The Solunar Theory, like most innovations, was discovered accidentally. Actually, this natural law is in no sense new. Scientists and some of the tribes of American Indians have long known about its manifestations. What was not known, however, was the formula for the calculation of the periods a year or so in advance.

The professional hunters of Florida and Georgia (in the days when such hunting was legal) planned fishing and hunting trips according to the daily moon positions. They had learned that wildlife usually were active and feeding when the moon was directly overhead or directly underfoot. At these times game was out of hiding and available, and the fish were feeding actively.

This bit of folklore was picked up in Florida in 1926 by John Alden Knight. It didn't take long, however, to discover that the "moonup-moondown" method of approximation was far from being accurate. At certain times of the month this method brought the forecasts fairly close to the true schedule of activity, but at other times there would be a variance of as much as one to two hours.

It was evident that the loose approximation used by the market hunters was not accurate enough to qualify as the formula for an accurate schedule. After all, a schedule of this sort should function as a time saver and a reliable guide to the best fishing and hunting that each day offers.

An Old Theory Revisited Solving the Riddle

Proving the Theory Peaks and What to Watch For