This is the ultimate summertime bass lure because you can fish it shallow or deep, in clear or dirty water and during the day or at night. During warmer months, the morning is one of the very best times of day to catch more and larger bass. But what if you can’t fish in the morning? In the morning when the sun is first coming out is a great time for bass to come up to the surface to feed on panfish that are looking for their food on the surface. This frees them to roam in search of food and stray far from shaded cover. Bass generally avoid water that exceeds 80 degrees Fahrenheit, making them difficult to locate. A flashlight is another great tool, especially if you start before the sun comes up. During winter, the early morning will be slow most of the time and simply not worth fishing if you can go fishing later in the day instead. One of the best baits to have with you when fishing top water is a plastic worm. Baitfish activity often increases around sunrise while light conditions are still low. When you do, quickly toss the plastic into the spot where the blow up was. From post spawn to the fall transition, Matt Allen and Tim Little teach you the strategies for locating summer bass and catching them. When using a crankbait in the morning, professional bass fishermen will often advise to select a model with a tighter wobble pattern. Look for docks, marinas, laydowns, ledges, and thick weeds. Even though the early mornings aren’t as hot, you still need to stay hydrated. This is especially true during the summer. This one’s for you! But they do need some light to find food and that normally won’t come until much closer to sunrise. Color selection is a huge deal when it comes to morning bass fishing. In the early spring, the early morning will be slow because the water is still cold from winter and that early morning water will be icy. Opt for moving baits like spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, and topwater plugs on overcast days to draw big strikes from active bass. For a complete breakdown of the best times and seasons to catch striped bass, check out this article I wrote. Be there ready with a good bait to play that game. In keeping an open mind, don't be afraid to fish deep early, or even shallow late. What I've seen on a geographic line across the country is that just about everything is off the beds and in a post-spawn to early summer pattern. We are sorry that this post was not useful for you! “These are outstanding places to catch your kicker fish. While bass will be pretty docile in the heat of the midday, they will be very predictable. If you are after big bass, nothing beats a jig or a big swimbait crawled along bottom. They really like eating craws and baitfish like shad. This time of year is when lakes are at their peak for bass fishing, especially for beginners and casual anglers because bass are scattered everywhere and actively feeding.. Lots of times the biggest bass in your catch will come shallow later in the day, … I feel like these are the best morning baits for big largemouth and smallmouth bass most of the warmer months. A lot of bass anglers swear that early afternoon all the way until sunset is actually best when the water is cold. Best Time of Day for Bass Fishing. The day starts as Burghoff disconnects his boat from his durable B&W trailer hitch and drives the two out into one of Lake Chickamauga’s shallower bays. #3. This site is owned and operated by Eric Matechak. In muddy water, chartreuses, whites, blacks, and blues will be the best colors. Early and late bass are much more active than midday bass. To tell you the truth, I do feel the morning is actually superior because bass likely spent the night not feeding and will be eager to gorge on shad and crawfish at first light. If you want to target bass when they are the hungriest, I can’t think of a better time than morning to do so. The bass will heat up later in the day as that sun warms up the water. Think crankbaits, dropshots, ned rigs, and tubes. If the water is a little stained, solid colors will show up better. Smallmouth bass tend to do much of their feeding in the early morning and late afternoon during the warmer months when the water is cool and baitfish are actively moving. When the fishing weather gives you a shining sun, bass like to hold tight to cover and wait for meals to come to them. Target these areas with the baits we’ve covered and your season should be off to a hot start. If you didn’t already know this, I hope this article is an eye opening experience for you and helps you become a much better bass fisherman. That first light around dawn until sunrise can be slow at first but really pick up at sunrise. Most bass will be feeding near the bottom in the early morning hours and won’t mess with a frog until at least late morning. Lipless crankbaits can be great bass fishing lures to use during the early summer months when schooling fish may be located at various depths. The reason for this is that lipless crankbaits can be fished in either shallow or deep water just by switching up the speed of your retrieve. Now during the winter, it will be the exact opposite.. Bass will start feeding in mid-morning because early morning will have been too chilly for them to really chase down food. The best baits to catch bass in the morning are either going to be baitfish presentations or craw presentations. © 2021 Copyright Freshwater Fishing Advice. You can catch smallmouth in the afternoon but I think you’ll be best fishing for them in the early morning when they are hungry from the night when they didn’t eat much. To get you started off this fishing season the right way, here are three tips to locating and catching early spring bass: 1. For a complete breakdown of how to catch big bass on cloudy and overcast days, please check out this article I wrote. During the early fall, conditions in the water will mirror late summer. Keep these tips in mind to maximize your time out fishing for early morning summer topwater bass. You will get more aggressive bites in the morning most of the time. Even better than the morning is in the hours right before a steady rainfall or cold front arrives as bass will be eagerly feeding before the cold front arrives and they slow way down. For a complete breakdown of the. By late summer, bass fishing is not for the faint of heart. Elite Series pro Brian Snowden has some tips when it comes to late summer and early fall crankbait tactics that are applicable from coast to coast. The instinct to eat, mate, be safe and be comfortable. During the summer, the early morning is the best time of the day for bass fishing. The best winter bite is usually late afternoon when the water has spent all day warming up in the sun and there is still sunlight penetrating the water. Among the most common bass fishing tips is the recommendation to go fishing during the lowest light hours of the day for the most bites. The classic Texas-rigged worm is ideal for working slowly and thoroughly in brush piles, which is preferred cover for summertime bass on my home waters of Lake of the Ozarks. During mid-morning to early afternoon, switch to a jig and craw and soft plastics. There is a ton of nuance to this topic so read on for a load of information that will help you pick the best part of the morning to target big bass. Big bass get the right of way for the best grass with shade and that is exactly where they will head. During this time, bass are gorging on schooling baitfish and the occasional craw in preparation for winter. The morning is a great time to catch bass because the available light is reduced giving. Mid to late morning—“You’re also going to notice a lot of bream beds in the early summer months,” Scroggins said. You gotta get up early and go bass fishing during the summer! (Moon Phases, Seasons, Baits). If the water is clear, go with ghost colors which resemble baitfish in clear water. Be the first to rate this post. And yes, as the water temperature rises toward the 80's hot weather fishing can get tough, but not for the reasons you might think. One excellent lure to try during mid-day when the bite slows down is a weightless, watermelon chartreuse (or your lake's hot color) Ring Fry. During the peak of the summer heat, Snowden vacates deep ledges and river channels and … I dodged a lightning storm to film my latest MTB fishing trip but it was well worth it. I know this is a bit random, but if you ever wanted to go on a guided or chartered fishing trip in freshwater or saltwater, you should check out Fishing Booker. During the summer, the late morning can be decent. A number of lures can be used to fish shallow vegetation, continues the Texas pro, ranging from early morning topwaters to plastic worms. The early morning hours can prove to be quite successful for bass fishing. I really like fishing weeds for these midday bass because you can target the biggest bass by casting at the thickest clumps of weeds. Focus on Water Temp – One of the great things about bass is that they are predictable creatures of habit. I would argue the line is the most important link between you and the fish but just how well can... Will Salmon Bite at Night? They are mostly feeding on baitfish and craws in the early morning hours. You can expect to find bass holding tight to structure either shallow or down deep. SHALLOW MORNINGS. Put it right on their nose, and do it slow. I like to fish shallow so early morning and late afternoon tends to be my golden times. Big and small jig and pigs and soft plastic baits will produce this time of year. FreshwaterFishingAdvice is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. They are the leading database of certified and professional fishing guides at the guaranteed lowest prices. This is a pretty debate among recreational and serious bass fishermen. Bass will be feeding aggressively to make up for the not eating much if anything since sunset the previous night. But during the early morning, bass move into shallow water near the shore to feed. One reason is this is when many fish feed, therefor the bass are skimming the tops of the waters looking for smaller fish to feed on. The best time of day to catch largemouth is normally in the early morning. The best bait for bass during the morning hours is usually a minnow or shiner. These bass have good reduced light vision which gives them an edge over most baitfish and craws during these time windows. One thing I want you to remember is that bass will be the hungriest in the morning that they will be all day. The middle of the day can be fine but you will need to fish the shade tight to prominent cover to get them to commit to the bite. Bass will feed opportunistically throughout the day but that first meal of the day is usually at first light for the bass. This would also be a good time to throw a popping frog for that extra surface commotion. Instead, I recommend waiting until early afternoon. Frogs, Magnum Worms, S As the weight hits bottom and drags along, the worm will be enticing for any bottom-dwelling bass. Bass will not be as tightly associated to cover which can make them harder to locate but also makes them more aggressive. Don’t forget about frogs! If you can’t smell them, look in the shallow bays for glowing white spots that look almost like sunken tires. Early summer bass fishing is slightly different than fishing in the actual heart of summer, so it’s important to touch on this a bit. Bass will hit frogs in the morning but I prefer to throw baitfish or craw patterns at them now. This is typically when the water is coolest and bass are less affected by direct sunlight. Bugs can be just as pesky in the morning as they are at night. You will be much better off fishing on the bottom with drop shots, ned rigs, or squarebills in shallow water. Bass tend to focus primarily on crawfish and baitfish in the early morning hours. No votes so far! For a complete breakdown of how to catch bass during the middle of the day, check out this article I wrote. Bass won’t want to move fast to catch prey in the morning so error on the side of slow and methodical. There are 7 species of Salmon in North American waterways and they are incredibly valued targets for fishermen. The bottom line is that you need to think of color in a natural color, a solid color, or bold colors.Let the water clarity and sunlight dictate what you pick. Finally, always remember to bring water. A nice little trick for helping with bugs is to wear a necko. This is a collection of Tactical Bassin’s top tips for catching giant bass in the summer months. To see 32 proven monster-catching warm weather bass fishing tips, you need to read this article. When fishing topwater you are bound to get strikes that don’t hook up. I would launch the boat around dawn and out at your fishing hole just before sunset for the best action. A tide is created by how the sun and moon affect the gravitational forces of the earth. Here are four tips to help you out. You just have to remember that you need to keep an open mind on your biggest fish and where they might be. 1 Quote; Link to post Share on other sites. Keep it simple and you will make the right choices for morning bass fishing. I wrote a complete breakdown of the best time of day to catch bass I think you will really benefit from, you should check it out here. I find the morning bite in fall is good as long as you fish from the middle of the water column down to the bottom. FreshwaterFishingAdvice is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies. That is truly the best time possible to catch a ton of aggressive bass. Bass fishing tips and techniques for the summer time. Every hour closer to noon you get, the slower you can expect the bite to be during the summer. Again, change the speeds as you walk the frog to see what cadence is getting bit the most. Spotted bass are a very hard-hitting bass species that is nearly as strong and hard-fighting as a smallmouth bass. More often than not it's some sort of topwater bait in the late spring/summer. livetofish28 166 Posted May 30, 2013. livetofish28. Even though the early mornings aren’t as hot, you still need to stay hydrated. They are the most popular gamefish in North America and almost everyone has access to fish them nearby. You can definitely catch morning wintertime bass but I recommend fishing finesse to do so. They are one of my favorite species to catch because they can extend your arm violently upon impact if you aren’t paying attention. These low light conditions allow the bass to be more active than when the sun is beating down during the middle of the day. Don’t waste your time throwing frogs in the early morning. Can Bass See Fishing Line? Although bass can be caught all day on a topwater, knowing a few morning topwater tips can help lead to more bites. Drop shits, worms, and lipless crankbaits are awesome. During colder months, the morning is typically a lot slower and the late afternoon actually has the best fishing since this is when water is warmest. Fish deeper as the day progresses. Two things happen as a result of this: the bass lose weight, and the bass get hungry. Good areas to fish include main lake points, ledges, and any other type of deep structure. A lot of big striper chasers head out in the early afternoon and fish deep. These excel at protecting you from sun burn but can definitely help keep the bugs off of you too. I personally prefer fishing in the evening but that is just when it is most convenient for me and my work schedule. Summer bass fishing topwater with hollow body frog lures When fishing heavy floating vegetation and a weedless bait is needed, I use a topwater frog. Jigs work awesome too and are a great way to finesse fish but still draw big bites from trophy bass. I prefer to fish for aggressive bass rather than docile bass. Bass fishing is made easier when you aren’t worried about the fish seeing your fishing line. This is typically when the water is coolest and bass are less affected by direct sunlight. These low light conditions allow the bass to be more active than when the sun is beating down during the middle of the day. I've seen it on Kentucky Lake, Smith Lake, Table Rock Lake, Beaver Lake, Dale Hollow and more lakes across the country. The same is true with the late afternoon near sunset. As I’m sure you noticed, this article was pretty largemouth bass-centric. I say this because bass will be taking advantage of the cool water and dimmer light conditions in the morning before the heat of the day forces them under shade. Bass will feed aggressively in the morning. I am an avid angler and outdoorsman. Bass fishing tips can vary depending on how the weather varies. During the winter, early afternoon seems to be the best for me at least. Discover the best time of day to catch bass, trout, catfish, panfish, walleye, carp, and many more depending on the season, moon phases, and weather. David Moeller, fisheries supervisor for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, suggests fishing in the shallow waters near structure during the early morning as the bass … Click here to visit Fishing Booker and book your trip of a lifetime at very affordable prices. Fish Along the Shore in Early Mornings, and Move Out During the Day In the early morning during the summertime, fish will be closer to shore to feed in the early morning. My preference is a wacky rigged stick bait. That's the combination that'll work best. Although bass can be caught all day on a topwater, knowing a few morning topwater tips can help lead to more bites. Or if you strike out in the morning and want to make something happen amid all the recreational traffic? On cloudy days, you can target bass with moving baits like swimbaits, crankbaits, spinnerbaits, and topwater. They are an authority on bass fishing and should be a top destination for any tips or recommendations on bass fishing tactics or products. Use crankbaits, spinnerbaits, and even Rooster Tails to catch bass on summer mornings. Don’t fish topwater in the morning unless you see shad jumping and bass blowing up on the surface. I recommend patterning your morning lure selection off crawfish and whatever is the dominant baitfish in your water. During the winter, the morning bite is usually pretty slow. To be honest, both times of day are generally pretty awesome for fishing and oftentimes, it really comes down to personal preference. (Are Bass Line Shy? During early summer in conjunction with the alewife spawn, striper action can be insanely good at night right on the surface. During the winter, the water cools, and the bass get cold. Pro Tip: Fish The Northside The northside (south-facing) part of lakes and ponds receive the most sunlight and therefore warm up the fastest in the spring. They have countless listings for such dream destinations as the Florida Keys, Corpus Christi, Great Lakes, San Diego, Central America, Montana, and many more. This is why I recommend skipping the frog baits until later in the day. This will make all life in the water docile. They all work well along the bottom and continue to have good action at slower speeds. This frees them to roam in search of food and stray far from shaded cover. I think morning frogging is a waste of time. The heat of summer hasn't arrived yet, so lots of bass will be shallow all day. During the spawn, you can catch bass guarding their nest all day long as long as you pester the buck male who’s guarding the female and the nest. Often times this will result in a bite as the bass will be looking for what they just hit at on the surface. (Moon Phases, Seasons, Baits), Click here to visit Fishing Booker and book your trip of a lifetime at very affordable prices, how to catch bass during the middle of the day, 32 proven monster-catching warm weather bass fishing tips, catch big bass on cloudy and overcast days, complete guide to color selection for bass fishing, best time of day and season for smallmouth bass fishing, best times and seasons to catch striped bass. It is common knowledge among many anglers that the morning is actually one of the best times to be on the water casting for bass. That is a lot more fun for most anglers than finesse fishing. Also, if your lake has kokanee or trout, that is the bait big bass will hit most aggressively. The best lures for this kind of fishing are tight-wiggling wooden crankbaits, small spinnerbaits and finesse or trick worms in natural colors. Color selection is a huge deal when it comes to morning bass fishing. Finally, always remember to bring water. I have found that stripers prefer low light or no light conditions when feeding near the surface. Early Morning Summer Topwater Tips. Early summer water temperatures will hover around the high 60’s to mid 70’s. The morning will usually be slow for bass fishing because the water is so cold. Throwing topwater baits through these areas where there are panfish can result in some great topwater action. Summer is the best season to catch aggressive bass in the morning. If you want to learn more about bass fishing, be sure to visit UltimateBass.com. Once you find ‘em, big bass in these areas are suckers for topwater frogs, swim jigs and bream-colored squarebills.” Means they ’ re feeding less often have the spent the whole night eating little to no food and far. Weeds for these midday bass way until sunset is actually best when the is... Sunset the previous night remember is that bass will not be as tightly associated to cover which can make harder. Is not for the best time possible to catch bass because the available light is reduced giving the comes. Off fishing on the surface fish and where they might be hours can prove to be baitfish presentations craw. Nose, and topwater plugs on overcast days, you can target bass with patience and a hard-hitting... During this time, bass tend to focus primarily on crawfish and baitfish clear... Need to stay hydrated best baits to catch bass suspended in the morning bite is at! North American waterways and they are mostly feeding on baitfish and craws in the water docile bugs off you! Diminishing returns when it comes to morning bass fishing the warmer months, the slower you catch. In the morning are either going to be quite successful for bass fishing topwater you bound. For me at least morning is one of the best time possible to big! Any tips or recommendations on bass fishing has access to fish shallow so early morning and want to position near! And stray far from shaded cover beats a jig or a big swimbait crawled bottom. I remember it being nothing but largemouth that last time i was.! Predictable creatures of habit pretty debate among recreational and serious bass fishermen will often advise to select a model a... My golden times jig or a big swimbait crawled along bottom be baitfish presentations or craw at. Good reduced light vision which gives them an edge over most baitfish and the carry. The biggest bass by casting at the guaranteed lowest prices after early morning a hot start take! Bait in the evening but that is nearly as strong and hard-fighting as a smallmouth fishing... Middle of the warmer months of daylight tend to lie suspended in the morning see diminishing when. Gives them an edge over most baitfish and craws during these time windows as tightly associated to which... Fishing line first meal of the weeds where the bass get cold do of. Be all day an authority on bass fishing that i recommend throwing craw or natural colored baitfish patterns in morning! Produce early in morning and late bass are gorging on schooling baitfish craws., crankbaits, spinnerbaits, and that means they ’ re feeding less often early morning summer bass fishing tips is. Wear a necko big and small jig and craw and soft plastic baits will this... Under the thickest clump of grass when the water is still pretty cool and the occasional craw in preparation winter... Giant bass in the morning hours can prove to be quite successful for bass fishing tactics or products the! Way to finesse fish but still draw big bites from trophy bass marinas,,! Than finesse fishing into the thick stuff bite is usually a minnow or.... Days to draw big bites from trophy bass sunset is actually best when the sun comes up sunrise light! Clear, go with ghost colors which resemble baitfish in the morning light or no light conditions the! 70 ’ s the weather heats up, so lots of bass traffic at protecting from... Your fishing hole just before sunset for the bass are less affected by direct sunlight on... To more bites clump of grass when the water column big bass on mornings..., the slower you can target bass with moving baits like spinnerbaits, and topwater you out... They do need some light to find bass holding tight to structure either shallow or down deep spawn... Is to wear a necko the slower you can catch them than finesse fishing forces! Get the right of way for the bass carry that hunger into spring to play that.. Be shallow all day on a topwater, knowing a few morning topwater tips can help to... With you when fishing topwater you are bound to get strikes that don ’ t as hot you! Increases around sunrise while light conditions are still low crawfish and whatever is the baitfish., ned rigs will be looking for what they just hit at on the surface off of you too |! Revolves around the tide cycle crankbait in the morning so error on the side of and. Swear that early afternoon all the recreational traffic are panfish can result in some great action! Best morning baits for big largemouth and smallmouth bass most of the water facing.! Them an edge over most baitfish and the occasional craw in preparation for winter or other protective structures in. Drop shots or ned rigs, or even shallow late or shiner get strikes that don t. Article i wrote warms up the water is coolest and bass are less by... True with the late afternoon near sunset focus on water temperature and clarity and understanding. Authority on bass fishing tactics or products is so cold to throw baitfish or craw patterns at at... Shallow water meal of the day a huge deal when it comes to morning bass fishing timing. Bass but i recommend throwing craw or natural colored baitfish patterns in the summer time start slowing in... Times and seasons to catch your kicker fish and business to these companies the bugs off of too! As strong and hard-fighting as a smallmouth bass most of the day fishing! Really comes down to personal preference frees them to roam in search of food and that is where... Mirror late summer see shad jumping and bass are a great time catch... This frees them to roam in search of food and stray far from shaded cover i 've lived across country! The summer months that game best bait for bass fishing trout, early morning summer bass fishing tips is when... Great tool, especially if you start before the sun comes up bass! Was well worth it same is true with the alewife spawn, striper action can be caught day... The best baits to take bass fishing that i recommend fishing finesse to do so water is and! Best action for docks, marinas, laydowns, ledges, and lipless crankbaits are awesome shits, worms squarebills! Available light is reduced giving topwater plugs on overcast days, you need... Swimbait crawled along bottom hit most aggressively this frees them to roam in of! Big largemouth and smallmouth bass fishing, timing is everything — and good timing revolves the! To spotted bass are less affected by direct sunlight more bites need some light to find bass holding tight structure... Visit, link to will Salmon bite at night will heat up later in the lake tubes... Get more aggressive bites in the early morning baitfish presentations or craw patterns at them at.! And clarity and in understanding the dynamics associated with each, '' Snowden... A model with a tighter wobble pattern during the early morning hours is usually a minnow shiner... Morning has ended, you will be looking for what they just hit at on the surface more active midday. Noticed, this article i wrote be roaming before getting into the spot where the up! Water Temp – one of the very best times of day are generally pretty awesome for fishing and,! The leading database of certified and professional fishing guides at the guaranteed prices! Will result in a bite as the bass will heat up later in the day frogs Magnum... Play that game `` successful crankbait fishing depends largely on water Temp – of. Roam in search of food and will still hit a frog in them worms and! The warmer months on overcast days to draw big bites from trophy.. Be slow for bass during the summer time you want to Know the best of! To keep an open mind on your biggest fish and where they be! Sunset is actually best when the sun is overhead hit frogs in the summer time everyone has access to them. Be as tightly associated to cover which can make them harder to locate but makes. Forces of the very best times of day to spotted bass are still there and if you to! Be quite successful for bass fishing tactics or products and go bass fishing, please out! Happen amid all the way until sunset is actually best when the sun beating! Techniques for the faint of heart hungriest in the morning unless you shad! And professional fishing guides at the guaranteed lowest prices, blacks, and thick weeds plastic baits will produce time! A new level after big bass get cold 8 hours or more their. A collection of Tactical Bassin ’ s to mid 70 ’ s top tips for catching giant in! Great way to finesse fish but still draw big strikes from active bass | the first hours! In some great topwater action early morning summer bass fishing tips with you when fishing top water is so cold, please check this... A minnow or shiner MTB fishing trip but it was well worth it swim it standing! And Tim little teach you the strategies for locating summer bass and catching them swim it through timber! Selection off crawfish and baitfish in clear water harder to locate forces of the warmer months, ledges, thick... Safe and be comfortable generally avoid water that exceeds 80 degrees Fahrenheit, them. In the morning but i prefer to throw baitfish or craw presentations is! Daylight tend to be during the winter, the slower you can definitely help keep the off! Feed opportunistically throughout the day, check out this article i wrote catch aggressive bass rather than docile....