What will it do to the bite?
Wow! The first time in 38 years that there has been a total eclipse of the sun in the Lower 48 states. I have seen so many Facebook friends making plans to be on the water it’s making me want to be out there too.
Weather.com reports that the states from Oregon to South Carolina will see the moon completely blocked from the sun on August 21st. Just about everyone else in North America will experience at least a partial eclipse.
My hometown of Merritt Island will have only a partial solar eclipse. It will begin on Mon, Aug 21, 2017 at 1:21 pm before reaching a maximum at 2:52 pm and then ends about 4:16 pm. That’s a total duration of 2 hours, 55 minutes.
Viewability depends on weather conditions so the best strategy is to stay flexible as long as you can in choosing a viewing location. With so many angling friends wanting to be on the water during the eclipse this will be hard to do. It will be a little tough to move a boat very far unless you leave it on the trailer until the last minute. It is true, however, a cloudy sky can spoil the fun.
Many anglers are wondering what it will do to the bite. It is an interesting question. Will the bite improve as is often the case in low light conditions, or will it completely turn off?
If you are going to be fishing during this period of time I would sure like to hear your reports. Let me know through a Facebook personal message how you did and your general thoughts about the event.
Remember, it is not a myth that looking directly at the sun can blind you. Get some eclipse viewing glasses and don’t take any chances. NEVER look directly at the Sun. Proper eye protection, like eclipse glasses or a Sun filter, is the only safe option. Sunglasses don’t work.
Good luck to my friends north of me who will experience the total eclipse. Use this unusual event to go fishing, have some fun, do it with safety in mind, and . . .
Fish with passion!
