Toughest Time of Year?

[Paul Roberts]

What's the toughest time of year for you guys. And... in what state are you located?

[scaleface]

Northern Missouri  here which is a world of difference from southern Missouri  , Winter because it freezes and even if it doesnt ice over the fishing is painstakingly bad . Its the only time   I expect to get skunked .

[ClackerBuzz]

PA.  

All the transition times suck algae while the fish get acclimated.

Late winter to early spring.

Late spring to early summer.

Late summer to early fall.

Late fall to early winter.

Honorable mention goes to hottest temps of summer with lowest oxygen contentent.  I'd probably say the same for peak cold temps but no way I'm out there drilling ice

[WRB]

Can't think of a toughest time it's good year around in SoCal!

Tom

[DogBone_384]

It's ice over for me Massachusetts. I'm catching bass and trout right now.

I might give ice fishing a whirl this winter, just to see if it's worth it.

[lo n slo]

NC - western piedmont

for me it's January, with August a distant second ( unless you go at night.)

[Dwight Hottle]

PA

August is the toughest month forme on Erie as the fish are very deep.

[A-Jay]

Up in Northern Michigan ~

No Question ~ It's Turn Over.

Lakes turn into Nasty Cold Soup for two weeks.

Fortunately, they don't all do it at the same time.

Once it clears up though - it can be & often is very good.

Reminds me of Post Spawn just with gloves on

A-Jay

[Catt]

Louisiana Gulf Coast

Toughest time of the year?

Probably the dead of winter but only because I hate cold!

[Mainebass1984]

Maine and Vermont.

 The hardest time of the year for me to catch trophy bass is in August.

[tkunk]

Green Bay.

In Fall, after turnover, the smallies that live near me stop hanging out around structure, and they start chasing baitfish in open water.  They can be just about anywhere in ~50 square miles of water, which makes finding them incredibly difficult.

[Wayne P.]

In Virginia its when I make a cast and my presentation bounces off a frozen surface.

[A-Jay]

1 hour ago, Wayne P. said:

In Virginia its when I make a cast and my presentation bounces off a frozen surface.

You know I can relate to that.

But I chose not go there. . . . .

A-Jay

["hamma"]

yeah,  crankbaits dont want to run right on ice. 

 At the very least, even the dog days of summer here in Massachusetts are better than winter. Although I hate extreme heat, the mornings are cooler and once the topwater bite dies off, I can go home and hide in the ac.

[Paul Roberts]

VERY cool answers, bc of the diversity. What's that they say: All politics is local. Or probably should be.

3 hours ago, Mainebass1984 said:

Maine and Vermont.

 The hardest time of the year for me to catch trophy bass is in August.

Why is that do you think?

[Torn Thumb]

MA - As soon as I see open water. But that could be my impatience.

[Catt]

I love dogs days of summer!

Tournament

August 2005: Team tournament, 5 bass @ 33.37

August 2003: 5 bass @ 30.667

Non-tournament

August 2007: 10.66, 10.89, 8.99 = 30.54; finished with 5 bass @ 42.46

Number of Double Digits caught during August; 14

[Gundog]

For me its when I'm force to work 12 hours a day. No fishing and very little sleep. And winter cause I hate icefishing.

[bigfruits]

middle of winter because i cant get myself out on the water. im in VA

[IndianaFinesse]

When there's to much ice to break through, but not enough to ice fish on.

[Mainebass1984]

3 hours ago, Paul Roberts said:

Why is that do you think?

 Of all the months that I fish open water I have caught the fewest 7s in August. I consistently catch 5s and 6s during the day but getting a fish over 7 is a challenge. I have caught fish over 7 lbs at night in August but not many. In my opinion most of the largest bass in a lake feed at night during the warmest time of year. In addition to the having the warmest water temperature. August also has the heaviest recreation use, swimmers, water skiers, kayakers, canoeist  as well as fisherman. At times fish can be very very deep and on bluebird post cold front days it is a challenge.

I do not know why it is hard for me to catch a fish over 7 lbs during the day in August but I do have a couple ideas. Perhaps fishing during the day I should target fish deep, 30-55 ft. I do believe though that during that time of the year most of the trophy 7 plus pounders are feeding at night. I should spend more time targeting them at night. I know it works I just need to spend more time doing it.

[blckshirt98]

Northern California - December/January when it dips to the 20's at night.  Everything is closed to boating and from shore everything just seems to be dead as a post, might as well be casting into a swimming pool.  I pack up the bass gear and fish a couple of reservoirs that get weekly plants of trout until springtime rolls around.

[MassYak85]

11 hours ago, DogBone_384 said:

It's ice over for me Massachusetts. I'm catching bass and trout right now.

I might give ice fishing a whirl this winter, just to see if it's worth it.

Try it! A few traps, bucket of shiners (or jig rod if you want to stay artificial) and an ice pick and you're in business....plus the proper winter gear of course. I do better through the ice than a lot of days in the summer actually. 

 

Worst time for me is the transition period before and after winter, where the ice is starting to form and not safe, and at the end when the ice is melting and not safe. Means no ice fishing or regular fishing. 

[Gundog]

10 hours ago, Catt said:

Louisiana Gulf Coast

Toughest time of the year?

Probably the dead of winter but only because I hate cold!

Cold in Louisiana??? How cold are we talking here?

[Bluebasser86]

For me it's September/October in Kansas. The fish get into the summer/fall transition and go into the late summer pattern of "summer here, summer there". There's really not a concentration of fish in any parts of the lakes and big fish evaporate into thin air. I usually spend a little time at the power plant lakes during those months because they aren't as effected because of their warmed water. 

I hate the weather in the winter, but the fishing at the power plant lakes can be red hot.