What Is The Best Time To Catch A Bass?

Bass fishing can be quite a trouble if you do not have the right gear, research, and proper planning. This is especially true for largemouth bass because they are predatory fish and can develop different aggressive behaviors.

Weather and seasons play a vital role in capturing this kind of fish, and it is also essential to know the best time you need to lay your lures for a successful catch.

What is the best time to catch a bass? The prime time to catch bass is during their pre-spawn period in spring, where the water temperatures are somehow 55 to 65 degrees. The ideal time of the day is during the early morning or later in the evening.

In this article, you will find out the best time to catch bass fish, and the perfect season you should be checking out if you want to capture some bass.

The Best Time To Catch Bass

Generally speaking, the best time of the day if you really want to fish for bass is either early morning or later in the evening. This is because bass tends to bite in low light environments where they are most comfortable and trained to hunt and feed.

This only means that you can still have luck if you plant to catch bass in the middle of a rainy day where the clouds cover the sun.

As far as the season goes, it would be a mix between spring and summer when the water turns into 60 up to 80 degrees in temperature.

Most bass fishermen will recommend you to fish during spring just before bass starts spawning. As the bass prepare to spawn, they usually increase their feeding routines to fill up their stomach and gain all the energy they need for reproduction.

As a result, they become aggressive and active. In a way, this will increase the chance they will end up biting in your bait during pre=spawn season.

It can also be possible to catch bass during the middle of summertime when the bass starts feeding at its long-year peak. Most basses scatter on the lake, and they can be found in both deep and shallow water.

But it is worth mentioning that they still stay deep on horror and summer days.

Early Morning

As mentioned above, the best time to fish bass is actually early in the morning, and it would be in between the hours of 5:30 AM up to 8:30 AM.

This time may change depending on the season, but the activity usually increases as you approach sunrise while there is still low light in the surrounding.

Bass prefers to have bait like minnows or shiners in these early hours, and they really respond to some artificial shoreline lures. It includes topwater poppers or plugs, to name a few.

Late Afternoon

Those who are not a morning person, try to fish bass later in the afternoon between 5:00 PM and 7:30 PM. During the late afternoon, low light returns to create another cover for the bass.

Topwater lures can be used during this hour, but if it is cold, then fishing in deep water may be a solution to low fish activity.

Night Time

Nighttime fishing is always a good time considering the lack of other fishermen disturbing life under the water. It is worth mentioning that bass function better in low light, and they do need some light to see.

This is why it is important to pick a night that is close to a full moon with lots of moonlight to help you in the dark.

Also, know that if it is dark, a cold night might give you less bass. Bass has a visual-hunting style. As a result, they won’t give too much effort fishing if they can’t properly see their target.

If you really want to give night time fishing a go, you should utilize some noisy and large lures like a spinner, popper, or a buzz-bait.

Best Season To Fish For Bass

Figuring out the best fishing times for catching bass can be quite an intimidating task. This is mainly because, without proper knowledge and resources.

You will only end up wasting your time trying to fish a bass that may no longer live there. The first step in bass fishing is to learn about bass spawning behavior.

For example, largemouth bass generally spawns in the late wintertime in the United States’ southern regions and some during the late spring in the northern parts. The one factor that affects spawning activity is the water temperature.

When the water reaches a temperature level that is too hot or cold for them, they move from their original location. It also affects their feeding routine and moves into shallower water to nest.

If you are new to bass fishing, you should only focus on pre-spawn and spawning periods. The reason is that spawning fish will be carrying eggs, and they need to be handled with care.

Another thing to consider is after the bass has recovered from spawning, many female basses will take some time to regain their appetite.

Figuring out the best time to fish for bass will be much easier once you understand these spawning patterns.

Winter

If you plan to fish in the wintertime, you can expect that the process will be slow as they are saving energy and usually in deeper water.

The changes will start to rise as the temperature starts to rise, and you can catch after the water reaches 40 degrees and, hopefully, a little higher.

Also, check the water heating patterns as it is much more important if you can see that the temperature is rising from 36 up to 39 degrees in a row.

This is in comparison to 40 degrees in one day and then 30 the next day. Fish normally adapt to the pattern, and many female basses will react to the water temperature energy and activity.

Spring

Spring season is another slow progress, and as it goes, the fish will start to increase in activity, and great numbers as rain can bring warmer water.

The weather in spring is normally fickle in spring so you might not get the best results as temperatures and precipitation can change quickly in this early season.

Just make sure to watch out for some cold fronts as they can put a number on some of your best fishing days.

When this normally happens, the fish will go back to deeper waters, and it will be the best time to use some chatter baits, crankbaits, spinnerbaits, swimbaits, and some worms.

Once you encounter rain and the temperature starts to stabilize, bass will inevitably begin to focus on preparing for spawning season. This normally occurs when the water is between 55 to 65 degrees.

Just remember to use larger lures that will catch the bass’s eye. This is one of the best times of the year to catch bass, and usually, you should go during dusk and dawn.

Summer

As the spawning season has ended, the thick of summer comes and prompts every bass to start feeding again at a very high level.

This season is where they are at their highest energy levels and will be found in most shallow and deep waters. If the day is somehow hotter and sunnier, you can expect them to be deeper to avoid the intense sunlight.

Just use most lures and bait available during this season, including topwater baits, plastic works, jigs, and some swimbaits. This is the perfect time to have some fun and expect the most lures to work as bass lures.

Fall

The fall season is considered a decent time for bass fishing, but you should expect a slow activity. But this is the time that there will be a major feeding for bass because they are in preparation for the upcoming winter.

This is the time they will be looking for baitfish like shads and shiners. Spinnerbaits and swimbaits still work during this time, while jerk baits and some crankbaits are a good option to attract their attention.

Fall is also a perfect time to catch some striped bass, usually during peak or slack tide. This is another time to focus on the early morning time and late evening hours while you try to avoid the cold days that are fast approaching.

Spawn

Catching bass during spawn season can pose a challenge because of the change in their behavior and energy. Bass usually slow down and mainly focus on protecting their nest and just laying low.

A popular trick from most fishers is to place your bait in the middle of their nest, and it will cause a disturbance and reaction from the female bass.

While it might not be exact science trying to determine when the fish spawning begins, you can keep up with it by tracking it on watching the local fauna and land animals to see when mother nature is ready to give you an advantage.

Conclusion

Overall, it is a known fact that bass is most active when the water reaches 50 up to 60 degrees in temperature. You can also catch them if they are close to their spawning conditions.

The time of the day and the perfect season plays a big role in making sure you will get your well-deserved trophy bass. Just make sure you do a lot of research and find the perfect spot in your area to give you a higher success rate.