The angle at which the sun's light strikes the moon determines which part of it we see on earth. This is in direct correlation to the alignment of the sun, moon and earth - which determines the strength of the tide. So during either the full or the new moon, the earth, moon and sun are in alignment - gravitational pull is strong and tides are higher. The height of the high tide begins to decrease after the full moon, reaching their lowest levels during the time of the first quarter moon. They begin to increase again and reach their peak at the new moon - remember, earth, sun and moon are aligned, but the positions have changed.
Tides are strong here.
During the quarter moon, though, the moon is at right angles to the earth - gravity is at its weakest, so the tides will be weaker. Those strong tides produce more water movement and consequently a better shot at fishing success. Remember, just because we can't see the moon doesn't diminish its influence. Check the time of moonrise. Since the moon's orbit takes about 24 hours, it will be directly overhead approximately 6 hours after it rises and directly behind you 18 hours after moonrise.