Is 8:00 too late?

[Big Rick]

4 hours ago, BrianMDTX said:

Tomorrow’s forecast is cloudy/overcast

This will help negate the actions of getting there late. I also love to watch the world wake up from the deck of my boat. IMO the early morning fishing is the best experience. 

[Bird]

I love an early morning top water session but will fish whenever, however.

To reiterate what's been posted, my PB was midday, bluebird sky and every big fish I've caught this year has been midday.

 

I'd fish the bigger SP lake.

 

 

[T-Billy]

4 hours ago, Bankc said:

It's been my experience, that fishing early in the morning is more important in the summer than in the fall, winter, or spring.  This time of year, I'd be more worried about how late you can stay than how early you can get there.  

So yeah, I'd go! 

This has been my experience too. 

[Catt]

Best time to go fishing is anytime you can go fishing.

 

I catch more big bass at night, oh wait I fish more at night.

 

If you fish more in the middle of the day guess when your most fish will be caught?

[ironbjorn]

I almost never get up at the crack of dawn to fish. I go whenever I want to go. I've found most of the book knowledge is little more than opinion. My best bass fishing is the dead of summer in the afternoon on nice sunny days. The books tell me this is very bad. Just fish.

[Bankbeater]

I'd go, especially with those weather conditions.

[fin]

Sometimes State employees actually come in early. I swear. I've seen it with my own eyes.

[RDB]

13 hours ago, BrianMDTX said:

I was going to fish a new lake tomorrow, but it’s in a state park, which normally opens at 6:00 am. But as tomorrow is a holiday, it’s not open until 8:00. I can fish my local pond starting before sunrise (6:54 am), but it’s been slow and nothing over 2 lbs. lately. If the SP opens at 8:00, I’d probably be fishing by 8:30. Tomorrow’s forecast is cloudy/overcast with 59°-61° at 6:00 am. 
 

I’ll be fishing out of my inflatable boat. The lake is 28’ max depth and 240 ac. in size. The pond is 7’ max depth and about 3 ac. in size. 
 

What would you do? 

I would go to the state park and wouldn’t worry about the time, there are still bass on beds pretty much everywhere in Texas.  I don’t know which park you are going to but some of them get ShareLunker stockings, so you may have a shot at a new PB.  In another few weeks, the shad spawn should begin (~75 water temp) and I personally would want to be on the water early when that starts.

[scbassin]

At 0800 I am still checking my eye lids to make sure they don't leak. I usually roll out at the crack of noon.

[MIbassyaker]

Around here, until it starts getting warm overnight, 8:00am is too early.

[TOXIC]

My fishing partner is a retired marine and I have been fishing with him for 25 years.  We NEVER are on the water later than 7am and that’s on daylight savings time.?  When we first started going to Michigan 20 years ago, the rest of our group who are locals, would wake up around 7, make breakfast, eat breakfast, make and pack lunch and then make their way out to the boats.  Their reasoning is that smallmouth are no where as time sensitive as largemouth and if you put a bait in their face, no matter the time of day, they will eat it.?. Let’s just say in 20 years, I haven’t been able to have breakfast in Michigan.??

[geo g]

Especially if it’s overcast the bite will continue long after the sun comes up.  If the sun pops out the bass will often get closer to cover or move deeper to the first drop off.  Throw to ledges and drop offs and slow way down with plastics.  I like a trick worm on the bottom.  Snap it up and let it just sit on slack line.  This has saved many a tough day for me.  Often let it sit 30 seconds or more.  Then a sharp snap up and repeat.  Look for shady pockets if it’s warm, and the sunny side on cool days when water is below 65*.  Good luck!

[BrianMDTX]

Well, I went. I haven’t fished waters other than ponds in a long, long time. Granted, 240 acres isn’t huge, but compared to 2-3 acres, it’s big water lol. I got there just after 7:00 and saw it was open for self-pay ($7.00 day use fee). So I was fishing by 7:30. 
 

It has a lot of hydrilla, which is new to me. I had a hit on my second cast with a Whopper Plopper and one on a Booyah Pad Crasher and that was it. I tried spinnerbaits, squarebills, jigs, chatterbaits, paddletails, Texas rigs and a wacky rig. No luck. 
 

But the bass were there. They were chasing shad and I saw some big swirls and blowups. But I got skunked. But I did see a nice gar and I made a new friend. 
 

 

I’ll be back, but I need to learn how to fish lakes vs. ponds. 

[roadwarrior]

I don't think that's a gar...

[BrianMDTX]

52 minutes ago, roadwarrior said:

I don't think that's a gar...

Give that man a seegar!! ?

[Fallser]

I use to get up and head out at before sunrise with my buddies.  Those days are in the rear view mirror and fading rapidly.  We're going up to the Poconos for a week of fishing at the end of May.  Three of us will sleep in.  The other guy worked as a railroad engineer for 40 years.  He still gets up a 0300.  We roll out of bed between 7 and 8.  You gotta have breakfast, a cup of coffee, a cigarette, sit on a the john a bit before we're ready to go.  We get on the water most days around 10.  The bass don't wear wrist watches, digital or wind-up, so they don't mind.  Hasn't hurt our bass fishing.  Besides we have better luck in the evening at least three of us do.  The railroad engineer goes to bed at 7.

[RDB]

3 hours ago, BrianMDTX said:

Well, I went. I haven’t fished waters other than ponds in a long, long time. Granted, 240 acres isn’t huge, but compared to 2-3 acres, it’s big water lol.

Did you go to Lake Raven at Huntsville State Park?

[BrianMDTX]

2 hours ago, RDB said:

Did you go to Lake Raven at Huntsville State Park?

Yes. Seems nice. I’ll fish it again. 

[slonezp]

Tomorrow starts "National park week". Admission should be free all week

[RDB]

1 hour ago, BrianMDTX said:

Yes. Seems nice. I’ll fish it again. 

I’ve never fished it but it has some BIGS.  I think the lake record is over 13 lbs.  It has produced a lot of double digits.

[BrianMDTX]

Just now, RDB said:

I’ve never fished it but it has some BIGS.  I think the lake record is over 13 lbs.  It has produced a lot of double digits.

Some of those swirls and blowups I saw looked big. 

[SWVABass]

I’d go to the Sp. here they weren’t supposed to open till 8, I showed up at 745 gate was open, next time 730 gate was open. I continued to keep showing up 15 mins earlier time after time. Found out they weren’t locking the gate. Ended up having it to myself for 2-3 hrs when they were on beds. By time folks showed up I had been able to catch good fish with out them being harassed by 6 year olds with spin casters slamming night crawlers at them. At that point I’d just wave and say have fun. Was the best part of the whole pandemic ha!!!!!!

39 minutes ago, slonezp said:

Tomorrow starts "National park week". Admission should be free all week

This is probably national parks so those would be federal, might apply to states though…

[RDB]

This is the stocking history for bass.  Notice the ShareLunker stockings.
 

Stocking History for Raven

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Species	Year	Number Stocked	Size
Bass, Florida Largemouth	2019	20,613	Fingerling
Bass, Florida Largemouth	2013	12,451	Fingerling
Bass, Florida Largemouth	1998	952	Fingerling
Bass, Florida Largemouth	1996	142	Adult
Bass, Florida Largemouth	1991	22,487	Fingerling
Bass, Florida Largemouth	1987	16,850	Fingerling
Bass, Florida Largemouth	1980	338	Adult
Bass, Florida Largemouth	1979	10,800	Fingerling
Bass, ShareLunker largemouth	2013	12,375	Fingerling
Bass, ShareLunker largemouth	2010	2,375	Fingerling
Bass, ShareLunker largemouth	2007	5,088	Fingerling
Bass, ShareLunker largemouth	2005	5,901

[Clumsy fisherman]

On 4/14/2022 at 1:30 PM, gimruis said:

I'm surprised that a government entity recognizes Good Friday as a "holiday."

In Tennessee Good Friday is a state holiday by state law.

[BrianMDTX]

26 minutes ago, RDB said:

This is the stocking history for bass.  Notice the ShareLunker stockings.
 

Stocking History for Raven

Return to main search page | Major lakes search | Small lakes search

 

Species	Year	Number Stocked	Size
Bass, Florida Largemouth	2019	20,613	Fingerling
Bass, Florida Largemouth	2013	12,451	Fingerling
Bass, Florida Largemouth	1998	952	Fingerling
Bass, Florida Largemouth	1996	142	Adult
Bass, Florida Largemouth	1991	22,487	Fingerling
Bass, Florida Largemouth	1987	16,850	Fingerling
Bass, Florida Largemouth	1980	338	Adult
Bass, Florida Largemouth	1979	10,800	Fingerling
Bass, ShareLunker largemouth	2013	12,375	Fingerling
Bass, ShareLunker largemouth	2010	2,375	Fingerling
Bass, ShareLunker largemouth	2007	5,088	Fingerling
Bass, ShareLunker largemouth	2005	5,901

I need to learn more about this lake. I only fished a small part (very small), but I liked what I saw.