Sunup Or Sundown 2024
papajoe222 reply :
I know many of us were raised to be on the water when the sun comes up and we also were told that sundown was an ideal time to be on the water. I'm lucky to have the option to take advantage of both of these prime times on the same day as I no longer am limited by that nasty four letter word. I know, however, that not everyone has that fortune and was wondering which you prefer and why.
Personally, I am partial to sundown. If I could only be on the water for one hour a day, it would be half an hour to either side of it. My reasoning is simple. First and foremost, I don't have to get up early (yes, I'm an old fart that doesn't get up early.....go figure). What's more important to me is the fact that aside from my PB largemouth, I've caught more lunkers as the sun was going down than at any other time of day and I'm not limiting that fact to one species. Bass, pike, walleye, musky, even crappie; it just seems to me that sundown gets the big ones active.
LMB KING reply :
I fish both, prefer sun-up, to me its like the morning breakfast bell, The big girls wake up to eat first and then the kids wake up for school, thats the way i see things. I see fishing just like anything else, everything has a routine including fish. I would also like to add that i also believe that people have a better chance of catching a big one on the morning then afternoon, because everybody ate through out he day.
Raul reply :
If it were for me ketchin' bigguns then neither, most of the bigguns I've caught were caught between 1 and 5 PM, I'm partial for sundown, there's something magical about the sunset.
Catt reply :
Sun down to sun rise!
Down here our daily highs are in the mid 90s already & 100s around the corner.
All night long 
Bankbeater reply :
I prefer both. What I usually do on a trip down to one of the big lakes is head out early before sunup. Come back in around 9 and grab some breakfast. Take a nap and hit the water around 4 or so.
Jig Man reply :
A couple of hours before sunrise to a couple of hours after sunrise is my favorite time to be fishing. For pleasure it is sundown and moon rise.
Lund Explorer reply :
It's sunrise for me. Something has to mark the start of the day, and I can't think of a better way than to watch the sky go from black to that first shade of pink when the big fireball gets ready for another trek across the sky.
A summer morning around here often starts as the coolest part of the day and usually has the lightest winds. The drunks and their speedboats or jet skis are still sleeping off the night before, and about the only noise you'll hear is the call of a loon or the honking of the local goose population. It's a great time for a little topwater action on the flats before heading to deep water.
BrianinMD reply :
The only time I have a preference is early spring when a day of sun can raise the water temp a couple degrees in the shallower water, at the point the evenings hours are preferred.
atpns1234 reply :
Sun down for me.
HeavyFisher reply :
All my bass over 5lbs+ were caught between 1-3 in the afternoon. At sunset I catch way more fish but they are also smaller.
doyle8218 reply :
I am also retired and can fish at anytime. Of the 2 I prefer sunrise. Maybe because I am an early riser anyway.
notevenanibble reply :
my favorite places to fish always seem to produce more at dawn. that being said my life only allows me to fish at dusk
Choporoz reply :
I love to be on the water at sunrise. However, I have always had better luck at sundown. Dawn is a little more relaxed, though. At sunset, I tend to press and pressure myself a little more because I want to get every last fish in the boat before it's too dark to get back....or get back safely, anyway 
Mr Swim Jig reply :
I love to fish both....Some days I prefer and others I prefer sunset....they are all great!
RoLo reply :
Chris9999 reply :
Me being a night owl makes me like the sundown better but Ill be darned if there isnt something satisfying about getting up and on the water before sunup and fishing for a few hours before I head on with my day
BassinLou reply :
Since my time is limited when I can get out on the boat, I will fish from morning til about 630pm or 7pm. I makes for a loooong day, but I am in my world. When I bank fish, I fish in the late afternoon to about dusk. I don't night fish much at all.
einscodek reply :
Ill take what I am given.. sunup or sundown if I am available. Noon if thats all there is..
nascar2428 reply :
Sundown is when my personal best was caught, however this year I'm catching nothing but quality(14"+) in the morning. Have yet to actually get up before daylight. That seems to be a challenge for me. I love catching Z's just as much as Bass!!
Mccallister25 reply :
I fish in the evening most of the time, because its convinient. I have to be at work by 7am Monday through Friday. On the weekend, I tend to sleep in a little longer, and I have no boat. Only access to local neighborhood ponds. Its not worth it to me to get up before sunrise to bank fish. If I was fishing lakes, I would probably think differently.
Now on that note, I have fished the ponds early morning, and have caught nice fish. I do it from time to time, when I get a wild hair.
geo g reply :
I fish 90% of the time in the morning, but in the summer if I had my choice it would be late afternoon. I have had some great afternoon fishing and you can actively fish until 9:00 and still see at the ramp. Morning fishing it sooooo nice and cool until about 9:00 AM. Then the summer heat sets in. By the time it comes to load the boat its sweltering. Evening fishing is warm until about about 7:00 P.M. and then it finally cools off. When you doing all the work at the ramp its nice an cool in the evenings. I love summer evening fishing! 
K_Mac reply :
Being on the water before first light is one of life's simple pleasures. That first couple of hours in the morning is a good as it gets in my opinion. With that said, it's all good. 
Fishing during the day when it is hot wears on me and I also prefer night fishing when it's really hot. My experience has been like most others though; when it comes to lunkers the middle of the day or at night has always been best.
gramps50 reply :
I do most of my fishing in the evening. Being I'm a slow starter in the morning. I might get up early at times it it takes hours for me to get going so I end up fishing in the evening.
MichaelE reply :
I like sundown because I don't have to die of heat the later I fish. But I fish both
Oregon Native reply :
Used to LOVE running up the Columbia river in the morning and watching the sun rise and the mist leaving the water. Now years later I still enjoy sunrises and watching the world wake up and thanking the good Lord for another day. Eve's are awesome too if the bugs aren't too bad and watching things get quiet on the lake. Even though I enjoy eve's it's the worst time for me....that half hour before dark to half hour after.....it's just tuff.
Like the above individual.....anytime on water is good times unless it's a Holiday weekend!!
stratoliner92 reply :
Sunrise for me Spring-Fall my biggest fish and a couple of partners all before 9am fwiw.
In Winter im waiting till noon
bigbill reply :
I fished for bass in the evenings first. There were many different sized bass. Nothing over 4 to 5#. In the morning like really early while it's dark to light. I find the bass are bigger plus there is no crowd churning up the water. It's dead quiet.
In the evening there are the bugs. It's too cold in the early mornings for bugs.
WRB reply :
Pre spawn to post spawn, dawn.
Summer dusk to dawn, night is right.
Late fall through late winter, afternoons to dusk.
Nice to live where the water doesn't freeze and few bugs at night.
It's all good, the dawn bite usually last longer, the dusk bite is usually faster lures like crankbaits.
Enjoy your time on the water whenever it may be.
Tom
Hyrule Bass reply :
i prefer about an hour before sundown and after dark.
Master Bait'r reply :
I think the proof is in the pudding- there is no wrong time to fish, but there are definitely better types of fishing to do at certain times of the day or certain conditions.
MIbassin reply :
I would take the morning. Nothing like getting up before everyone else, including your dad who is taking you fishing, and spending an hour casting into the glass calm water while the mist burns off the surface. The fishing isn't bad either….
phototex reply :
I like both, but prefer sunrise when the air temps are above 40. However, 2 of my 3 biggest bass were caught at noon.
skeeter1980 reply :
By the time that I wake up,which is early,it takes awhile for my sinusus too get unclogged.It also takes time for my old knees to get lossen up, lol so I guess the evening into the nite,works for me.
bigbill reply :
Ok I'll explain it further.
The basses eyes change faster to the changing light conditions than the bait fishes eyes making them easy prey in the dusk to dawn early morning and light to dark conditions in the evenings.
The bass attack is on during these times.
Now the noon time bite. The plant life gives off plankton which the bait fish come out of hiding to feed on. Thus the noon time bass attack.
These is another bite on for bass after things settle down in the evening around 9:30/10:00pm it starts. I been taught this by my mentor.
There is no wrong time to fish as said above. But there's more of a window of opportunity when the bass attack time happens.
Fish Murderer 71 reply :
On 6/6/2014 at 5:56 PM, Catt said:Sun down to sun rise!
Down here our daily highs are in the mid 90s already & 100s around the corner.
All night long
X2 I'll hit the lakes about 4:30ish and leave when the topwater action is over in the morning. The sad thing is that nobody wants to go fishing with me all night long... LOSERS!
Ratherbfishing reply :
Seeing as how all the better lakes are at least an hour and a half drive away, I have to to get up waaaay before the arse crack of dawn if I expect to be on the water around sunrise. And never having been a huge fan of getting up anyway (though it seems to be getting easier), I definitely vote for evening.
grumpydog reply :
The fish and I are at odds with this. On Toledo Bend, when the temperature is most comfortable in the morning, the fish hit better in the evening. and vice versa. Go figure.
One thing I know for sure...the fish arent gonna change their schedule to suit me. So....
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