The time I really pay attention to sun angle is when I'm using in-line spinners, and even then when the sun is lower in the sky. Whether I'm using a Mepps Aglia (wide swing), an Aglia Long (narrower swing) or a Roostertail (narrowest swing), I try to retrieve the spinner at an angle so that the sun is reflected (in my mind's eye) off the blade and into the target area I think holds fish. It has worked for me for several years, but only when the spinner is shallower than the fish.
The most obvious place that this works is a place in the river near me that has a cutoff (ledge). The spine of the cutoff runs ESE on the northern part, curving around to SSE on the southern part. Water depth is 3-4 feet on the east side, forming a flat. Deep side of the cutoff is 8-12 feet deep.
At 4:00-6:00PM, an Aglia Long retrieved directly over the southern leg of the cutoff produces fish. They rise up from the deeper water. If I move the spinner to a parallel track 4 feet east, I get nothing. Why? Because the flash or glint off the blade is being blocked by the lip of the cutoff. If I move my retrieval track too far to the west, out over open water, I get nothing, because the glint off the blade is aimed at open water, but the bass are holding just under the lip of that cutoff.
If I move to the west and retrieve the Aglia Long from ESE to WNW on the upper leg, I get nothing. If I switch to an Aglia, I get fish. The higher reflection angle "bounces" down to where the fish are. If I move back east and try the southern leg again using the Aglia, I get nothing. The reflected angle is "coned" too far ahead.
At this time of day, retrieving the spinners lower in the water column on the deep side produces nothing, or next to nothing. At noon, however, it can be productive. Higher sun angle.
Another fisherman showed this to me several years ago. He always caught bass off this ledge when other fishermen didn't. So I did what he taught me, and I caught fish. I then taught two friends of mine, showing them what I was doing, and now they catch fish there the same way I do.
When the river is really muddy, this system doesn't work. I use other lure types.
This last year, I tried this in a lake I frequent. It seems to work, but I use spinners in this particular lake much less frequently than other lures. I guess I'll have to fish it another year and see. ? jj
