Is This A Good Generalization?

[bleedingshrimp]

I've heard it said recently to fish deep or tight to cover on bright sunny days, and to fish shallow coves or just off cover on overcast days.

Realizing the many different factors that determine strategy on any given day, is this a fair generalization?

[papajoe222]

I think I read that in a book somewhere, so it must be so. BTW, the book was 10,000 pages and I'm sure that 9,990 pages were filled with fair generalization. Take for example the often quoted: 10% of the water in any given lake will hold 90% of the fish.

Sorry, to answer your question, no I don't think this is a fair generalization. There are too many other factors concerning light penetration, which is what is being refered to. Wind, clouds, water color, and time of day and year are just a few of the factors to consider when it comes to light penetration. Any one of those conditions would 'trump' the bright sunny day'.

Although to a lesser extent, the same goes for overcast days. Overcast skies following a strong front don't necessisarily mean fish will be active in the shallows.

If you start out your day with a certain mindset based on an all encompasing generalization, you will continue attempting to prove it instead of searching for what will work now. Remember, especially after post-spawn until fall, what works can change drastically over a short period of time as most fish will react to changes in their environment. If there is a generalization to head when it comes to determining your strategy on a given day it's; Keep an open mind and think like your quary.

[SirSnookalot]

Fish don't have eyelids, I fish the shade when it's sunny. When it's cool I fish near rocks, fish like to absorb the warmth. That said, once you figure out the questions in life, they change the answers. In other words try everything and don't be a robot. I have caught countless numbers of fish on the brightest of days with a top lure, fishing both shore and out into some depth, my favorite way of bass fishing.

[ClackerBuzz]

all great advice. initially i'm more successful when concerned with whats under the water as opposed to above. ie structure and cover v.s. sun and clouds. start there. there's nothing like hitting a bass in the nose with a lure no matter what the sun is doing. after you get good at that you can fine tune and/or experiment to find bigger fish

[NBR]

I was fishing a Canadian lake on a day when it was sun and the clouds and although I'd normally go with the darker lure during cloudy periods for some reason I didn't and on that day it was just the opposite. Generalizations are just that and sometimes they work some times they don't.

[K_Mac]

Your generalization is generally true, generally speaking. Bright bluebird days will often require presentations tight to cover, more stained water, or deeper structure in my experience. As has been mentioned the problem with generalizations is they can get in the way when fish don't behave like we think they should. Sometimes the reasons for changes in feeding patterns don't fit the norm.

My wife and I fished all day Thursday catching fish deep most of the day. From about 3:30-4:30 we caught fish along the same rock banks, but in less than 4' of water. Everything else on the day was caught in 15'-20'. Based on my observations, nothing changed but the depth of the fish. Why? I don't have a clue...

[Marty]

I'm sure it would be good advice to start off your fishing that way, but there are so many exceptions to the rules that you shouldn't stick stubbornly with something that isn't working. Instead, switch to something that goes against conventional wisdom.

I don't know who said it, but there's a well-known quote, "No generalization is worth a d---, including this one."

[1234567]

Your generalization is generally true, generally speaking. Bright bluebird days will often require presentations tight to cover, more stained water, or deeper structure in my experience. As has been mentioned the problem with generalizations is they can get in the way when fish don't behave like we think they should. Sometimes the reasons for changes in feeding patterns don't fit the norm.

My wife and I fished all day Thursday catching fish deep most of the day. From about 3:30-4:30 we caught fish along the same rock banks, but in less than 4' of water. Everything else on the day was caught in 15'-20'. Based on my observations, nothing changed but the depth of the fish. Why? I don't have a clue...

My presumption would be the fish caught in shallower water may have been active feeding bass hunting the shoreline(juveniles possibly a well), the bass in the deeper water were probably more of a resident type in the deeper haunts where they feel protected where you're lures were being dropped right on the dinner table!

[1234567]

As far as generalizations go, I think they are just that. I don't know how many times I've gone out thinking a certain pattern would work based on the conditions given only to find bass doing something completely different.

[greyleg33]

Too many times I've seen a large bass sitting on top of a barely submerged bush on a brite sunny day. To my way of thinking, it could only be discribed as sunning itself. On bright sunny days I have also seen pods of large bass at the surface cruising up and down the bank. Can't believe the sun bothers their eyes a whole lot.

[Crestliner2008]

The only thing you can really count on is that the fish didn't read the same book you did!