Solunar peaks – fact or fiction??

Went out Friday on a NW Wisco lake for musky at about 11:00 AM Friday. The Major window that day for that location was 11:30-1:00. At 11:34 I had one take a swipe at a topwater about 15′ from the boat. A short while later I had another hit on a bucktail, and then a third, all in the same area. About 20 seconds later by boatmate connects on a 46″er with one of those Livingston speaker lure thingys that Pete Maina promotes. A little later I had another hit on the other side of the lake. So’s we’re thinking there’s really something to this solunar business!
Saturday the Major was something like 1:00-3:00 so we hit the same area with the same baits and…nuthin’. Had one hit in 4 hours of casting. So’s then we’re like, yeah, this solunar stuff is all a bunch of malarkey.
Curious of other’s opinions and experiences.

I think in general muskie fisherman make waaaayyyy too big of a deal over them. And at the same time I know when the majors and minors are every time I fish, so there’s that. I’ve hit crazy windows right on the peak of mid day/night majors and I’ve also had them be completely dead only to hit that crazy window a couple hours later. Weather (especially wind change) and sunrise/set is 100x more important in my world.

Best part about following solunar is it gives you confidence and another reason to go back and fish where you know fish are. Different apps or publications will give different times and the beauty of that is if you check enough apps then over half the day will be in the major/minor/sunset/sunrise primetime. Moonrise/set is the minor and moon over/under is the major… just some apps change where they put the major/minor before or after each event.

I’m also not aware of any credible studies that relate muskie activity to the solunar tables.

I do agree that weather really makes a bigger difference. I also know when the majors/minors are but I still fish outside of them and have caught fish outside of them. Last weekend there was a minor that was basically at the same time as sunset which was very good for us as well. That midday major was junk.

Last year, I started logging my catches.
As of today, I’ve caught 40 muskies since May 2022. Of those 40, 9 have been caught within 1 hour of a major or minor. Abother 7 were caught within 2 hours of a major or minor. There are days that I have seen an obvious difference with the moon phase and days I have not. I think it’s more noticeable when the fish are shallow but I don’t have enough data to support that.

Fish when you can but if you are on the lake during a major or minor try to be fishing and not eating your lunch!

I tried really hard paying attention to this while ice fishing for lake trout one year and found no correlation whatsoever.

However, there’s a huge correlation when there’s a full moon in the open water season on Lake Superior. Fishing is usually terrible during the day around a full moon. Night fishing is supposed to be really good. Never really considered going out on that lake at night though. They’ll feed a lot at night during full moons.

I try to be out there during at least one major or minor time period but as already stated sometimes they are good windows of fishing and sometimes there’s nothing during the entire period. I personally think a rapid weather change or a shift in wind direction is a better trigger.

biggill wrote:

However, there’s a huge correlation when there’s a full moon in the open water season on Lake Superior. Fishing is usually terrible during the day around a full moon. Night fishing is supposed to be really good. Never really considered going out on that lake at night though. They’ll feed a lot at night during full moons.

On a full moon I’ll hit the breakwater in Two Harbors about 4AM and cast until 7:30-8:00 AM. I use luminescent lures and do fairly well until the sun has risen. Its fun because the trout feed close to the surface and you can see the lure coming thru the water and then its gone and a fish is on.

Years ago I read about these solunar tables and tried them in earnest for a summer. What I learned is that they’re fish and have their own tables. There are too many external variables that drive a fish bite to rely solely on solunar tables.

I get out and fish whenever I can. If I see one coming up it is just an excuse to stay out a bit longer or get out a bit earlier. I have caught fish in and out of these windows. I have noted that every muskey over 50” I have caught has been within an hour of the window so…just keep fishing.

I should have included weather conditions in my original post – Friday midday was post-frontal, after about 4-5 hours of rain, then cloudy. 24 hours later it was steady barometer, breezy and sunny. Maybe the front passing had more to do with the bite than the moon location.
Interesting feedback though from you guys. Appreciate it.

In 17 years of flathead fishing, I’ve never looked at the tables. I like surprises. As a pattern, I notice moonless nights and Sunday’s gave up less fish. (but not always)

I do believe in checking with the FW’s tables. I’ve enjoyed being on the water more when I follow them.

Changes in barometric pressure and cloud cover trump any astrological bs (solunar tables).

I got a buddy that swears by it. Shows up when the major and minor starts and uses those time to decide when to fish. I’m usually catching fish when he shows and after he leaves. But he still has a bigger pb walleye than me so maybe?