I have been fishing for more than two decades and in that time two questions are asked to me above all others. What are they biting on and what is the best time of day to fish, are the questions that come up most often when fishermen talk. This article will discuss some tips and tricks for determining the best time of day to fish so that you can try to be on the water at the best times, and thus catch more fish.
If you have spent any time at all trying to catch fish you are undoubtedly aware of the old adage , mornings and evenings are good for fishing. While this is certainly true, mornings and evenings are normally more productive fishing times than other times of the day we can get a little more detailed than just “mornings and evenings” as to the best time of day to fish.
One of the biggest keys to fish behavior is the weather. The weather has a lot to do with determining the best fishing times and thus the best time of day to fish. The “weather” as the average person thinks of it is created by something called frontal systems and frontal systems are a major factor in determining when fish are active and thus the best time of day to fish.
Frontal systems are changes in air pressure that precede a front. Fronts are narrow transitions that separate temperature and humidity and come in three major varieties, cold fronts, warm fronts, and stationary fronts. Fish can detect the pressure changes that occur from fronts through their lateral lines (the line that runs down the center of most fish), and as fishermen knowing the simple ways that these pressure changes affect a fishes behavior will go a long way towards determining the best time to fish.
There isn’t enough room to list all of the details concerning the types of fronts and their relation to fishing in a single article, but we can certainly hit the important points concerning the weather and the best time of day to fish. Cold fronts are generally thought of as bad for fishing and fishing after a cold front passes is usually less than stellar. Warm fronts on the other hand are thought of as “fish catching” fronts and are normally good for fishing. If a warm front passes through your favorite fishing area, fishing will probably be a good two to three days. Stationary fronts (as you might imagine) are neither good or bad for fishing.
Knowing and using these key points to you advantage will go a long way to figuring out the best time of day to fish on any given day. Couple this information with the basic knowledge of being on the water in either the morning or evening and I guarantee you will catch more fish on your next fishing trip. As you might imagine, half of the battle is staying off of the water when these types of factors aren’t in your favor as an angler. If fish aren’t going to be very active anyway because of a front passing through your fishing area, there’s not a lot of reason to be on the water attempting to catch fish in the first place.
