When the water temp is in the mid 40's to low 50's, does it pay to get out on the water early before or at dawn, or does the bite get better as the day goes on the things warm up a bit ? I seem to remember reading something about the fish become more active as the water warms in the afternoon. Any thoughts on this ? Refering to smallies, white bass, and Lg mouths in small rivers -Thanks

I believe fishing gets better, after ice out, when the water warms a bit during the day. However....after being locking in the deep freeze all these months, you can just bet I'll be out there at the break of dawn, as soon as I get a glimmer of open water! 

after being locking in the deep freeze all these months, you can just bet I'll be out there at the break of dawn, as soon as I get a glimmer of open water!   

you said it!

so far here in Louisiana,  the bites have started after 10am for me.  I know our winters aren't as harsh as you all's but it seems after a couple of hours of sun on the water pushes em to biting

Early in the year, as a general rule, I seem to have better results post noon.  That being the case, the best time to go fishing is when you've got time to go.

10:00 - 2:00, year around.

8-)

10:00 - 2:00, year around.

8-)

But those are the times for my Dr. Pepper and Moonpie

Bob

White bass don't bed like smallmouth and largemouth ( or any other of the sunfish family), they're egg scatterers and spawn in river current or lake structure, so tageting them is different than the sunfish family of fishes.

Daylight - Dark

10:00 - 2:00, year around.

8-)

But those are the times for my Dr. Pepper and Moonpie

Bob

Dr. Pepper? Shoot, what happened to the RC Cola? Those are best with moonpies. It's a southern thing! haha.

Anyway, to be back on topic, I've found that early in the year, the bite definitely starts later than usual, so post-noon sounds about right.

The first thing is to determine what you consider pre spawn is. For sake of dicussion pre spawn to me is about 30 to 60 days before the major wave of bass go onto the beds and spawn.

Where I fish that means water temperatures at the depth the bass spawn or surface temperatures that are about 55 to 58 degrees for LMB. The smaller buck bass can be seen cruising the banks about 2 weeks prior to moving up and establishing bed sites. When you see cruisers, the spawn isn't far off.

Best time is any time the bass are feeding before moving up into  the spawning areas. When the bass are bedding, pre spawn is over for those bass and feeding isn't an issue anymore, until they have completed that cycle. 

WRB

I think the LMB here in the deep south are affected by temperature changes much more than farther north where they are used to ice over and super cold water.

Typically down here, from late Jan to late Mar for pre-spawn and spawn, I found the best bite is usually 12-3PM.

Now THIS year since we have had a much longer and colder winter, the prespawn fish have not even started moving yet in my area except the crappie in Lake Stone since the water is still in the low to mid 40s.

For smallies in my local rivers, the best time is about 11-4 early in the season.  The warmest part of the day.