Shore Fishing

Daylight Savings Time for Anglers

As the heat gets turned up towards those summer temperatures that make outdoor activities problematic during the middle of the day, anglers should take advantage of the benefits of Daylight-Saving Time. There are some folks that feel it isn’t worth the hassle of changing clocks twice a year, but anglers are a special case.

For instance, if we have dinner at a “normal” hour, say 5-6 PM, that leaves 2-3 hours of daylight for fishing after the evening meal. This eliminates the chance of being late for dinner because the fish were biting. By going fishing after dinner, you are on the water at the best time of day to enjoy that sunset bite. There is a magic hour between a half hour before and after sunset when fish seem to feed with abandon, especially on top water prey. By fishing after dinner, when you come home at dark, you usually won’t miss dessert.

The morning bite around sunrise lasts for an hour or so before solar radiation discourages the fish from feeding and the over-heated anglers from fishing. Kayak anglers are mostly shallow water enthusiasts, and their target fish are more influenced by light conditions than many deep-water species. In the winter, when the water is colder, gamefish become more active as the sun warms these shallow bays. In the summer, the most comfortable temperatures on the flats for both prey and predator are sunrise and sunset when they cool off a little. With gulf water temperatures starting in the mid 80’s, the water on our shallow flats can approach 100˚F at midday which sends baitfish and gamefish heading for deeper water or shady spots way back under a mangrove shoreline.

With the sun rising around 6:30 a.m. this time of year, it is possible to fish the early morning snook bite on the beach without resorting to “O-Dark 30” heroics. The best time for stalking snook on the beach actually starts an hour after sunrise as the sun gets high enough to come from over your shoulder which gives you the best light for seeing into the water. Of course, polarizing glasses help anglers see snook shadows on the white sand of the trough. By walking into the wind and the shore current, you get to approach these fish from their tail end which lets you get amazingly close before they are spooked. Make long casts diagonally out towards the first bar and retrieve your bait or lure with the current. Snook are ambush feeders that lie quietly in the trough waiting for unsuspecting bait to drift their way. If you see bait scattering, put a cast upstream of that area and you’ll usually get a strike.

The evening hours can be a cool time to fish also as the sun sets and a shore breeze cools the afternoon heat. We especially like this time of day for bass fishing in our local lakes and canals. As the light fades, bass tend to look up to silhouette their prey. Top water lures and flies are most productive during low light times. This time of year, frog imitations are very productive wherever you hear frog calls. Keep in mind that frogs are active because insects are active also. One of the big drawbacks to late day fishing anywhere is the bug issue. A good repellent, long pants and long sleeves can help keep your focus on fishing rather than swatting mosquitoes or no-see-ums.