The Right Conditions.

[Paulm]

Being new to Barbel fishing (2 winters) i have been taking note of the conditions that i catch or don't catch in. There are differently some trends, mainly water colour and temperature. However recently i looked back through some old fishing magazines i found a couple of articles on Lunar Phase's and the Barbels feeding pattern. (Basically more chance of catching on a full moon)
Is there any truth behind this?
Has anybody had any experience with this?

Paulm /images/forum/icons/wink.gif

[scorpio]

A Barbel will feed when the conditions are right, It will feed less boldly when a full moon is showing as will most fish because of the additional light at night. Air pressure, temperature (water) and food source are all factors. Obviously coloured water will be a good shot as the visibility is less and there is less chance of the fish being disturbed by bankside disturbances. The only time I have found that Barbel don't feed is when the water temperature drops or the oxygen levels are low. Maybe they still do feed but in different locations?

Tony

[CarponlineEditor]

I will agree with the bit about the moons phases. I had a bit of a discussion with the girlfriend about this one and I said that if you think about it (lol this one will get the old grey matter working) that even in a glass of water there is a tide. I know you would have to use a microscope or some such to see it but there is one nonetheless. She wont have that one lol

But I have noticed when fishing larger waters that you can see the water has moved up or down the margins depending on the time of the day, only an inch or two but it has moved. Now fish 'feel' with their lateral lines the movements of other fish from a long way off aparently so I do not see why they cant tell somehow that the pull of the moon is greater or lesser at differing times of the month. I still believe that it may make them uneasy when these forces are greater and that possibly that is why we dont catch so many when there is a full moon.

Andy

[scorpio]

Did you realise that the tidal force is stronger with a new moon than a full moon? The tides are at their highest during a full & a new moon so therefore twice in a 28 day period. There is not a massive amount of difference between a neap tide & a spring tide, but there is between a low & a high tide. I think maybe we are talking magnetic forces here if anything.

This is a real interesting subject to me being a beach angler as I have studied the tides when choosing where & when to fish. I have not had any patterns emerging related to the moons phases but have definetely had patters with air pressure and temperature.

Tony

[John_H]

This is interesting yet again, but could be slightly discouraging for the average happy joe like me, with a full time job and other commitments who gets to fish one day per weekend plus a few days of holiday each year.

I guess the moonphases etc are the reason for inconsistent sport, which we all accept, but is there any guidance about what species to target, how, when and where, during the quarters of the moon ?