When Should I Start Bass Fishing?

Bass fishing at the favorite lake is an enjoyable challenge for the anglers. Their happiness knows no bounds after getting a big catch. However, it can be a failure if you choose the wrong time for fishing. The fishing opportunities vary according to the day time and seasonal change. That’s why most newcomers ask a common question to the experienced fisherman, which is, “when should I start bass fishing?” In this article, we are about to answer. Let’s dive in.

Bass Fishing Calendar

Best time of day

Early morning: Winner

Like the rest of visual predators, bass activities depend on the light intensity range. They spend time feeding, resting, and swimming in different time zones. They prefer low-light conditions to stay active. So, choosing the morning time will give you some advantage. You can easily trick them by boilies and others as they seek food in the early hours. The majority of anglers give a thumbs up to morning fishing.

Noon/Afternoon

Well, these hours are not suitable for capturing bass, especially for the shallow water anglers. But there is a chance if you know the basics of deep water fishing. When the sun is out, they are more likely to migrate in the lakes’ deeper years. Sometimes they move into 30 feet of water or more, but lots of fish may also be available in 10 to 15 feet of water. You have to give much effort to drag them out of hiding-structure including, ledges, humps, rock piles, etc.

Late afternoon/ Evening: Winner

Another low-light period comes during the late afternoon after the early morning. As you can assume, this is also an optimal feeding period for fishes. The bass can act differently based on the warmth of water, wind, and fishing area. You can find them in shallow water and use topwater lures. The hungry bass falls prey to the fishers while chasing the artificial flies and lures. When it comes to cold water, they like shifting into deeper water. We suggest trying a variety of retrieval speeds to understand the nature of bass.

Night

Many professional anglers love sand bass fishing at night for lack of competition. We want to mention that the bass acts better in a dim environment indeed, but not in the dark. Without a minimum glimpse of light, they can’t see. Therefore, attempt fishing at night near to a full moon. The big bait such as spinner or popper may work best for nighttime bass hunting. However, it requires patience, skill, and the right combination of lure and fishing gears for successful nighttime fishing.

Best Season

Winter

Winter is a season of cold water and rest time for bass. They slow their activities and remain idle most of the time to save energy. They hide under ledges or coves in deep water. So, fishing in winter is not a great idea in the morning. If the temperature is too low, they can transfer in the last depth to obtain some warmth. So, getting fish in such conditions is nothing but a miracle. As time passes, the water temperature increases due to sun exposure.

The heating pattern will be different in various fisheries so that the fish movements can be predictable at all. Generally, the fishes come in the shallow spots to feed in mid-day but not for a long time. Only then the anglers are able to apply their shallow-water bass fishing techniques. Overall, you can go fishing in winter if you can deal with such uncertainty.

Spring: Winner

Spring is the season of bass reproduction by spawning. Several behaviors and locations are seen throughout the phases. We can divide them into three sections- pre-spawn, spawn, and post-spawn. In the first phase, the water warmth lies in the 45-50 degrees range. This is the best time to catch bass as they shift from deep to shallow areas. According to the record, people catch more fish during midday from creek channels and ditches. When spawn arrives, bass select shallow water beds as their hiding place to stay safe from predators. Their nocturnal activities also increase Along with the rising temperature.

Nighttime fishing can be most effective during the spawn. Lastly, they starve from the energy loss in spawning during post-spawn moments. They start to go back into deep water. Using colorful baits during sunrise and late evening will give maximum outcome. Note that these species try to protect their spawns at any cost. They give a great fight after being hooked. Make sure to bring durable rods to win against them.

Summer

The temperature rises more, and the bass remains in deep water to avoid intense sun rays. But they also come in shallow spots in order to recover the weight loss after spawning. As oxygen deficiency occurs, they like to stay close to oxygen-producing vegetation. They are at their highest energy level to get new targets. But The amount of available foods also lessens, which is the prime reason for getting more small and medium-sized fishes. The anglers can successfully use almost all baits and plastic worms early in the morning and late afternoon.

Fall

The water temperature starts to drop in the Fall causing bass to leave the deeper locations and shift in shallow water. They become more aggressive and are in attacking mode. Due to sufficient oxygen supply, more thick vegetation and larger bodies grow. They can easily get small fishes to feed and eat more to prepare for the lean winter.

This is the reason for experiencing the biggest catches in Fall. The perfect day time is evening and morning because you can find them in shallow water. If anyone goes into lakes midday, he/she should use deep casting gears and bait. In short, Fall is a decent season for applying all fishing methods.