Do rain or a bright moon change the pike bite?
Rain helps more than moonlight does. A pike's best light is dim but not dark — enough to aim the lunge, little enough that prey see it late — and a day of drizzle under thick cloud holds that dusky light from morning to evening, so fish roam weed edges and hit moving baits at hours that would be slow under sun. What cancels it is a cold downpour that chills the shallows, or muddy inflow that blinds a sight hunter; move away from the dirty water. Moonlight is not a substitute for daylight. Even under a full moon pike catch rates stay far below the daytime bite; a few fish move in clear shallows, but if the moon is up and rods are bending in pike water, it is usually walleye.
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More questions about Vision
Same topic, other species
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- What colors can a largemouth actually see? — Largemouth Bass
- Do white, glow or UV finishes matter on muskie baits? — Muskellunge (Muskie)
- Why does the perch bite die completely at dusk? — Yellow Perch
- Where do orange, yellow and glow fit in smallmouth colour choice? — Smallmouth Bass
- Does a bright moon help or hurt trout fishing? — Trout (Rainbow · Brook · Lake)
- Is rain good for walleye fishing? — Walleye