fishing times...

[raider]

so, ice fishing has got me thinking... in the winter i always fish the first few hours or so in the morning or the last few hours or so in the evening, unless there is a social event mixed in... should summer be any different??? don't get me wrong, nothing better than a nice afternoon with some cold ones in the boat on a hot day, but if i'm after more or better fish, am i missing out???

i generally cop out because the waning light is so early and so late, but does the summer bite pattern the same as the winter bite??? like 3 or 5 to 1 bite ratio (morning/evening vs mid day) like in the winter??? curious what you guys do or know...

i've heard old timers say "if you want to go fishing, go at noon and take a cooler - if you want to go "catching", go at first or last light and take a thermos of coffee"...

 

[Allen]

I rarely do well in the summer before, oh...about 8:30 in the morning. Then it's good until about 1:30, slow for a couple hours and picks up again around early evening. The above is the river bite for me. Years ago I would shore fish a spot up north of Bismarck. No sense in being there until about an hour before dark, regardless of the month.

On Sak it's not so different for me, the whole getting up at the crack of dawn has rarely paid off. Thank God my kids slow me down in the mornings so we don't waste our time on the water before noon nowadays!

 

[Brian Renville]

Depends on where you are. There is usually fish biting somewhere any time of day if you’re on the big lake. Morning/evening in the popular spots it seems. If you’re mobile you can find them all day though just takes more energy. Brightness and clarity seem to play a big role though.

 

[Fly Carpin]

I’ve always wondered why so many people put so much time, money, and effort into having the best of the best boats, electronics, and tackle, and then limit their fishing hours to arguably the worst time of day to catch fish, assuming we’re talking walleyes.

 

[Twitch]

I tend to agree with Allen, ive been on the water before sunup many times in the summer on sakakawea and while you get beautiful sunrises and large chunks of the lake to yourself which is it’s own reward, alot of times the bite starts a little later. Not always but mostly.

 

[NDSportsman]

I fish when I can. I don't plan shit out too well. I like to sleep in when I can so then I miss the morning bite. I like to be home by dark so then I miss the evening bite. I hate tubers and jet skiers so then I miss the noon bite. If I really want to eat fish I buy it in a restaurant or grocery store.

 

[LBrandt]

I like the morning hours because your pretty much by your self at the dock, no hurry to get boat ready and in the water. Then again I always have everything in the boat the night before except the bait and coolers. Its just pull the tarp, throw in the coolers and Iam ready to go. Usually done fishing about the time everyone else is on the water and then its time to leave when its not so busy. I hate being pushed at the dock, one of my pet peeves for making a bad day on the water. I really don't like the late hour fishing because me a blood sucking insects don't get along at all and the cleaning station is a circus of braggers and whinners.

 

[Captain Ahab]

Mid day is usually best for naps when it comes to walleye fishing.

 

[shorthairman]

I don't like to wake up early, but if I'm walleye fishing I try to be the first at the ramp. If I decide to sleep in, then I wait until afternoon, and I am usually the last boat to leave.

 

[KDM]

The best time to fish is when you can/want to. Being in the outdoors, away from people/noise, letting stress drain away, and getting back in touch with oneself has really nothing to do with catching fish. At least that's what the Sheyenne river is for me. Which has something biting 24/7 just about anywhere you'd care to wet a line.

 

[johnr]

I can no longer get up at the crack of dawn, being I don’t get the excitement out of catching early fish as I once did. I do however get out there by 8-9 am and seem to catch fish, evening fishing is rare for us, with kids and friends at the lake we are doing other activities, but years back when we did fish the late bite it was usually a more active bite.
I agree with KDM’s post. A lot of smarts in that guy

 

[scrotcaster]

A perfect morning for me is getting the boat on the water right at first light and then heading back to the landing right when the rest of the people start showing up...

 

[guywhofishes]

It's usually day trips for me (towing boat an hour to a lake). So early is best schedule for me and I fish until I'm tired or satisfied.

Very rare for me to fish any evening because I usually want to get home and put crap away, relax a bit, toddy time. And I got up at 5 so I'm torched.

 

[JayKay]

I fish when I can. I don't plan shit out too well. I like to sleep in when I can so then I miss the morning bite. I like to be home by dark so then I miss the evening bite. I hate tubers and jet skiers so then I miss the noon bite. If I really want to eat fish I buy it in a restaurant or grocery store.

Honestly, a lot of wisdom in this post. I probably release half the fish I catch anyhow.

- - - Updated - - -

For my style of fishing, usually on the MO river, I love to arrive when people are leaving. It's not tough for me to start at 10PM in the long days of summer. If I haven't caught anything by midnight, that's my sign.

The bugs can be bad, but the solitude is well worth it. I'm good company for myself.

 

[guywhofishes]

just about every exceptional bite (top ten ever type thing) I've been on has been 10am-2pm

also - just about the time I've caught every lunker too

I am a shallow water junkie too - rarely fish deeper than 12 ft

 

[ndfinfan]

It's usually day trips for me (towing boat an hour to a lake). So early is best schedule for me and I fish until I'm tired or satisfied.

Very rare for me to fish any evening because I usually want to get home and put crap away, relax a bit, toddy time. And I got up at 5 so I'm torched.

This...well said guy...well said!

 

[raider]

i'm gonna give the early and late a go this summer - way better schedule than ever b4... i've always been one of the ones that just fished when i could, but that is gonna change for me now... hope to have to learn how to post pics to the site...

 

[SLE]

I’ve been fortunate enough to be on good fish at pretty much all times of the day. Never been much of a night fisherman. For me the earlier the better. If I can be out at first sunlight I can hit 4 or 5 spots before a lot of boats even hit the water. Can’t say I have a time I’ve had the “Best” bite. I’ve knocked out limits from early morning to 1:00 in the afternoon roasting in the sun. Honestly one of my favorite things to do is hit it at first light and be back loaded up, boat wiped down, and cleaning fish when the masses are just going out! Heck last year I was back in by 8 am three or four different times. The best was a day I conned one of my lake neighbors into hitting it at crack ass of dawn after several evening cocktails. Picked him up at his lake place at 5:30, launched the boat, made a 35 mile run up to a honey hole that had been good to me, at 7:11 am we had 10 nice eaters in the well and had caught a dozen or more that were turned back. Played catch and release until 7:30 or so, poured a cup of coffee and had a leasurely cruise back. By 9:30, the boat was wiped down, cleaned, loaded, and tarped; fish were cleaned, and we were just in time for breakfast with the wife and kids. Might have had a chilada or two with breakfast ��!

Don’t do much evening fishing, just always seems to get so damn late. With the sun up till 10, boat loaded up and wiped down its 10:30, the another 1/2 hour or so cleaning fish. And then gotta put shit away, next thing you know it midnight. In most cases, I probably got up at 5:30, spent the day on the water, probably hit the beach with the family and I’m shot. It completely kills getting up the next morning!

 

[FishFinder97]

My favorite time to fish is during the last hour of the day as the sun sets on the water, the lake is smooth as glass. I also like taking a headlamp and lantern down to the river at night for some walleyes. I really only ice fish for perch and spear northerns so I will usually do that in the mornings.

 

[shorthairsrus]

Mid day is usually best for naps when it comes to walleye fishing.

your spending to much time in sota world

- - - Updated - - -

just about every exceptional bite (top ten ever type thing) I've been on has been 10am-2pm

also - just about the time I've caught every lunker too

I am a shallow water junkie too - rarely fish deeper than 12 ft

10-2 spot on for Nodak