during the summer months i would get out early before sunrise and fish the strip mine pits on my days off but was wondering if that is necessary this time of year . yesterday when i was out the water temp was 72 and i couldn't find any fish hanging around the shallow shorelines and Ive noticed the weeds are brown and dying off  so will the bass come in still around the shallows early am ? or are they hanging around the deeper water in the early am so it would be best to go later in the morning or afternoon  and  fish and sleep in instead?

Not sure really. I haven't been having a lot of luck early lately. Seems like late afternoon/evening is where it's at around here. Just my observations.

I been beating the sun to the lake for the last month and I've caught more fish in late afternoon.

Only if you're already awake.

Only if you're already awake.

EXACTLY.

 Here in the Mid-South I think it does. Only in the coldest part of the winter do I give the water time to warm up some...

skillet

Not sure, but I like to be on the water right before the sunrise.  

I've been doing much better in afternoon/ evening here. I was at the lake today by 6:00 AM and didn't even start catching till about 10:00. That is pretty typical for me right now. I think it depends on the lake too. Some lakes I know of are still best in the morning but most have been better in the evening, or even mid-day.

Around here there is a great schooling bite right at daylight that usually lasts 45 minutes or so. After that it gets SLOW until 10 or 11.

The schooling bite is worth getting there early if you get on the right schools.

Seems like in my areas you can't buy a bite before sunrise! Once the sun peaks out over the trees the top water bite turns on RED HOT!!!

For me I would say no. Lack of sleep is not my friend when on the lake. HaHa!

The last two weeks I've been catching a lot of spots from just before sunrise until 8-9.  Don't know if it has been any good after that as I've been leaving once the topwater bite was over.

I've seen no difference in the bites before sunrise. Afterwards its done. And when I say done, I mean DONE. 8-9 is last call for these fish around here.

I am still catching most of my fish in the mornings. It's also a lot easier to catch them as well because I am targeting active fish with buzzbaits, swimming frogs, wakebaits, etc.

In Dallas,TX area the early morning bite is good in the shallows with a spinnerbait, buzzbait or frog but once the sun comes the shallow bite disappears.

Ed, I went out Saturday morning at Mazonia Strip Pits. Was on the water at 5:30 AM as a morning bite has been great and dies down at aboiut 9:00-10:00 AM. This Saturday that changed. Nothing until after 9:00 AM. This is typical of fall for these lakes, a b it early this year but typical. I am sure this is characteristic of the pits you fish as they are in the same area.

This past Sunday I went out at 6 in the morning to try out different lures I had just got for this weeks tournament. I caught 2 LMB then around 8 am everything died down until around 11 then the bite was back on. I would go out around 10 and stay a little later in the evening, cause it seems to me that the fish are more active in the afternoon rather than the morning.

                                           joe

You can catch good fish all day long.  Anyone that says fishing is no good in the afternoon just doesn't know where to look.  (this does not apply to places where the mid-day heat is unbearably hot)

i wish i knew what time was the right time ...ive tried em all and it just plain sucks right now

The brown weeds might be more of a factor than time of day. The dying weeds rob oxygen from the water where as green weeds oxygenate the water.

The wakeboarders and jet skis are still out starting around 8 am, so if I get out before dawn I can still have some time without them.  If I catch fish it is a bonus.

I have been having good action at both ponds and the river,

either side of sun-up. Get out early and see how it works for

you!

8-)

Where I'm at the bass are still most active in low light, so yes.

Eventually, when they start looking for warmer water, I'll start sleeping in.

Early morning bite is excellent year round even in the winter

The weather is getting alot colder during the early morning hours(5-7) usaully the bite doesn't start getting hot untill about 9-11:30. Then it dies out again.  Since I'm not a quitter, I'll take a break and return around 5:30 and stay till the sun goes down.  

This time of year it's not really worth the effort early hours for me. Late afternoon/evening tends to be prime time for me now, particularly if we have had a settled day with some sun on the water.