The sun can definitely play a big role in where and how largemouth bass will position themselves on any given day. Typically, anglers think of the sun as a major factor as it gets higher in the sky. The higher the sun, the worse the fishing usually, expect for the spring and in the late fall or winter.
Fish Closer to Cover
Whether you choose to fish shallow or deep, you will catch more largemouth bass by fishing tighter to the cover once the sun is out.
Fish During Lowlight Conditions
On sunny days, get on the water early or late when the sun isn’t as high in the sky. It can make the difference in a good or bad fishing day.
Spring Time
During the spring, the sun can actually help make the bite better. The sun helps warm the water during the day, which usually provides a better afternoon and evening bite for largemouth bass. Once the spawn is over, the sun can actually make fishing more difficult.
Summer & Early Fall
During the summer and fall months, there will not be nearly as many largemouth bass cruising the shallows when the sun is out. Most of the largemouth bass are going to hold closer to some type of cover in shallow or deep water. Even during the mid-summer during the middle of the day, it is possible to catch largemouth bass in only a couple feet of water as long as there is some type of cover. Largemouth bass relate to shoreline cover such as wood, docks, rocks and weeds. When the clouds are out, bass may still be near this cover, but they typically won’t be holding as close to the cover.
Even though there are always some largemouth bass that are shallow, most of the bigger largemouth bass will move into deeper water during the summer and fall months once the sun is out. In some lakes and reservoirs, it is not uncommon to find largemouth bass in 30 to 40 feet of water. Water temperature, where bait fish are located, cover & structure are all factors that will help dictate how deep bass go. Brush piles and submerged trees are good types of cover that will hold largemouth bass in deeper water. Although some bass may be very deep, most largemouth bass can be found on the deep weed line during the summer and early fall months once the sun comes out. Most deep weed lines can be found in 8 to 16 feet of water. On clearer lakes, the weed line may be slightly deeper.
Late Fall or Early Winter
Sunny days can actually help make the fishing better as the sun warms up water temperatures. The warmer water temperatures will usually trigger bass to grab a meal. A warm front over a few days may also move some bass back into the shallows.
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