Fishing at the right time of day

[banksy]

When I was a kid, the only fishing available was a small tidal drain where we could catch eels and flounders, and a disused gravel pit about 15 miles away.
In Summer my lovely Mum would get up at 4am and drive me to the gravel pit, where I could stay all day, with just a big bottle of water and plenty of HP Sauce sandwiches for sustenance..
She came back to collect me late in the evening, and even then I would want one more cast.
Truth to tell, most of that time was wasted, with the fish feeding between 5 and 9am, then again between 6 and 9pm.

In the 70's, a friend and I drove 100 miles down to the Trent, arriving at dawn. By 10am the bites had dried up, but by then we'd usually had 40 or 50lb of chub, barbel and carp. Sometimes we'd be kicked off by anglers on an organised match, who would look on appalled as we tipped our full keepnets back into their swims.

You'd think the lesson would have been learned, but still, 50 years on, I still find myself fishing between about 10am and 5pm. Those very hours which I regarded as useless for fishing.
With the advent of well stocked commercials, I can still enjoy a decent day's fishing.
But I do refer to fish more natural waters, and now I'm retired there's nothing to stop me from fishing during those 'golden' hours, but I just don't get round to it.

On my favourite syndicate water, the best roach fishing is in spring and autumn. But at this time of year, pretty well any bait is ripped to shreds by smaller fish the second it hits the water.
I'm hoping that the better fish will come out to play later in the day, so this evening I shall make the effort to get out there.

Apart from the carpers, are there many early risers and late stayers among Maggotdrowners?

 

[gingert76]

def used to do both, especially my sea fishing as i loved being by myself...just me and the sound of the ocean and amazing moon lit nights and the sun rising or falling.

Always loved big roach fishing at dusk as well and night fishing for eels

Pleasure fishing would always be early or late to miss the crowds and misty mornings on the river or lake before everything started to wake up!

 

[Silverfisher]

My fishing hours are based largely on the time of the year but in the warmer months from say start of May until end of October I tend to fish from around 8.30 to around 3.30 give or take say a quarter hour even end. That’s about as early and as late as I can do as that involves me getting up at 6 to allow enough time to start at the aforementioned time as I don’t fancy getting up earlier and it allows me to pack up and get home and showered before I’m doing anything in the evening. Generally speaking I find the fishing tends to be be better before midday but it’s far from always the case as often have very good fishing in the afternoon as well. Would say up until 10 often sees the best conditions though with less wind, sun and people.

 

[OldTaff]

I get out when I can but it’s usually early - before work - as daytime is work/family and evenings are Jacob time

I do OK on my lunchtime river sessions though so I don’t think the river roach & perch have access to clocks

 

[solwood]

Late stayer, not early riser, generally fish an hour into dark if possible

I hate getting up early, when I do mist coming off a lake does make it worthwhile but I am knackered for the day !

 

[Sportsman]

These days, it's evenings. I prefer 3 productive hours to 6 non productive hours through the day. Depends on venue and quarry, though.
I would like to fish early, but lack the willpower to drag myself out of bed

 

[Sam Vimes]

I'm not good at really early starts, especially at this time of year when I'm routinely fishing until 2200. However, I very rarely bother to fish through the main part of the day, especially in late spring/summer and on the more natural venues I favour. I very rarely arrive at my chosen venue before 1400. If I do arrive that early, it's usually to walk around looking for fish and cut/rake a swim or two.

I appreciate that real life interferes with fishing for many. It amazes me just how many anglers I see leaving fisheries around 1500 complaining that a venue is rubbish. Short office hours may be excellent for harmonious relationships, but they are terrible for angling.

 

[alsur]

When it's hot and sunny it's evenings for me, fishing tends to be better and I can't handle hot weather now.

 

[smiffy]

I love being at the local Bream ressie as dawn breaks in the summer. You can spot the fish from miles off and it’s just a fantastic time of day. I’m normally away by Ten unless it’s a cloudy windy day.
Strangely, I have one gravel pit where I don’t catch Bream until about 11am. It has to be overcast mind. I’ve tried several areas to see if I can catch earlier but not found any real improvement. The Tench fishing can make up for it as the sun rises. Nothing big though.

 

[MrBen]

This was the view from where I was fishing last night, just as the sun was setting.

 

[DAMFLASK CHRIS]

Ponds I fish seem to fish better after 2pm that's when you start to see fish topping or in darker months as it gets dark never in past caught well in sunny weather middle of the day

 

[Arry]

Fish on my club lake feed twixt 10 and 1 and as I spent donkeys years getting up either early or late for shift work, now I'm retired I'll get up when I damn well feel like it...

 

[Dave Spence]

As a youngster I would regularly set out at 3:00am, on my bike, to fish Raleigh pond. In those days I always fished until I couldn’t see my float. Now I am a couple of years older I tend to favour evening times. I am too idle to get up early.

 

[Zerkalo]

I do some embarrassingly long sessions. It's basically because a lot of places I fish you can write off in the middle of the day unless overcast or something. So I like to fish both mornings and evenings. I'll get to a lot of places at the crack of dawn to make sure I get a peg, then often stay for the day, and when it reaches evening I might as well fish the best time of the day as well. It's no problem except for if I have to get out of bed the next day.

 

[Total]

I do some embarrassingly long sessions. It's basically because a lot of places I fish you can write off in the middle of the day unless overcast or something. So I like to fish both mornings and evenings. I'll get to a lot of places at the crack of dawn to make sure I get a peg, then often stay for the day, and when it reaches evening I might as well fish the best time of the day as well. It's no problem except for if I have to get out of bed the next day.

Whilst I was after crucians, this turned up.... (I wish...)

Monster eel completes lifetime goal

 

[buygoodtackle]

The estate lake I fish seems different as the early morning is a waste of time, the fish don't seem to wake up until 10am and believe it or not the best time is usually 11am to 2pm. However evenings can be okay also.

 

[Markywhizz]

4.00 till 7.00am for me. 10 till 2 is a waste of time for me.

Unfortunately my favourite place fitted an automatic gate last year and it is only open from 6am to 7pm. They had problems before that involving Eastern Europeans. Nothing new there unfortunately. It’s ruined both ends of the day though.

 

[RedRidingHood]

Dont do small morning or evening sessions. I fish a minimal of 8 hours or I don't go. Ideally 10+ hour sessions. Wake up for wake up for 530-6 latest, arrive, fish and pack up at 4 earliest or again, dont go. However again ideally 5 or 6 packup. That gives me a few hours to get home, get packed away and showered to then leave forn work at 930 till 6 am. Exhausting, especially with the current weather but with work and baby, ive gotta exploit any free time im given.

 

[davej]

My local fishery doesn't open till 8:00 so we usually fish till 5:00, get a fish a chuck for an hour then dead for an hour, always the same no matter what time of year or the weather.

 

[tincatim]

I really just fish when I can and if that happens to only be in the middle of the day then I’ll happily do that. I do find evenings quite productive though, it’s a nice time to be out especially after a hot day. I never fish into dark though as I usually have to be back for household duties. On a weekend I’ll usually fish 7am-ish to about 2 or 3pm. I wouldn’t say the earlier parts of the sessions are massively more productive, in fact looking at my fish photos most of the morning fish are caught between 10 and 11.