Feeding Times
Fish do not feed all the time. Yet at times fish may go on the feed and take almost any offering, be it live bait or artificial lure.
John Alden Knight found out that these periods - here called Feeding Times - are mostly caused by the influence of Sun and - especially - Moon (just like tides) and can be predicted with a certain degree of accuracy.
In fact, there can be up to two Major Feeding Times and two Minor Feeding Times in a day. During Major Feeding times the influence of Moon and Sun is greater, therefore fish are more active.
Simply put, for any given location and with all other conditions remaining the same, Major and Minor Feeding Times are the best time to go fishing.
Feeding Predictions
The influence of Sun and Moon on fish feeding periods changes during the course of the year and each lunar month.
The most influence happens when Sun and Moon are closer to Earth and, during each day, when their gravitational pull is in sync.
Therefore, certain days in a month are potentially better than others to go fishing.
We call this Fish Feeding Prediction, and we rate that from 1 star (poor) to 5 starts (best).
Weather Effects
Fish are very sensitive to weather conditions. In fact, barometric fluctuactions - especially if the trend is down - can negatively affect fishing.
In particular, approaching cold fronts can drive the fish deeper and render them inactive, less willing to feed.
Conversely, if weather conditions are steady or improving, if the temperature is favorable then you may experience feeding times longer than expected.
Therefore, when you look at Feeding Predictions and Times always use the weather forecast information intelligently. That is why we report this here together with all other factors affecting fish feeding.
Fishing at Twilight
Twilight is the time between dawn and sunrise, and between sunset and dusk.
During this time, the sun is not actually visible because it is below the horizon and the surface of the Earth is neither completely lit nor completely dark.
Fishing at twilight may be more productive than during day hours, since fish may momentarily leave cover and feel more inclined to feeding.
At the same time, because of the better visibility, fisherman may find twilight conditions less challenging then fishing over night.
When feeding times, especially Major Times, are close to twilight fishing can be from good to great.