Late afternoon to dark smallmouth bite

[Junk Fisherman]

Growing up and during my cottage days it was normal to fish daylight till 10-11 o'clock in the morning and then fish after dinner till dark.  This was for largemouth and there was usually a good evening bite especially the last hour or so before dark.  Is it the same for smallmouth?  I have NEVER fished for smallmouth much after 3-4 o'clock in the afternoon.  I'm strictly a daylight to afternoon fisherman.  I especially interested in people's experiences on the Great Lakes or northern lakes in the summer.  Thanks for any tips.  

[A-Jay]

Yes & no for me.

Some places I fish for brown bass can be Very good at around sunset.

Others, not so much.

I have one local smallies lake where 'the sunset bite' is the only thing I fish there.

Finally, I am usually 'camping out' on a spot before and near sunset,

waiting for the bass to come & feed.

Fish Hard

A-Jay

[cyclops2]

For many years the fish would drive perch into a cove & munch away with the setting sun at their backs. Fast . Then quiet.

[Bluebasser86]

I've had some great evening bites for smallies. I've even had a few good night bites but they seem to be much fewer, and further between than largemouth once it gets dark out. 

[cyclops2]

The crayfish come out at night. Daytime the bass are looking for anything. They are active in rock areas with lots of smaller rocks. Crayfish hide out under medium sized ones. A smaller fish in weeds is at risk with the very powerful swimming  small mouth. I have seen them gang up in very shallow water & drive the fish out into open water & massacre all the fish at times. Just like a pack of wolves attack.

[John Diamond]

I personally have never found a specific time that they bite, but definitely once the sun sets, that's when they've stopped, at least for me.  

[cyclops2]

Largemouths can be very turf sensitive.with any structure. Day or night.  Smalls and perch  feed whenever they are hungry.. They keep moving.

BUUTT they do have favorite feed places.  What is at those places I do not know. Something  Any fish caught there are usually fat belly from something.

[TOXIC]

I can tell you the chain of lakes I fish in Wisconsin there is absolutely zero daytime bite.  Morning, evening and nighttime is the only real bite.  Used to be an all day bite, they just moved to the deeper weeds but since the lakes were sprayed, they went to a low light or night bite.  

[padon]

hmm. guess it depends on where you are. the smallies i fish for seem to like to eat at dusk but once its dark their done.funny   thing about smallmouth here is they like to bite in the sun. largemouth love cloudy drizzly days. smallmouth lie the sun. now they may be 30 feet deep but they still seem to prefer sun.

[Dye99]

For me its pretty much the same all day when finesse fishing. The only difference is the 30 minutes after sunset is all about topwater.

[cyclops2]

If you want to find out what has happened to GREAT FISHING spots ?  Ask the scuba divers. What they tell you can destroy a lifetime of past / future fishing ways.

 

I am not negative on fishing. Just finding out why some great places change permanently.

[Tatsu Dave]

In the area's we fish the evening bite is a given and certain spots come alive. I'm 100% with keeper on his accessment of smallies using feeding areas that they prefer for some reason (food availability). I waypoint my garmin all the time with spots smallies use in the current as ambush sites, catch em' there once its fishing.......catch em' multiple times its patterning.