First Light Fishing (Shade Or Sun?)

[Jonathan D Saunders]

I have been fishing for Largemouth Bass for a long time and only yesterday did I ponder whether or not I was performing a key part of my fishing trips correctly,

I have been blessed to be able to grow up and live in Florida. I now reside in Crescent City which has been aptly named the "Bass Capital of the World".

I generally fish the eastern shoreline at first light.
The western shoreline is the one with all the trees though. The western shoreline gets the light first but within an hour the eastern shoreline has light as well and it gets the light the longest period during the day. The nearest obstruction to light is a line of trees about 50 yards away which only block about an hour of daylight in the morning.

I am really starting to think I need to switch to the western shoreline for my first light fishing on this particular lake.

Can anyone give me some pointers?

[Oregon Native]

Not having ever been there I can't believe the fish swim from one bank to the other for the rising sun. They may relate differently and have to be fished differently. Every days a good day and I personally like to fish all day when ever I can.

Tight Lines

[jhoffman]

Depends on the water temps, if theyre cool, yeah that side will be the best first, if its hot in the summer and the water is like 75-80 at night then the shade side will be ready first.

[Jonathan D Saunders]

That has always been my theory as well, and I can catch the 1 and two pounders all around the lake all day long. 
I am just having difficulty locating the hawgs.

The lake is ripe for hawg hunting.

Clear water down to around 5 foot. a lot of eel grass, hydrilla in much of the 3-6 foot water but it isn't over running the lake, sandy bottom with only a few areas with mud. several 20+ foot holes with sharp ledges, large 2-3 foot feeding tables/bedding areas, plenty of bottom variation. One of the 20+ holes I am sure is a spring. Zero creeks, canals or tributaries connecting to the lake.

Crank baits really set off the Bass in here but the only large ones have been off of shiners and I really do not want to pigeonhole myself to only catching big ones with shiners.

[Jonathan D Saunders]

BTW, the water temp is right at the magic 75 degree mark during the day right now.

[Oldplug]

I have only fished fla freshwater 1tine. You got so many things to take into consideration like, grass ,reeds trees, lilly pads and suns heat. But I would go to the darker bank in the morning. I would be looking for shaded water anytime of the day.

[jhoffman]

If the water is 75 I would be on the dark side looking for a topwater bite at or before daybreak

[SPEEDBEAD.]

I know Florida lakes don't typically get very deep, but I'll ask anyway.

 

What is the bottom structure of your lake like? Max depths?

[Jonathan D Saunders]

I know Florida lakes don't typically get very deep, but I'll ask anyway.

 

What is the bottom structure of your lake like? Max depths?

Right at the shorelines, the average depth is 1-3'.

Most of the shoreline has a really nice sharp drop to around the 8-12' depth.

The 8-12' depths are not static and bowl shaped like most lakes though...it is a smaller area that within a 1/2 to a full cast comes back up somewhere to 2-5'.

With the exception of a few confined areas of mud, the entire bottom is sand/shale. The entire lake bottom except the 10+ areas are either eel grass or standing (not balled) hydrilla.

I really wish this lake a bathoscopic map to show you but with a major tournament lake less than a mile from it, it is overshadowed and mostly overlooked.

It is called lake Stella in Crescent City if you want to get a Google satellite view of it though.

EDIT: There are 4 sharp dropping, deep holes that are 20+' deep...I am positive by looking at the read out on my range finder that one is a spring.

[wademaster1]

Depends on the water temps, if theyre cool, yeah that side will be the best first, if its hot in the summer and the water is like 75-80 at night then the shade side will be ready first.

 

I agree with this......if they're hot, fish the cool spots....if they're cool, fish the warm areas....