Dawn or dusk?

[roadwarrior]

Yep, I think so if you are really after bigger fish. The trade-off is far fewer bass or maybe none at all. A lot of guys, I would say most guys, don't fish deep water at all. If you were tourney fishing, I think it would be silly to past up easy fish early, but I don't fish tournaments. This is a major reason tournament fishermen, including the pros, rarely catch double digit bass- they are not really fishing for them.

[SPEEDBEAD.]

Whenever I can fish is a good time to me. I catch more toward the evening mostly because that is primarily when I fish.

[Doghouse.]

I think the fish roam more in low light to feed . Then as the sun gets high they tend to hold more on deeper cover like brush and stumps thats when it's time for the DD's to pull them up ;D.  But i have had alot better luck with the morning fish like RW I'm looking for a big meal and a stiff drink by Dawn

[Banor]

Yep, I think so if you are really after bigger fish. The trade-off is far fewer bass or maybe none at all. A lot of guys, I would say most guys, don't fish deep water at all. If you were tourney fishing, I think it would be silly to past up easy fish early, but I don't fish tournaments. This is a major reason tournament fishermen, including the pros, rarely catch double digit bass- they are not really fishing for them.

Right on the money again RW. Getting the easy fish quickly to fill a limit takes alot of pressure off you in the tournament even if they are a limit of 14 inchers. Confidence and a bird in the hand beats 2 in the bush.  I guess I'm in the mainstream philosphy of get the shallow easy limit first then go deep for the kickers.

I guess I prefer dawn since most tournaments start at dawnish. If I fish at dusk it's a bonus because it means I've been on the lake from dawn to dusk enjoying the time away from that evil thing called life!

B

[Daniel My Brother]

I like both, but I prefer dusk. At dawn in the summer I know my time is limited, and the bite will eventually slow down, or shut down completely...but in the evening, as it starts to get dark, I get the feeling that the best fishing is still ahead of me.

[Fish Chris]

Dawn "until" dusk ! :-) ....that way, the fish can decide what is the best time of the day to "get stuck" ! ;-)

......but I typically catch my biggest fish right smack in the middle of the day. I call the hours between 11am and 2 pm, the "magic hours" for trophy bass.

Peace,

Fish

[BassKing813]

When I'm fishing lakes: DAWN

When I'm fishing rivers: DUSK

[BassKing813]

i dont get it if dawn and dusk are the best fishing times sense fish feed at these times then why is it that the biggest bass are cought midday?

I believe that the biggest bass are usually caught at around midday because they wait for the smaller, feistyer bass to feed in the morning, and once they are done, the big bass move in so they can have all of the hunting area to themselves where competicion is less and they have a greater chance to catch food, which will also be easier. Big bass are lazy creatures. Think about it. If you had a choice between going to a sports bar to pick up wings when it's jam packed, or waiting till the crowd leaves, which would you choose?

[Fish Chris]

here's another possibility;

Bass, being from the sunfish family, love the sun, and feed very effectively in bright daylight (although they can also get by on a dark night too, but you must stop to remember that there prey, at night, is at the same disadvantage).

So anyway, maybe the biggest bass don't "wait" for the little ones to get out of the way (they sure don't wait for a prime spot.... when they are ready, they swim in, and the little ones had better get the heck out of the way !) Maybe, the big bass "choose" to feed when the light is best (mid day) and the little ones have learned that it is safer to feed early or late, to avoid becoming lunch for the big ones.

Sounds good anyway.

Peace,

Fish

[Rattlinrogue]

I'm not doubting what anyone has to say about catching big bass at mid day,but if you think big bass don't feed in the shallows early you are wrong.I've caught 90% of the big bass that I've managed to bag before 7:00 AM.

[jomatty]

my success rate is roughly the same but i still prefer the morning.  something about getting up early, making coffee and heading out before sun up that just feels... i dont know... like a fishing trip should in my mind.  i just love the feeling i get, i think its something i remember from childhood, when those rare pre light fishing trips were more exciting than just about anything in the world.  plus in the morning you have an entire day ahead of you.  in the evening you have all night but i find that i dont catch much for a good while after sunset (could be a confidence thing).  anyhow anytime is good for me and i go whenever i can regardless of time and really regardless of chance of catching fish.

fish chris- that sounds good but something makes me doubt that the relatively few number of big bass can influence the feeding of the entire bass population.  thats just my gut talking and there is nothing remotely scientific to back it up/

matt

[RoLo]

As everyone knows, Dawn and Dusk are both prime fishing times.

The reason is supposedly due to an inherent advantage enjoyed by predatory fish.

The day vision (cone vision) of predators adjusts more rapidly to night vision (rod vision),

and vice versa. As a result, predatory fish are instinctively more aggressive

during periods of light level transition, as before a storm.

Although dawn and dusk both experience the same range of light transition,

there's an overt difference that involves shadowing. At dawn, treed shorelines

that are "west-facing" will cast long shadows on the water, but at dusk,

it is "east-facing" shorelines that cast shadows on the water.

Roger

[Bassassasin12]

good stuff Roger...

For me, dusk is my favorite time to fish but mostly because its the only times I really get to fish unless on weekends. I will tkae any low light condition but like dusk better because I don't have to get up early and the bass are just as active.

[Cajun Caster]

"competicion"?

[OSU_Fisherman]

I love fishing at dawn, but work and school seem to get in the way too often and I'm fishing at dusk.  But, as long as its fishing, it can be any time of day and I wouldn't care much.

[MuchyMan]

quite recently i have had good luck at dusk fishing buzzbaits around docks and weedbeds but i like fishing a senko or a nightcrawler imitation at dawn either in deep water or just in front of lily pads

[Hale]

I do better at dusk but its because of whats in my head...

In the morning I feel like time is on my side for me to get my head about me and find a pattern. I end up screwing around with ten different things that dont work and I blow the morning away.

In the evening I develop a pattern quick so I can catch fish before the state bird (mosquito) carries me off.

As avid said....It's all very psychological