Terry Frankford
Terry Allen with a big red
Terry Allen with a big red

Grandpa taking grandson fishing for sheepshead
Grandpa taking grandson fishing for sheepshead

It's pretty simple really, just take a look at when the minor or major feeding period is and start fishing one hour before and fish until one hour after. My understanding is that minor means the fish feed for one hour and major they feed for two hours. Minor is when the sun and moon line up on the horizon, and major sun and moon are above and below. Anyhow, why get all scientific about it, keep it simple. I pick up my tables at Hart's Landing here locally, easy for me. You can maybe find a local tackle shop or bait stand in your area that will give copies away. If you can't find them locally just search them off the Internet, you can find them free on some sites or buy a whole years worth on other site. If you can fish them - they do work. Nothing is for certain, however they have worked well for me with a front moving in being the only time they really fail.

I have one quick example as to why you should take a few minutes and figure the solunar's out. Let's say you want to fish on a Saturday, your day off, but you still need to get the yard mowed, weed whacked, and blown. So you decide to get up at the crack of dawn and go fishing, get off the water around 1pm, go home clean the boat, and be working in the yard by 3pm. As your blowing grass off the driveway you smell chicken coming from your kitchen, not fish - why, because the major feed was at 2:30pm, that's right you got up really early for nothing, fished when the fish weren't biting, and you were cleaning a boat, and mowing a lawn while the fish were in a feeding frenzy. CHECK OUT THE SOLUNAR TABLES.

Terry Frankford

About The Author: Captain Terry Frankford

Company: Reelin & Chillin Charters Inc.

Area Reporting: Sarasota

Bio: Fishing experience in the Sarasota area for over thirty years - mostly salt water inshore and nearshore. Became a full time guide in November of 2003 after retiring from Verizon Communications as a Network Planning Engineer. U.S.C.G. licensed Master #1125021 – includes Commercial Assistance Towing. Completed Auxiliary boating Skills & Seamanship course. Certified in Senior Lifesaving, Advanced First Aid, CPR, and Open Water Scuba Diving.

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