Your Time Preference?

[Squirmin Wormin]

do you have a particular time you usually hit the water ? i myself hit the water for fishing if I can, early morning or late afternoon till dark. just curious ,but i think it has an effect on my fishing . midday is not like that early morning or late afternoon fishing is either, as far as the bites go . less bites if it's midday in my op . what's your op? 

[gulfcaptain]

8am to 2pm......the hrs my son is in school and I have time to fish and relax before Daddy duties call.

[RSM789]

I have always preferred dawn, not only for the more aggressive action from the fish, but because it lessens the number of people on the water.  Depending on the season, a.m. can be more or less productive.  Historically, I caught my PB at 6:30 in the morning, my 2nd PB close to noon & my 3rd PB at 4:00 in the afternoon (no, not all on the same day)

[Catch and Grease]

I usually like to start in the morning around 6 or 7am

[atcoha]

I like to fish for bass starting at dawn til about noon. I hook the bull reds late night into the am.

[Long Mike]

The late, great, Doug Hannon, who claimed to have caught over a hundred 10 lb bass, said the majority of his catches were caught between the hours of 10 AM to 2 PM.  That said, you will very seldom see me on the water before 8 AM, and very seldom, after 6 PM.  Us old folks gotta have their rest.

[Daniel Lin]

I've really been starting to pick up the night bite from shore lately. It's cooler, the fish seem to be much more comfortable, the bugs have calmed down, it helps keep my out-of-control farmer's tan in check, and honestly, the darkness really helps me focus on the fishing. It's almost like how blind folks have a hypersensitive sense of feeling, the night really helps me tune in on exactly what my lure is doing, what sort of cover its in, whether I clipped a piece of timber or it's a bite and time to set the hook.

 

That being said, tonight I totally misjudged the distance to a thicket of brush I was targeting and lost a night spinnerbait by pitching it right into the middle of it. Live and learn, I guess.

[whitwolf]

Early Spring: 10-4

 

 

Summer: night

 

 

Fall: depends on temps. but usually 7-4

 

Winter: 12 pm until? Again, depends on the temp.

[Oregon Native]

When ever I can be on the water it's a joy.  Too much planning takes away that.  Like people...fish eat when they want to and have never told me when they wanted a minnow or a crawfish or even a bug.  I go...enjoy the day as a gift.

[Mainebass1984]

Spring from around 7 or 8 am until dark.

 

In the summer I try and fish dawn until atleast dark. Some times I am on the water at 530 am and don't get off the water until 11 pm so I can get a night bite as well. I pack a lot of food and drinks for those long days. During the summer I try and mix in some 10 am until 2 am days to get the night bite during the hottest time of the year.

 

In the Fall I am on the water at 9 am and fish until dark. My best bite this time of year is usually from 10 until 2 or 3 oclock most days.

 

In the winter up here in New England it is ice fishing time. I am on the water an hour before sunrise and stay until at least an hour after sunrise.

[Bassun]

I love to fish from sunup till early afternoon.  There's something almost mystical about fishing early and having that fog whisking around, the lake being calm and quiet, and not having the sun beat down on you.  But, most often I end up going from around 9am to early afternoon.  I seldom fish through dusk, unless I'm staying at the lake.  If I'm fishing solo, I do not like being out in the dark.

[Bankbeater]

Usually start in the morning before sunup.  I stay out until mid afternoon if they are biting, and I don't have anything pending.

[PersicoTrotaVA]

Every Tuesday from 8am to about 6pm.  Sometimes I will wait til 10am, 11am and sometimes I leave the lake at 5pm, 7pm, 8pm.  It just really depends on the day but its always every Tuesday.

[TBO]

in the summer i leave sometimes around 3 am. i like to be on the water atleast half hr before sun rise the top water bite is usually pretty good.  ill stay out until i feel its time to leave

[Raul]

. midday is not like that early morning or late afternoon fishing is either, as far as the bites go . less bites if it's midday in my op .  

 

 

Less bites ----> yes, the interesting thing here is that most of my big fish catches were midday bite. But that doesn´t mean I´ll be fishing at midday for that particular reason. When it´s my compadre, nephew and I trip we try to be just before daybreak, and we leave until logs/stumps and standing timber is still visible, almost dark. If we go with the families then we may be there at around 10 am and we leave at around 6 pm.

[olegs]

Usually, I start 15-20 min before sunrise till 2-3pm.

With kids around 12-7 pm.

[FunkJishing]

i've had most success fishing between the hours of 2pm and 7pm in the fall. at least when it comes to smallmouth. but i'll ushually go early morn like 6am-11am or the usual 2pm-7 or 8pm. if summer time, even later.

[buzzed bait]

i prefer the early AM, but i will take any time on the water!  i will say though that between about 2pm and 5pm i find myself paying a little less attention....  i think that's just programmed from being like that at work

[Ozark_Basser]

As far as time preference, I would say any time with low light conditions. Whether that's dawn, dusk, overcast days, or windy days.

[Felix77]

Whenever I can ... 

[WRB]

Our lakes have a opening and closing time depending on sunrise and sun set, that when I fish open to closing time. If the lake is open for night fishing it's usually until 1 AM when it closes during the summer months.

I like to be on the water as soon as possible, earlier the better.

It's hard to predict when the bass are active, however the Threadfin shad tend to use shore cover during the night and move out as the sun raises, the bass bite early often feeding on shad.

Tom

[Duster7466]

My favorite time of day is early evening as the sun sets. The scenery is nice, the water calms, and the top water bite is usually good.

 

[guitarglynn1]

When ever I can be on the water it's a joy.  Too much planning takes away that.  Like people...fish eat when they want to and have never told me when they wanted a minnow or a crawfish or even a bug.  I go...enjoy the day as a gift.

 

Amen

[riverbasser13]

Usually in the evening after work. Its a nice way to relax after a full day of work, plus my old lady works till about 8 so it works perfect. On the weekends though before dawn till lunch is nice.

[Justin Mott]

I have always fished from day light to around 2-4pm. I've been tournament fishing since I started fishing so I'm so used to this routine that its second nature.

 

It also works out in my favor. For one my wife doesn't like waking up real early so she won't care that I'm gone for atleast half the trip. The second half I get to enjoy that mid day warmth. And Third that early morning bite is dynamite. Its almost too easy.

 

Now there are a few down sides. Early Spring and Winter SUCK in the morning! Its so cold that it hurts. And I live in the south so I don't keep a lot of cold weather clothes. You also have to sacrifice sleep some times. We still like to go out and enjoy the night and that hits right up against my fishing from time to time. Sometimes that means that I have to make it up after the trip.

 

 

Justin Mott