Afternoon Fishing?

[Catatonk Paul]

Is it worth trolling in the afternoon ? Always been a first light early morning done by 10 or eleven kind of person . Any body have any thoughts or tips they would like to share .

[lakebound88]

I have a theory that fish have an aggressive feed every six hours.

Had days where the bite kicks up good around 11:30-2 then slows down again until that 5-8 range. Always seems to be best times of mid to late day fishing I've run into with customers.

Good luck

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[yukonstu1]

Been hot 5 to 8 for us

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[alex1young]

I do well fishing the afternoon. Pontoon boats are an issue though.

[jk1]

CPaul & LB88, I agree with both of you guys but have never fished for lakers in the afternoon. I do start early evenings for walleyes though.....jk

[lakerchaser]

Some of my largest lakers have been taken around noon till 1 when my wife says lets go.thats jigging.

[ERABBIT]

I like the afternoon for LL and bows ...... my brother Stan had a theory some thing like Nicks about the lakers 

[jk1]

With my back discomfort I will be off the water in 5 hours. Tomorrow we are going to Keyuka, not Cayuga so might be off earlier than that. My buddys choice, not mine....jk

[Catatonk Paul]

Thanks for all the info! Hopefully I'll have some pictures to post of fish taken in the late afternoon !

[Zyoung]

^{It's always a good time to go fishing}

[Gill-T]

My years of pier fishing in the eighties I would witness similar 4 hour feeding activity gaps. Nobody would be catching anything then all of a sudden everyone was hooking up for 30 minutes then quiet again. I don't know if it is a metabolism thing or if fish got acclimated to hatchery feeding schedules.

Just checked and Altmar feeds their fish by hand dispersal every 6-8 hours.

Recollection of feeding Windows on Ontario trolling would be first light, 8:30/10:30, 12:00/2:00, 4:00/6:00, last light.

Edited June 16, 2016 by Gill-T

[jk1]

For us on Keyuka it would be day lite to 9 and then a break and a small bit of activity for 11 to 12 and n I would be done in and go home.....jk

[58Johnson]

Other factors:

The moon phase...full moon lets fish feed at night...often creates a good 10am-2pm bite as the fish begin to feed again.

 

Cold fronts and high pressure...can shut down and turn on fish.

 

Lure color needs to match the sun/cloud cover and angle.

 

The factors go on and on. 

 

I often don't have much luck in the mid afternoon. I often fish the top 35ft out deep for Bows and Salmon during the afternoon lull.

 

Most would fish first light and evening bite for the greatest chance of a bite. 

 

 

The more "prime times" you can have lines in the water the more chance you have to be in the right place at the right time for when the bite turns on. 

[ifishy]

i fish afternoons a lot as it lets the wife sleep in and thus keeps her happy.  you can catch fish there.  my lifes experience tells me morning bite is hot than what many experience as a lull is actully the fish transitioning.  As light levels and temps and oftern wind and waves change from morning to afternoon the fish often change patterns and places as well just like people finding new comfort zones.  If you can find the afternoon patterns you can do quite well but expect them to be different than what worked in the morning.  down side is boat traffic.  evening bite can be good but than your trip gets ended by darkness and thats not always good for coming back to launch

[Sweet Caroline]

Biggest kings usually come after  10-11am for me. Somebody once told me that early in the morning everything is active and feeding and then the smaller fish start slowing down first as the morning progresses. The larger fish with larger bellies continue to feed longer in to the morning. Kinda made sense to me and explained why after 10-11am was when I always caught my largest fish.

 

I have had some great afternoons as well, usually after 2 pm for salmon & steelies. If targeting lakers on bottom the middle of the day when the sun is highest has always been best for me. Browns, early morning is always best and sometimes can last until 10-11am if it is cloudy. Full moon, after 9am has always seen the best bite for me. Any time of the day with an east wind is usually going to be tough.

 

With that said, I have seen many many exceptions to everything. Best advice is just to fish when you have the time and the lake is nice.

[ifishy]

 

 I have seen many many exceptions to everything. Best advice is just to fish when you have the time and the lake is nice

yup  

quote of the week

[Sk8man]

Says it all

[Guest]

my biggest bucks, lakers, steelhead, and kings have all come from 1:00 pm till dusk! Cant catch fish or kill deer from the couch! I hear ya on the early mornings! Go gettem!.

[143447]

Had great luck last summer on Cayuga in the 14 between 8-9pm LLs got going at last light. Deans Cove very we quiet in Friday nights