INTRODUCTION: THE LUNAR CYCLES EFFECT ON FISHING
For many years and in many countries, moon and tide fishing calendars have been published based on one originally devised by Grady Coble. Coble’s calendar was marked by symbols resembling the outline of a fish. As the lunar months progressed, the outline fills, changing gradually from black to white and following the belief that fishing is best on the new moon and worst when full.
Like a belief in God, the belief in lunar control of fishing seems to arise in well-separated cultures world-wide. Its absence is the exception.
Can the knowledge of our ancestors across the Pacific serve the fisherman of today? The answer is "yes."
Within this year’s almanac, you will find not only the most accurate moon and tide data for Hawai‘i, but also fishing information spanning history for as long as it has been recorded. Many successful local fishermen apply the information found in this Moon and Tide almanac, noting the impact of the cycles of the moon and tide, and seasonal changes. It guides them to the best times to fish. We also have included a log to organize your own fishing results in a way that includes the cycles involved.
THE HAWAIIAN FISHING CALENDAR
The Hawaiian use of a lunar fishing calendar is an enigma. It is often referred to in the literature and lore of Hawai‘i, but a complete picture does not exist and is sometimes contradictory. The early Hawaiians counted the days of each month, and learned that some days were good for fishing, some not. Some were windy and others calm. All these characteristics depended on the phases of the moon. This was not superstition but belonged to the early branches of knowledge of Hawaiʻ‘i, and some of it was recorded by, edited by Martha Warren Beckwith, Bishop Museum Bulletin 95.
