moon phases for Belize trip

[bonefishdick]

I have a question!

You would think buy my name I would know the answer to this queation.

I don't.

I picked my name as a joke kidding with my friends when I returned from Belize because I had such a great time and have used it ever since.

Looking for some advise I am going to go back to Belize in November 2007, I ended up going in 2005 during what was a New Moon Phase.

I have heard and read that the best times to go are during the First and Last quarter of the Moon Phase. The two weeks I can go are the weeks of 11-3 thru 11-10 and 11-10 thru 11-17. The week of 11-10 is a New Moon with incoming tides starting at 5AM on day 1 and then about an hour later each day for ther rest of the week. The week of 11-3 is the Last Quarter which is supposed to be one of the better times but the low tide on day 1 isn't until 12:33 pm. I would not get to many days were I would be fishing a rising tide before the rising tide would be too late in the day. Woluld the dropping tide in the mornings be just as good during this week or should I go with the New Moon week.

Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.

[Strat]

You should be OK as long as you avoid the full moon. I think neap tides are generally the safest bet but it's all going to come down to what the weather is like when you're there...and you have no control over that.

Don't know where you're going to be fishing. Many of the flats I have fished in Belize are best fished a low tide. A good guide should have options for you at any stage of the tide.

[flycaster1]

I don't recall that the tides really change too much between high and low, so I don't think it should make much of a difference...just as long as the water is moving. That is, at slack tide, the action is usually reduced.

[Swalt]

I plan a trip around tides more than anything else. I like to have the low in the morning. I think the ideal tide would be around 10 or 11am giving you a chance to fish both outgoing and incoming. As for the moon phase I have heard different opinions. Had a quide tell me once, after a poor day ofcourse, that the fish had been feeding all night on the full moon so they were not hungry. I try to schedule something inbetween a full moon and a new moon. I experienced one trip to a Bahama out island during a week where there were excessivly high tides. in the 4th quarter of a moon phase. It made fishing for bones more difficult. Don't think that was due to the moon phase though and the affects would vary depending on where you were fishing.

[widdoes]

Remember from physics class that tidal flow diminishes the closer one gets to the equator. Typically, tides are not a huge deal in the S. Carribean. That said, I just have a hunch that fishing could get a little weird around the full moon, especially if it is "up" during the day.
But, I have absolutely not evidence to back that up (the full moon part). My experience has been that tides down there don't matter much (although I do agree with the "moving water" theory).
-WJ

[Guy]

Tides are a fascinating subject that certainly need to be considered for successful flats fishing. However, sometimes we do have a tendancy to over analyze,,,, and I am as guilty of that as anyone!!!!!

First off, the best advise I can give is ask your guide beforehand what tide and moon he likes and make your plans from there.

It's hard to make general rules about which tide / moon phase is better as certain locations do fish better at the different tides. In many Bahama locations, the flats are fairly large and rimmed with mangroves. During spring tides (full and new moon), they can go completely dry at low tide and flood the mangroves at high tide. When this happens the window of opportunity can be limited to a couple hours of both the incoming and outgoing tidal phases. While this sounds like a bad thing, the fish tend to be more aggressive with the greater current and that is always a good thing!!!!

During a neap tide (the quarter moons) the flats will keep water on them at low tide but won't flood the mangroves at high tide. This keeps the bones accessible to the angler for more of the fishing day which generally is a good thing,,,, but they can sometimes be much less aggressive as well. So sometimes it's a trade off, more agressive fish with less opportunity or more opportunity with less aggressive fish.

Now if you are after other species besides bones (such as permit) you'll need more water on the flats. I haven't fished Belize since 1990, so I am not sure what the preference would be there,,,, but in parts of Cuba and the Yucatan, many guides prefer more water on the flats and more current cuz that can translate to better shots at permit,,,,,,spring tides will deliver those conditions. In this line of thinking, areas with little tidal variation probabaly do fish better during a spring tide when the current will be the strongest.

Time of day tides are very important as well. As a general rule, the first 2/3 of incoming tide is typically the best time to find hungry fish followed by the last 1/3 of an outgoing tide. To accomodate this, I look first (and foremost) for a week with an early morning low tide at the beginning of the week. As the low tide moves one hour later each day, you should be able fish the prime times on both sides of the low tide for the duration of the week.

After that, I will consider the moon phase. I would prefer not to fish a full moon if possible, but if that when the best time of day tides occur I would still go. Ideal in my books would would be a week with a waxing moon, that is quarter moon moving to either new or full moon with an early morning low tide.

All that said, there are so many other variables (weather and wind direction are huge) that our best plans can easily go all for naught. So the bottomline is it's fun to try and plan your trip around what could be the best tides, but that doesn't always work. So go when you can, be flexible and have fun!

Tight lines!

Guy

[bonefishdick]

Thanks to all for the info, It was very nice of everyone to respond, got some great help and more info than I bargained for and I LEARNED a few things. I guess you can teach a Old Dog new tricks. I now know when I will be going thanks to everyone's help .

TIGHT LINES TO ALL