Major Daytime Feeding Migration Grows Each Day

We're one week away from the new moon, which is the best daytime-fishing moon phase of the month.

Today, however, the beginning of the development of the peak feeding migration for next week starts during the very early morning. For the next six days, the morning bite increases in duration and intensity and climbs the 1-10 scale at a rate of a half-point each day.

The major daytime feeding migration reaches a six today and should arrive at a nine or 10 by next Wednesday. Tomorrow, the moon is at its furthest point from the earth.

A few months back the Lunar Apogee (Moon furthest from Earth) occurred on or within a day or two of the New Moon which greatly diminished the effects of the lunar cycle on daily fish-feeding migrations.

This month, the new moon is 11 days before next Lunar Perigee (when the moon is closest to the earth) and 18 days after the last one. The last time the new moon happened at the same time as the Lunar Perigee was on June 3, 2008, and the next time this will happen again is on Aug. 10, 2010.

The early-morning bite occurs from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. with a peak time of 7 a.m., which is right at sunrise.

Water temperatures are ideal for large fish feeding migrations when in the middle-60s and this currently is the case. By midday, temperatures reach the lower seventies if there is plenty of sunlight with little or no cloud cover. Winds are forecasted to be medium and therefore all areas of the lakes should be navigable and be holding fish along feeding migration routes.

The late-afternoon bite occurs from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. with a peak time of 7:20 p.m., which is an hour after sunset. This bite is diminishing in intensity and duration a little each day and should drop from a six on the 10-scale to a four by this weekend.

The nighttime bite is at its monthly low, which is a three on the 10-scale. Don't expect this to pick-up until the New Moon is over and the waxing of the new Full Moon starts again and arrives on March 11, at 2:38 a.m..

The weather forecast predicts a minor cold front just before the weekend.

My last Sunday article weather information turned out to be way off once the weather finally arrived. So I think I will skip attempting to provide suggestions based on weather predictions until our weather starts to be more regular with a higher degree of predictability. But you can count on some wind, some sun, some clouds, and minor cooling and warming to occur sometime before my next article.

Fishing Facts

According to my detailed fishing records, I've experienced a much higher rate of success when the new moon is on or very close to the Lunar Perigee.

In November, the new moon occurred one day from the Lunar Apogee, and in December it occurred on the same day. Both of those months' new moon fishing trips yielded only 30-40 percent of the success June 3, 2008 and March 19, 2007 (results include three days prior and after New Moon).

Fishing Fiction

"Fish start to feed more during a high pressure system than they do during a low pressure system."

I've heard this said several times in the last month and in no way is it true.

The low pressure weather system triggers the fish to feed in expectation of a probable temperature change, it is that simple. In the summer, the low pressure systems cause a reduction in temperatures and during the winter the cloud cover holds atmospheric heat and produces the opposite affect. In both seasonal cases the change triggers fish to feed.

Fishing Feature

Your Lake Manager's Contact Information:

Clell Ford, Highlands County Lakes Management Specialist - 4434 George Blvd, Sebring, FL 33875. Phone: 863-402-6545, Email: Cford@hcbcc.org

Vicki Pontius, Highlands County Parks and Recreation Director - 4344 George Blvd. Sebring, FL 33875. Phone: 863-402-6812, Email: VPONTIUS@hcbcc.org

Steven Gornak, Biological Scientist IV, Aquatic Habitat Restoration and Enhancement Sub-Section, Division of Habitat and Species Conservation - 3991 SE 27th Court, Okeechobee, FL 34974. Phone: 863-462-5190 (SunCom 761-5190), Fax: 863-462-5194 (SunCom 761-5194), Mobile: 863-697-6256, Email: steven.gornak@myfwc.com

Tournament News

The Outback USA Crappie Tournament is open to the public and will be held monthly.

The second event will be Feb. 20 and 21. Entry fee is $5 and anglers can fish any lake of their choice and weigh-in on any day at Outback USA at 14021 US-27 South.

Application can be picked up at Outback USA which is half way between South Sebring and Lake Placid, on route 27S. Store hours are from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day.

The Monday Morning Lake Jackson Black Bass Fishing Tournament is open to the public and launches every Monday morning at 8 a.m. with weigh-in at 1 p.m. Entry fee is $10 per boat with a "winner-take-all" payout. One person or two per boat, three legal (more than 14 inches) bass per boat, and one bass over 22 inches per angler. For information, call Paul Tardiff at 863-385-8007 (home) or 863-273-4062 (cell).

The Wednesday Morning Black Bass Fishing Tournament is open to the public. Next event is today at Lake.Jackson Time: 7:30 a.m. to noon. Pay at ramp - entry fee is $30 per boat. One person may fish alone if you do not have a partner. For information, contact Paul Tardiff at 863-385-8007 (home) or 863-273-4062 (cell), email bassbutchie60@aol.com or call Dwight Ameling at -863-471-3305.