Morning bite or evening bite?

[Functional]

In general my experience has been the same as @Pat Brown

 

I will say when people say "early morning bite" its not early enough. There seems to be 3 main feed windows and thats (in general) 1-2 hours before last light, somewhere around midnight-1am and then again like 4amish. A little loose but it depends on when sun comes up and goes down pending time of the year. I'd say activity at hours other than above are more effected by season than anything else. 

 

As with all bass fishing there is no hard and fast rule, just my experience pulling all nighters up NY frequently and seeing similar patterns now that I'm fishing more frequently down south. 

[Bankbeater]

Around here it depends on the time of year, and weather conditions.  It doesn't take much of a weather change to shut the bass down around here.

[WRB]

Our local public lakes are closed to fishing 1/2 hour before sunset unless there is a night tournament. They open 1/2 hour after sunrise this gives the bass quite time all night, no boats on the water.

I prefer early mornings because it’s a slower pace with lots of choices were to fish before recreational boat show upon mass after 10.  Gives me time to figure out the bite and a chance at big bass.

Evenings are more hectic trying to cover water before the lake closes. Plus it’s windy most of the time in the afternoon.

My favorite time to use deep diving crank baits and rat wake baits the last 1/2 hour.

Haven’t spent opening to closing time for several years, just not worth fighting boat wakes and crazy drivers. So mornings and off by 1 is my normal routine.

Tom

 

[softwateronly]

I've only found one time of year with a significant difference, middle to late November early morning before the sun crests the treeline.  There's an s-curve choke point, similar to a 18' deep creek channel that connects to large 25' flats on either end.  Seems like groups of 7-10 bass sit on the last remaining structure between the choke point and flats and massacre any and all shad that make their daily trip to open water.  They'll slowly work their way out onto the deep flat, still actively feeding until it just flips off like a switch.  The evening reverse happens too, just more diffuse in activity and time and not quite as good.  Coming out of the cool to cold nights, I assume the gizzards are extra vulnerable in mid 40 degree water.

 

 

scott

[roadwarrior]

Biggest bass:  10:00 AM - 2:00 PM

[MN Fisher]

My best always seem to happen around the middle of the day...including my avatar bass caught July 31 at around 12:30 on a bright, blue-bird sky day.

[Swamp Girl]

On 8/11/2024 at 10:35 AM, MN Fisher said:

My best always seem to happen around the middle of the day...including my avatar bass caught July 31 at around 12:30 on a bright, blue-bird sky day.

 

On 8/11/2024 at 10:24 AM, roadwarrior said:

Biggest bass:  10:00 AM - 2:00 PM

 

Man, oh, man, that is not my experience. My takeaway: I need to get better at mid-day fishing!

 

On 8/6/2024 at 2:25 PM, Functional said:

There seems to be 3 main feed windows and thats (in general) 1-2 hours before last light, somewhere around midnight-1am and then again like 4amish

 

^This^ is my experience, although I've never fished the midnight to 1:00 a.m. window. 

[J Francho]

I like either, but many of my largest bass came mid day. It's probably because I'm grinding out spots by that time of day.