I have always been the guy that gets up at the crack of dawn. I like to be in my boat and motoring away from the dock at sunrise. Don't know why, but my thickheadedness might be a reason.

With the above said, this morning my alarm went off at 0415, I turned it off and went back to sleep. I just got off the water, and at around 1130 I caught a tired and beat up big post spawn fish. In the past, I have found that the smallies will bite hard in the rocks for about an hour after sunrise. They tuen off after that. I then turn my attention to the Large Mouth in different areas of the lake.

So, to sum it all up, yeah, I also believe that bigger fish are caught later in the morning, based on my personal experience.

Nothing like being first on the water especially in the summer! Blasting down the reservoir (9.9hp!) and having your choice of any spot you want, shorts and a teeshirt, what's not to like?! Even duri g the coldest months, I find early-thirty to be almost as fun. After a shocking cold night, shad are a bite easier for the bass to chase and easier for me to catch!!

I start fishing as soon as I get to the lake.

Tee hee hee!

Hootie

When I was younger and hardier I was on the water waiting for first light. Now that I'm considerably older and lasier the day is well advanced before I get out there. Did I catch more fish then than now? Yeah.

I agree that most of the fish caught by my hubby and me are caught later in the morning/early afternoon. The problem is the lake we fish is so congested with jet skis, pontoons and ski boats after noon that fishing is extremely difficult. We go early.

You dont need to but theres something about being out really early when its quoet and nothing going on makes getting their before dawn worth it.

For fun fishing it whenever she lets me go.

For guiding it's usually around 8am.

There's just something special about sunrise on the water.

I catch the most numbers between 7 and 10 am, and the biggest bass I catch come from 7 - 12 pm.

I catch a lot between 10am and 7pm, just seems to slow down, probably because the bass in the places I fish go deep, and since I am land locked 99.9% of the time, that is where my issue is.

Hey Red, most of my best bass lakes don't allow skiing or jet skis And again, most of the trout guys (the majority) are done by noon to 2pm....

However, even as much as I despise jet skis and ski boats, even on the lakes that allow them (and yes, they are thickest in the middle of the day) I still catch most of my biggest bass during this time.

Fish

no jet skis and water sports is certainly to your benefit. sometimes SML mid-day the traffic is so heavy the water looks like its boiling as wakes collide from any and all angles. it even affects "no wake" coves at times. the fish will bite, but keeping a boat in position whether anchored or using a trolling motor can be difficult. and SML is 20,600 acres with over 500 miles of shoreline, its big, but it can be hard to enjoy fishing from a boat mid-day from memorial day to labor day due to extreme traffic on the lake. i guess it really just depends on everyones individual situation and what one prefers...

You dont need to but theres something about being out really early when its quoet and nothing going on makes getting their before dawn worth it.

Well said.

Hootie

One of my local lakes that I fish on , I fish from sunrise to 9-10am and then I come back for the last 2 hours of daylight.

I too love to get out out early as possible because i can fish until i get tired vs trying to beat the daylight. MY BEST FISH HAVE COME THE LAST 2 HOURS BEFORE SUNSET! my PB was caught 30 minutes before sunset. see profile picture.

4-9pm usually. That's what works best with my work schedule.

my lakes are so pressured that I have noticed a definate decline in fish as more people get on the water. I am usually at the launch by 5 and usually by 7 fish are hard to come by, not to mention the water skiers ruin my favorite lake by that time.

the other nice thing is I am home by 10 I get to lounge around the house have a big lunch do some chores then take the kids out for the evening bite.

Good question. I judge it according to where I KNOW the fish are. For instance if I know they are in the grass I will prefer to be there at daylight. If like now in the summer months I know the bigger fish are gonna be out on the ledges later in the day then I will get out there around 9 or 10.

"...then take the kids out for the evening bite."

love the profile picture...great reaction to a LM! thats priceless... Keep 'em fishin!

I try to get to the lake between 3-4AM, throw a buzzbait or jitterbug. I've gotten some nice fish before dawn. After the sun rises, the hybrids / largemouth start herding the shad into the coves, then I target them. Big bass can be caught anytime of the day or night. All depends on when big mamma wants to move up to her feeding station. Even if she isn't feeding, you can still get reactionary strikes as big bass are extremely territorial.

In the spring and early summer I like to be on the lake at daybreak. I love to see the fog rise off the water and fish when this is happening. By 9 or 10am the pleasure boats and jet ski's have taken over so the fishing is over for the day. If circumstances permit I like to return to the lake a couple of hours before dark.