If I make it out to the pond before sunrise should I be fishing more creaturebaits and curly tails? When do you guys determine to switch over to straight tail worms? When sunlight hits the water?

 

thanks in advance!

I have never found light levels to be a determining factor for tail action.  The fish tell me if they want a moving tail like a Yamamoto cut tail worm or Cali Roll as opposed to a Senko or Pro Senko which both have straight tails.  

Ah ok. That’s good to know. Just figured fishing before sunrise was more like night fishing than fishing during the day.

It would take several seasons to make an educated guess as to what is better when.   My best advice would be to go fishing before sunrise often and keep notes and sooner or later a pattern will emerge.

Fishing before sunrise sounds like TOP WATER to me

If I make it to the pond before sunrise, its a top water kind of start.

Spinnerbait 

16 minutes ago, Jig Man said:

Spinnerbait 

:). I seem to have more consistent, not necessarily better, luck with spinnerbaits when it is dark out rather than topwater. 

Fishing before sunrise = TOP Water, 100% of the time!

The reward for getting out before sunrise is TOPWATER ACTION!  ?

If the pond has heavy weed growth this time of year you are limited to weed lines with open water to a top water lure in the dark. A buzz bait is more weedless then a spinnerbait imo.

I also have better catch rates in the dark with soft plastics that move more water like G-tails and ribbon tails. Straight tails go though weeds/grass with less resistance, little easier to use. 

Transition light darkness to dawn things tend to slow down but when the sky is gray dawn it tends to turns back on. Same thing can happen dusk to dark transition, my favorite rat wake bait time.

Always enjoy being out on the as everything wakes up.

Tom

My preferences....Topwater, ribbon tail worms, and wacky rigged senkos.  

 

But on the other hand, most of the lakes I fish have about 3 feet of visibility or less so it really doesn't make much difference.