Temperature transition question

[Bass Justice]

I was wondering your guys' input on these weird cold Spring mornings we have with warmer afternoons? For instance the morning calls for 40 degrees, but by 12pm it will be 70 degrees.

I know that water temperature rules all, but when I went out yesterday in similar conditions at 7am, the bite did not seem to turn on until 12pm when it warmed up (and consequentially warmed the water by 3 degrees as well).

7am-   61 degree water temp, 45 degree air= no bite 

12pm- 64 degree water temp, 68 degree air= 6 bites within an hour and a half

I know there are a multitude of factors going into the bite, but I was just wondering how you guys have been doing, and also wondering if next outing I should just wait until noon.

Thanks

-Mike

[IndianaFinesse]

It's typical for the bass to bite better in the afternoon during early spring once the sun warms up the lake a few degrees.  However, once the water temperature is into the low sixties the water temperature is in the basses "comfort zone" and there are only two things on there mind now, eating and spawning.

[papajoe222]

Anytime there is an upswing in the water temp. this time of year, the bite will usually turn on.  Just the air temp going twenty degrees or so won't do it, but if the sun is beating down with that same increase in temp., the surface water will normally rise enough to get them moving.  Spring weather is likely the most unstable of all the seasons and the possibility of a perfect, mostly sunny day when the water temp will rise enough to turn the fish on, isn't in our favor.

Fish whenever you get the opportunity and fish the conditions you're faced with   . It may not be the best time of day for the season, but it beats waiting around for the perfect conditions. 

 

[Catt]

#1: temperature does not rule all

#2: our cool mornings has produced a better bite than warmer afternoon or evenings.

[Bankbeater]

Some days here the high temp is around 55 other days it's close to 70.  I have been going the day after it warms up so that the water temp has a chance to rise a little.

[Sam]

Good question, but way too many factors to add into the formula for a "one shoe fits all" answer.

May I suggest reading all you can about the bass' behavior? I do not want to appear flippant and would love to give you the "right" answer, but with water clarity, water temperature, wind, air temperature, biometric pressure, moon phases, depth, structure, cover, dogwood trees, cold fronts, warm fronts, blue bird skies, cloudy skies, early AM, late PM, boat traffic, fishing pressure, rain, drought, salt water encroachment, current, storms and time of the year, fast retrieves, slow retrieves and types of baits one just cannot put their finger on a simple answer.

The bass are where you are fishing. Your test is to find what they want to eat, at what depth, what size, what color, what speed and under, over or adjacent to any underwater structure.

Keep a log and after three months of fishing the same body of water under different conditions you will see a pattern for that one body of water.

So "no," don't wait till noon. Hit the water as soon as possible and start your log and study of the bass' behavior in your body of water.

Who knows? Maybe your personal best is the only bass out there that is interested in your presentation and technique.

Keep us posted on what you find out.

[Catt]

Some days the bite is in the morning 

Some days the bite is at midday 

Some days the bite is in the evening 

Some days the bite is at night

The timing of the bite has to do with many factors, water temperature is only one!

[wnspain]

80 - 85% of my fish this spring have been taken after 2 pm.   but I still practice all morning

[Bass Justice]

Sam that was hilarious thank you for your insight haha. If there was an easy answer to this then bass fishing would probably be a lot easier and then we probably wouldn't be as into it as we are so there is that.

Thanks for all the replies guys. I don't mind going out early regardless of the weather, so i'll keep churning out there in the am. I'll look for patterns and learn the bodies of water that I fish. Having only fished these waters a max of 4-5 times I am still very green to them and fishing on a boat as well (just bought my first pic kayak last month), so I have a lot to learn.

I'm already excited to get back out there and figure these fish out! 

-Mike

[GTHenson]

As far as this topic goes, just remember that each lake is slightly different. I live in an area in between two major lake systems and they are very similar. However the bite changes dramatically with the weather on these lakes. And both of them on most days go in different directions. So like Sam said be attentive to whats going on where you are fishing. Try different techniques, different depths, lure profiles, colors, scents, and more. But take this next piece of advice and it will change your performance on the water dramatically. Stay on top of the fish, have you ever fished a spot and just smoked them one day? then you come back a few days later, fish that same spot but dont get a bite? maybe the weather is a little different, cooler or warmer, sunny or overcast. The thing is the weather probably didnt shut them down completely it just staged them in a different area of the water column, learn to find those fish that you know are already there. Then write down where they were and where they moved to and document the weather changes along with those bites. after building a journal like that, and studying it you will be able to adjust to the weather by knowledge of how those fish act. It will become second nature. Good Fishing and God Bless.

[WRB]

My guess is you are fishing shoreline areas with presentations you prefer to use in locations that should, in your mind, be productive. The bass are not where you start fishing and not interested chasing down the lures you are using. Once you slow down and use lures that pre spawn-spawn bass are located you start to catch a few......just a thought.

Location, location, location.

Tom

[Bass Justice]

Thanks again guys i'll keep those suggestions in mind for sure!

 

-Mike

[You_Only_Live_Once_Fishing]

fish shallow, this area will warm up faster and draw fish, you can tell if they've been shallow if their back is dark.

[inrll]

As long as it is a cool weather situation with a warming trend then the shallow, protected areas that are in full sun will draw in fish. What you describe is a pattern I have successfully fished a few times this year. As others have said, this depends on a lot of factors but the two main factors seem to be long stretches of uninterrupted sun and light stain to clear water.