lunar periods

Question
Why is it that lunar periods have an effect on good fishing times?

Answer
This is kind of out of my expertise, but I will give you my honest opinion as I do try to follow the moon times while planning fishing trips.

I firmly believe that since life originated in the oceans, all subsequent life retains the rhythms that were once part of our immediate environment. Tides, especially in northern or southern latitudes, strongly affect the shallow water areas, river mouth flows, and shoreline areas. These effects (increased food supply, more stranded fish, flooded vegetation) were and are exploited by fish and many other food and predator creatures. By feeding at certain parts of the tide, hunting or evading success was easily improved. Thus an instinctual behavior was seeded in the genes of all organisms having anything to do with the previously mentioned tidal areas.

As far as the visible moon phases, I think it may have something to do with the high levels of light or lack thereof.

Near full moon, there is usually enough light to allow normally daytime predators to exploit the relative darkness. It would also allow many prey species to see predators who usually prey on them at night.

At a new moon, many prey species would take advantage of the total darkness to move around more freely while predators would be more intent on setting an ambush.

Actually, the more I think about it, the more it all seems to relate to "extremes". Between the extremes you have a level of normalcy where everything is not all out good or all out bad, but just kind of in between. It can be related to humans with food or money. If they are giving out food or money for free, then we would all rush out to get as much as we could, thus increasing our activity. If they were confiscating food or money, then we would all be out trying to hide, cache, and stockpile as much as we could, thus increasing our activity. But in the middle where we don't really have a surplus or a shortage, we just kind of go on at a normal pace.

And just to let you know, I don't stop fishing just because the moon is not right. But I do change tactics by slowing down in in between moon phases, and speeding up to locate active fish during the peak moon phases. This just seems to work for me.