Many anglers enjoy fishing for smallmouth bass because they will usually cooperate all day long, which means you can still catch some quality fish in the middle of the day. However, it isn’t always easy to put fish in the boat during the middle of the day. Take a look below to learn how the bite is affected based on the seasons.
Spring
In the spring, the afternoon bite can be the best bite of the entire day. If you are sight fishing, the afternoon is when the sun is at its highest which allows you see the bass and/or the best spots in the shallows. The water temperatures also warm up the water and get the cruising bass more active during the afternoon.
Summer
In the summer, the afternoon can be tough fishing. At times, some bass will feed throughout the day with no problem. You may have to switch over to live bait, but many anglers report that smallmouth bass are still cooperative during the middle of the day, especially in deeper water. There will be many days though that the bite will totally shut down during the mid-afternoon. Some things that can will help you catch bass during the middle of the day in the summer are wind, clouds and live bait. Some wind will help create a chop on the water, which usually improves the fishing. Clouds definitely help more bass stay active, especially on clear lakes. Live bait is usually the main thing that will help you increase your bites during the middle of the day in the summer.
Fall
Early in the fall, as water temperatures just start to drop, the bite is similar to mid-summer, so expect a tougher bite during the middle of the day, especially if there is little wind and bright sun. As fall progresses and temperatures drop into the low 60s and upper 50s, anglers usually report some pretty good bites going on during the middle of the day. Bright sun and no wind usually doesn’t help though unless water temperatures are really low. With water temperatures in the low 50s and down into the 40s, bright sun and a warm day will usually raise the water temperature enough to produce a better afternoon bite for smallmouth bass.
