
Tie simple overhand knot through overlap (pass both tags through loop).
Pass both tags through loop a SECOND time.
Pull all four ends simultaneously.

Tag A -->  __
          /  \ loop
Tag B --> |    | 
          | +  | <-- pass through twice
          \  /
Tags through twice = Surgeon's Knot
Single pass = Overhand (weak)

6. Bimini Twist

Use: Creates a 100% knot for heavy leader connections; tournament fishing

Form 20-inch loop. Make 20 twists.
Straddle loop around both feet (or post).
Pull main line to force twists together.
Wrap tag end over twisted section back toward loop — 8 wraps.
Half hitch around one strand, then the other, then both.
Pull tight; lock with final half hitches.

[This is the most complex but creates the strongest loop-to-loop connection]

Loop
 ||
 ||<--twists-->||
  \          /
   \  wraps /
    \      /
     [lock]

Knot strength tip: All knots are weakest when dry and stiff. Always moisten knots with saliva or water before pulling tight. Most knot failures occur during the tightening phase, not during the fight.

Further reading: Mark Sosin — Practical Fishing Knots; Kevin Nakamura — Solunar Fishing Guide; NOAA Ocean Prediction Center; Surfline Education Center.