In my small fishing mind, I've convinced myself it's a waste of time to go fishing in the bright sky during the day.

 

But I know people are out there catching fish.

 

I'm pretty much only an early morning or late afternoon/early evening fisherman.

 

The problem with this thinking is that I'm missing out on time on the water. You can't catch fish sitting at home.

 

I'm assuming you are either looking for shade or deeper water. The problem is that I don't have any electronics so finding fish in deeper water has always been difficult for me.

 

You can still catch fish right? LOL

 

You guys fish much during the day with a bright sky?  Help me get my head on straighter.

 

THANKS!

I think there may be misconceptions about what a bright sky is.  I was surprised when evaluating cars with auto headlamp systems when they would turn on sooner late in the day with a clear sky than with a cloudy sky.  We put a meter on to measure the light levels and found that if the sun is not directly overhead a clear blue sky emits less light onto the sensor on the dashboard (and therefore water)  than a cloudy sky at the same time of day.  If the sun is directly overhead, then it's "bright sky."  

 

When fishing Lake St Clair for smallmouth bass we have found that during the brighter part of the day, sun high, mixed clouds, that we catch more fish when the sun is out than when it's behind clouds.  I've always preferred sunny days for smallies, given a choice.  But I've had good and bad days under both. 

Sunlight penetration depth into water depends on the angle of the light rays, generally greater than 30 degrees above the horizon. Waves change that angle deflecting sunlight rays into multiple angles. Water clarity and suspended particles factor into depth of light penetration. 
Bass don’t avoid bright sunlight they avoid low oxygen hot water and move under green oxygen producing weed beds to increased dissolved  oxygen and cooler water.

Keep in mind bass are sight feeders so good depth of light and clearer water is to their advantage.

Flat claim water creates greater depth of light, light wind and surface waves decrease depth of light but help camouflage the bass due to their coloration.

Bottom line you are missing about 6 hours of catching bass 

everyday.

Tom

Yes, you can absolutely still catch fish. I’ve caught so many big fish during sunny, bright conditions, including the biggest bass I’ve ever caught. Caught it early afternoon without a cloud in the sky. 
 

I’ve also found the sunlight can turn on bites. That first sunshine hitting the water, or when clouds part and the sun comes out. Especially during the spring and fall. Certain conditions have me chasing sunshine. It can be the deal sometimes. 

I caught a barely 8 pounder in the middle of the day in July on a spinnerbait in about 3' of water. The best time to go is when you can.

 

On deeper lakes they'll tend to relate to deeper structure. I don't fish deeper lakes anymore. I start looking for them in heavier cover or shady areas. Lilies, laydowns, under docks or overhanging brush are my summer daylight favs. But you can find some shadows and I will almost always try a topwater there any time of day. The outer edge of weeds can be pretty good as well. I went on my birthday, August 8th, several years ago and was rewarded with two bass over 6 lbs. in the sticky afternoon. I think that's all I caught that day. One was so far under trees, I had to go in with my kayak and get it. I was covered with spiders. 

 

Summertime is also a good time to catch them schooling on bait. 

I knew this was going to be the case.

 

I just need to HEAR it to change my thinking.   

I fish a private pond just down the road from church, and most often it's before bible study wednesdays and after church on sundays. So, the hot sunny part of the day. Fishing is definitely a little tougher then. But I do find them here and there, even in the parts that would appear to be no structure and no shade.

 

Now, to be fair, there is a submerged grass, at least in some spots. And of course they get up in that and hide for ambush, oxygen, and shade.

 

It's a slower period, unless you get into some shady spots or current, but I find it to still be worthwhile to fish. You learn a lot about fishing when the fish aren't so easily caught.

Shallow water smallies love the hot sun, they will smash a buzzbait at noon with air temps above 90 

I’d say that I do the vast majority of my fishing durning the middle of the day roughly from 10am to 2pm.  I’m fishing 99% of the time from the bank or my canoe so like you I don’t have any electronics.  That rules out fishing deeper most of the time.
 

It’s summer, so fishing is a bit tougher but I catch most of my fish this time of year by targeting shade.  More specifically by skipping a lure into the shadows created by vegetation on shore.  I really like if it overhangs the bank creating a nice dark hole.  

I would presume manmade cover like docks can work well  also I just don’t have much of the kinda stuff where I fish.

 

Submerged vegetation can also throw shadows as well.  Sometimes if your water is clear enough to can see it and target that as well.  If I can see where the drop off is from shallow to deeper water I will fish along that line with some type of bottom contact lure. I have witnessed the larger bass in clearer water cruising along following that contour. I have even managed to catch a few of them.
 

My avatar catch was middle of the day with barely a cloud in sight...spinnerbait in less than 5' of water running along the edge of a lilly-pad field...sucker came out from under the pads and creamed the spinner.

 

They're out there, just have to find them.

3 hours ago, HawkeyeSmallie said:

I knew this was going to be the case.

 

I just need to HEAR it to change my thinking.   

hahah...I remember Roland Martin saying in bright light, the bass cant put on sunglasses, so they move into the shady stuff..like under mats and stuff.   so I look at bright days as a way to get bass to go where I think they may be going.   

Our SoCal bass lakes have very good water clarity with very little vegetation cover to hide under, yet we catch them on nearly all bright days.

The wives tale that bass don’t have eye lids so they seek shade is BS!

Tom

PS, Bobby Murray won the 1st lake Mead BASS Classic using a spinner bait in clear shallow water!
 

My PB was on a buzzbait at a little after noon in early June in Texas. In fact I think the 10-2 bite might be big-fish o'clock. 

 

Go to where you know you can catch fish in lower light, then instead of casting at the shore, just cast the other direction. Not kidding. A lot of times they don't go very far, they just pull off to the next stopping place to chill out mid-day. And you can find brushpiles, weeds, dropoffs, etc just fine dragging a texas rig around. 

 

19 hours ago, HawkeyeSmallie said:

You guys fish much during the day with a bright sky?

 

No. I can catch fish, but not LOTS. 

 

9 hours ago, txchaser said:

A lot of times they don't go very far, they just pull off to the next stopping place to chill out mid-day.

 

Cool tip. Thanks.

I prefer sunny days. Seems like it sets the fish in more predictable places. 

17 hours ago, WRB-2.0 said:

 

The wives tale that bass don’t have eye lids so they seek shade is BS!

 

take it up with Roland.  

Flippin rig + 50# braid + thickest cover you can find = success.

Super bright days often make the fish group up in more predictable areas.

 

Wind current or inflowing water generated current and heavy cover that provide shade and often where these intersect with key structure = great places to start in the summer.

 

I like worms and frogs a lot this time of year.

52 minutes ago, Darth-Baiter said:

take it up with Roland.  

Watching a MLF team event held on Stick Marsh area with Bobby and Chris Lane as a team, Scruggins and Robinson team, Skeet Reese and John Murray team and 2 new rookies younger Gill and Robinson team fished early summer heavy matted lake Garcia. The winners were the young rookies using FFS and spinning tackle with drop shot worms in isolated open area small weed clumps won by over 30 lbs. The older skilled Florida angers punching/flipping  mats got their butts handed to them.

Tom

the only constant thing about fishing is there are no hard set rules.    I am pretty comfortable I could find the exact opposite to your scenario.  

 

and I dont know a single one of the names you just dropped.  

Skeet Reese just retired from pro bass fishing and is a native Californian from Northern CA, top 5 $ winning bass pro with over 3 1/2 million during his career.

Tom

ess is right. fish when you can.

The time of year plays a big role for me here. Spring time when the water is warming up often produces better for me with bright sunny skies during midday.

 

In midsummer, I rarely fishing during peak heating hours if it’s bright and sunny. Not that I don’t think I can catch fish, but I just don’t have much tolerance for it under the blazing hot sun. In summer, I pray for rain or clouds. Those days often produce some of my best results all season.

 

Fish will usually be seeking relief from the sun and heat. Shade under docks, in thick weeds, or deeper water provides cooler temps.

 

the only time avoid fishing on a sunny day is if the barometer is high. That's usually when there isn't a cloud to be found, not even the wispy ones in MN Fisher's avitar. I just don't like putting a lot of effort into getting three or four bites a day. Sunny days don't put me off fishing, but the heat and humidity will get me off the water a lot quicker.  My PB was caught around 1300 on a bright July day. 

Fish when you can, because there will come a time when you can't. 

In south Florida our Florida Strain Black Bass are effected by all the things some have mentioned before.  Water temp, along with bright sun can make 🐠 ing difficult.  But our secrete weapon for a fun day are the Peacock Bass.  They love the sunny edges, hot water in the high 80’s low 90’s, and aggressively chasing a bunch of different baits.  Fast movement just puts them in a frenzy, especially in summer.  Chasing top water, or a square bill, a torpedo or devil horse, or a flashy stickbait, will drive them nuts.  These are the pit bulls of freshwater fishing.  Mean, strong, long runs, and great leaps.  If you haven’t tied it, it’s worth a trip down here.  Almost all water south of Palm beach have them in good numbers.

 

These fish have saved many a summer trip when black bass were in a funk!