Since the new moon occurs in the very early morning hours this Wednesday at 2:19 a.m., today begins the best six days of fishing for the month of July. Today the peak feeding migration will occur between the hours of 8 to 11 a.m. From Monday through Wednesday, this migration will increase in duration and intensity. If you don't have plans to be on the lake for the Fourth of July, you're making a mistake. ...more

June 28, 2008

This week, expect a fading afternoon feeding migration — which started with the new moon last Tuesday — and a rapid building of a new morning feeding migration brought on by the first quarter moon phase, which happens at 3:04 p.m. Tuesday. If we experience rain during the night, the very early morning bite (5 a.m. to 7 a.m.) — should be very good. If not, the affects of the moon will trigger fish to move into feeding areas by 8 a.m. This new morning feeding migration will increase in intensity and duration dramatically each day for the next seven days. ...more

June 8, 2008

The last quarter moon phase will arrive Wednesday, but instead of the usual affect –– a terrific late afternoon bite –– we'll see the start of an exceptional early morning bite because the distance from the moon from the earth is greater than in recent months. Expect the afternoon bite to diminish quickly each day and be non-existent by Wednesday, replaced by the rapid improvement of the early morning bite. To take full advantage, be on the water by 6 a.m., working areas of proven migration. Remember, the vegetation uses oxygen at night during the summer months which means the larger fish will be on the outside edges and covering more distance in their search for food. As the water heats up during the day, be expecting to move into the vegetation, as these areas start to produce oxygen and shade resulting in the food chain moving into the area. ...more

May 25, 2008

On Monday, the first quarter moon phase occurs at 3:47 a.m., and along with it starts the beginning of the best "safe-light bite" of the month. ...more

May 11, 2008

A 3:44 a.m. new moon today produces a noon-time bite and your best chances of hooking into that trophy bass or filling your limit of crappie. All the moon events occur this month between the hours of 2 and 4 a.m., meaning the largest daily feeding migration happens at that time. The best we can hope for is that some of the largest fish in the lake feed again from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. or the weather favorably influences the fish enough to either hold off feeding during the night or feed heavily during a daytime falling barometer. ...more

February 7, 2008

Today, the last quarter moon happens at 5:03 a.m., which causes the major fish migration to take place very early in the morning. A secondary migration takes place in the middle- to late afternoon, which in this particular case really isn't secondary but nearly equal to the primary migration in duration and intensity. The weather conditions will determine which of the two periods produces more fish in the favorite holes on the lake. You might have heard it said that a Junebug-colored bait works in most cases here in Florida. It's a good color to start out with when you're unsure of which color to use. Now, each bait company offers a slight variation of the "Junebug" color. Some are predominately green, and some purple — it's best to use both, and switch if you find that your hook sets are in the corners of the fish's mouth. ...more

January 30, 2008

The full moon arrives on Tuesday at 1:35 p.m. and will influence the fish greatly during the daytime. The normal daytime feeding migrations will increase in intensity and duration and the nighttime feeding migrations will decrease by the same amount. A cold front arrived Saturday and continues to pass through our area today. This will hold back the affects of the full moon. However, whenever a weather condition causes fish to hold in a suspended pattern instead of migrating, it's because of their natural impulse. As the weather passes and returns to normal conditions, during the first migration afterward the majority of the fish move into a very large feeding migration period. ...more

January 20, 2008

The first-quarter moon occurred Tuesday at 7:46 p.m., which means the daytime primary feeding migration takes place in the very late morning and continues into the afternoon. The nighttime feeding migration diminishes greatly during the next seven days and this means the daytime angler has much better chances of catching more fish, and larger fish. So, best time of the day to plan your next fishing trip is from 11 a.m. to sunset. If you decide to try mornings, you'd better be on the water by 6:30 a.m. or your chances will be slim at best for success. ...more

January 17, 2008

We are approaching the first-quarter moon on Tuesday at 7:46 p.m., and thank goodness for that, because the last week was very slow — and I mean real slow. I tried everything short of explosives to get a fish into the boat, and the best I could come up with was a few bass the size of my Yum Dinger 7-inch worm. I believe the overwhelming majority of bass were feeding at night, despite the fact that the new moon occurred near noon last Tuesday. ...more

January 13, 2008

GO FISHING is a daily look at the area fishing scene through the eyes of local charter boat captains and fishing guides. Today: Billy Nobles, left (with "Reel Animals" partner Mike Anderson). ...more

January 4, 2008