🖨 print / pocket card — the locked numbers, windows, and presentations in one page.

FRIDAY OCT 2 — 5:30 PM SESSION

Lake Merced, San Francisco, CA | Last quarter (56%) | Moon in Cancer

One-paragraph version

Launch at 5:30 PM into a Saturn hour; the window that matters is 5:52 PM–6:51 PM (golden hour), parked on the walking topwater (spook/110). Overall 8.3/10 — a genuinely good hand; cash it.

The locked numbers

Weather layer

• overcast = fish roam shallow & chase (big plus)
• 6 mph chop breaks up overhead predators (plus)
• barometer slowly falling (-1.4 hPa/6h)

Almanac layer (the old-timers' calendar)

• Moon in Cancer — moon at home — feeding near cover, tides of appetite run strong (almanac tradition, honored as lore)
• Off-quarter moon (neutral) — the almanac rates this a strong-feeding stretch
• moon is applying
• Planetary hour at launch: Saturn — the grind — methodical, thorough, slow-work every piece of structure (published in almanacs for centuries)

The session, hour-by-hour

Best presentations for these conditions

• Walking topwater (Spook/110) — the big-fish-after-dark signature
  • fly rod? → Bass popper — walking topwater = a popping bug (editorial mapping; /kb/fly-bass)
• Whopper Plopper / prop bait — calls fish from distance in low light
  • fly rod? → Bass popper — prop topwater = a popping bug (editorial mapping; /kb/fly-bass)
• Drop shot — the finesse answer when they slap at reaction baits
  • build: Owner Mosquito Circle 1/0 · Drop shot weight 1/8 oz · 6in Deception worm / Roboworm MMIII 6 in · fluorocarbon (owner field observation (sean, 2026-09-18); line from kb/line.json)
  • fly rod? → Damsel/dragon nymph fly — both suspend a small profile above the bottom and fish almost motionless — indicator or drop-shot fly rig (editorial mapping; /kb/fly-nymph)
• Wacky-rigged Senko — skipping docks = uneaten pie
  • build: Owner Jungle Wacky (weedless wacky hook) 1/0 · VMC Crossover Ring 6mm · VMC Crossover Pliers · 5in Senko 5 in · fluorocarbon (owner kit (sean, 2026-09-18); hook ref: Owner Jungle Wacky)
  • fly rod? → Damsel/dragon nymph fly — the Senko's dying fall = a slow-falling nymph twitched on the pause (editorial mapping; /kb/fly-nymph)

Trend watch — what's winning (market signal, not science)

Dated tournament/creator signals for rigs that already fit these conditions — shown after ranking and never scored into it. - Mid-depth crankbait — fits these conditions (scores 8.2) · YouTube — Brian Latimer (2026-09-19) - “RED CRANKBAITS - THE REAL REASON IT WORKS” - Drop shot — fits these conditions (scores 7.5) · MLF — Gill does it again, wins Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Championship on (Sun, 20 Sep 2026) - “Gill's primary bait on the first two days was the venerable 7-inch Big Bite Baits Nekorama in matte margarita on a drop-shot.” - Urchin/dice rig (treble + screw weights) — fits these conditions (scores 7.5) · MLF — Gill does it again, wins Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Championship on (Sun, 20 Sep 2026) - “I went out with 38 rods on my deck, because I didn't have a blockbuster deal on that area, and I'll be danged, every fish in that area wanted to bite the urchin. It was lights-out ” - Carolina rig — fits these conditions (scores 7.2) · YouTube — Tom Redington (2026-09-18) - “Carolina Rig Masterclass From the Guy Who Perfected It”

Line & knots for these rigs

• Monofilament (nylon) — buoyant and stretches under load, which damps the surge on a hooked fish Knots quoted from the cited guides — facts, not folklore.
• San Diego jam knot (line-to-terminal) — The San Diego jam knot is a common fishing knot used to tie a line to the hook, swivel, clip, or artificial fly. This knot is also known as the San Diego knot, reverse clinch knot or Heiliger knot. (Wikipedia — San Diego Jam knot)
• Palomar knot (line-to-terminal) — The Palomar knot is a knot that is used for securing a fishing line to a fishing lure, hook, or swivel. It is strong and easy to tie and with practice can even be tied in the dark. (Wikipedia — Palomar knot)
• Snell knot (line-to-hook-shank) — The snell knot is a hitch knot used in angling to attach a fishing line to the shank (instead of the eye) of a fishing hook. (Wikipedia — Snell knot) Practice: always wet knots before tightening, regardless of line material; fluoro under 10 lb: 10 wraps when tying the snell or uni.

Decision rules

• Swirls/short strikes on topwater → don't speed up; slow down, longer pauses. Still missing → upsize the profile.
• Drop-shot fish slapping → re-cast the same fish one size up — change profile, not color.
• Wind from W at 7 mph → the S shore is wind-stacked (fetch ~609 m); fish it first — the SE shore is the lee.
• Overcast holds → extend the reaction phase; this cloud is a gift. (shoreline wind model — © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL)

fishwitch mvp — weather via Open-Meteo · sky via Swiss Ephemeris · solunar + almanac tradition (fruitful/barren signs are old lore, honored but labeled).