[captain birds eye]

Hi all, just wondered what peoples opinions are on daylight bassing.

I've always favoured night time, pitch black preferably with a strong onshore wind and lots of surf rolling, I'd feel quite confident fishing daylight again if there was a really strong wind coloured water and big surf. i've taken bass in these conditions quite a few times.

Why is it that daylight bassing isn't generally so productive ?? I don't feel confident at all chucking out the same baits at the same venues in daylight

BUT The lads using lures and plugs are very successful fishing in clear water, usually over low tide in very shallow water depth in daytime.

So it's not a case of the bass arn't there to catch, is it a case of the bass are less mobile in daylight? are they more likely to be hiding and waiting?. is it that less people target them in daylight ( I know I don't really bother )

How can I be more successful catctching the better stamp of fish in daylight.

So are static baits crab, whole squid, mackeral fillet ill effective in daytime.

I know schoolies will take baits in daylight and deep water venues can be productive but what about the better 5lb + fish, off shallower marks.

Any info appreciated cheers!!!

 

[Mumbly_Zac]

Hi all, just wondered what peoples opinions are on daylight bassing.

I've always favoured night time, pitch black preferably with a strong onshore wind and lots of surf rolling, I'd feel quite confident fishing daylight again if there was a really strong wind coloured water and big surf. i've taken bass in these conditions quite a few times.

Why is it that daylight bassing isn't generally so productive ?? I don't feel confident at all chucking out the same baits at the same venues in daylight

BUT The lads using lures and plugs are very successful fishing in clear water, usually over low tide in very shallow water depth in daytime.

So it's not a case of the bass arn't there to catch, is it a case of the bass are less mobile in daylight? are they more likely to be hiding and waiting?. is it that less people target them in daylight ( I know I don't really bother )

How can I be more successful catctching the better stamp of fish in daylight.

So are static baits crab, whole squid, mackeral fillet ill effective in daytime.

I know schoolies will take baits in daylight and deep water venues can be productive but what about the better 5lb + fish, off shallower marks.

Any info appreciated cheers!!!

Personally, i much rather fish surf beaches at night with a nice surf as i feel as if the bass are more confident to feed. I feel depth of water and structure will have a massive effect on it as the more structure, more food and generallysecruity i feel anyway. My dad can only fish piers because of his rheumatoid arthritis but he's had all his big fish always in the day. With 12 double figures under his belt either to whole joeys, half a mackerel, pout, live mackerel or pollack. His biggest bass he had was in the middle of summer over low water onthe skankiest mackerel i've ever seen casted onto a shallow sand bank, i laughed at him, bang 13lbs 2oz he had. Its weird but i think if a fish is hungry he'll have anything. Big bass dont get big by bein stupid though

 

[Dean Allison]

I definitely think darkness helps. Looking at my notes for a particular mark I like to fish, most bass have come after sunset. Saying that I got a lovely 3 pounder at about 9pm last night while it was still very bright, and that was less than 40 yards out. But generally I find the fishing really kicks in as darkness approaches

Also, all the bass I got last year were when the sea was dead flat, no surf at all, and the preceding few days had very little wind except offshore westerlies.
Cheers
Dean

 

[Miz Git]

In the Thames its night 24/7!

 

[Dean Allison]

BUT The lads using lures and plugs are very successful fishing in clear water, usually over low tide in very shallow water depth in daytime.

I dont know but maybe as a lot of plugging is done around rocks, gullies etc, maybe that is where the bass hang out in daylight possibly? Saying that after a year of plugging I still havent got one on a lure:sad:

 

[johnkerry]

Ive just come home from a couple of hours fishing and seen this thread and it made me laugh as I've just had 15 bass the biggest 7 1/2 -8lb in daylight with a very small surf. All of my big bass have been i the daytime my two biggest were on red hot days with the sea like a mirror on an open beech.
I will admit that you do get alot more fish at night but around here they seem to be smaller, the way I've always looked at it is that the bigger fish are less likely to get attacked by other predators so their not so worried about feeding during the daytime. All of my fishing is done on open beeches these days but i also found the same when i used to fish the Medway estuary.

I really think its more to do with the fisherman's preference then the fishes.

 

[captain birds eye]

Ive just come home from a couple of hours fishing and seen this thread and it made me laugh as I've just had 15 bass the biggest 7 1/2 -8lb in daylight with a very small surf. All of my big bass have been i the daytime my two biggest were on red hot days with the sea like a mirror on an open beech.
I will admit that you do get alot more fish at night but around here they seem to be smaller, the way I've always looked at it is that the bigger fish are less likely to get attacked by other predators so their not so worried about feeding during the daytime. All of my fishing is done on open beeches these days but i also found the same when i used to fish the Medway estuary.

I really think its more to do with the fisherman's preference then the fishes.

Thats interesting, and the predatory thing was what I was thinking about the other day, not really any other fish a big bass would be scared of. Catching fish in eastuarys might be different in the day as the water may be well coloured.

Sounds like you had a good session:victory: 15 bass is good going,how deep are the beaches you fish ? The only venues locally I can think of that produce bass in the daylight are The Admiraly pier in Dover and The Breakwater both deep water marks.
Well done on the bass:showoff:

 

[bassmad]

I was out last week and got chating to a couple of guys as they finished their spinning session. They were about 30 yds away and had several bass and had asked if i had had any. I started catching just as it got dark. We were speculating that the bass were chasing fish probably sandeel in the light and only swap to other baits when the light fades and they can no longer see to hunt. The guy i was talking to also pointed out that you can catch well on bait at night untill the moon comes out at which point the bass usually stop. Could they switch back to actively predating small fish in the light? Just some thoughts on the subject, Discuss. Ps that evening the guys spinning had 2 bass and i had 4 later, all between 1 and 2 1/2lb.

 

[gingernut]

Have only been fishing for Bass for the past few years so have limited experience. I only caught 3 last year, biggest being around 3lb. All my fish have been taken in daylight (overcast sky.) I have access to a few good spots but feel they may be a bit dangerous alone. Fished for the first time in pitch dark at Logan SW Scotland on Friday, no luck. Saturday daytime (split sky clear against dark rain clouds) produced this cracker a personal best for me, scales said 2.4k:clap2: Caught in MOG area. Still high as a kite. Tight lines Gingernut.
Server busy tonight! Photo already in Scotland section under post about Kilintringan Beach.

 

[Little-Red]

Thats interesting, and the predatory thing was what I was thinking about the other day, not really any other fish a big bass would be scared of. Catching fish in eastuarys might be different in the day as the water may be well coloured.:

I think it is a predatory thing in my area at certain times of the year - I think by day most of the bass are chasing bait fish hence why lure fishing works.

I recal many years ago fishing biteless under the seven sisters by day, looking out to sea watching the birds plouging into shoals of bait fish just off shore. When I got a boat I found out it wasn't mackeral shoals driving the baitfish up to the surface it was shoals of bass.

Unfortunately due to fishing pressures over the years these specticles have become a lot less frequent.

 

[Nick1962]

Hi all, just wondered what peoples opinions are on daylight bassing.

I've always favoured night time, pitch black preferably with a strong onshore wind and lots of surf rolling, I'd feel quite confident fishing daylight again if there was a really strong wind coloured water and big surf. i've taken bass in these conditions quite a few times.

Why is it that daylight bassing isn't generally so productive ?? I don't feel confident at all chucking out the same baits at the same venues in daylight

BUT The lads using lures and plugs are very successful fishing in clear water, usually over low tide in very shallow water depth in daytime.

So it's not a case of the bass arn't there to catch, is it a case of the bass are less mobile in daylight? are they more likely to be hiding and waiting?. is it that less people target them in daylight ( I know I don't really bother )

How can I be more successful catctching the better stamp of fish in daylight.

So are static baits crab, whole squid, mackeral fillet ill effective in daytime.

I know schoolies will take baits in daylight and deep water venues can be productive but what about the better 5lb + fish, off shallower marks.

Any info appreciated cheers!!!

A mate and I went on a trip to Sark for just over three weeks and did some spinning for Bass. Fantastic, as you say the best days were with a strong breeze but the water was gin clear to thirty feet or so.

Tonight I went for a quick session down just off Westgate on Sea at about half seven. Had been down earlier at low tide and saw some nice sized tail swipes on the surfacce just thirty or so yds of low water - in and about the weeds. Saw a few glints of light as the bars of silver were bust chasing down some food. Only had one take in the hour and half that I stayed. I am a newbie and really just went down to try a new spinning rod - but nice to know they are there, despite a gill net being only fifty yards off low water mark.

 

[fishyrob]

Live prawns, live mackerel/horse mackerel, live pouting will all see you with good daylight bassing if you manage the other essential criteria, location of the fishes. You cant catch what isnt in front of you. Coloured water see's dead baits work in daylight, but not often in clear water. The major exception to the rule is when there is a lot of a dead food source in the water. Mackerel head and guts for example, will work in clear water in daylight if lots of mackerel are being caught, cleaned for the table, and the heads and guts are being thrown from the fishing spot. But even in this situation, the onset of darkness will see more confident feeding....:fishing1:

 

[bn79]

locating the bass is the answer , they are out of range around are way in daylight in shallow water and move in under the cover of night , the sally rocks was the only place i have caught good bass 5+ in daylight and look how far out to sea and deep that is, alot of the people who are succesful at spinning drive a good way from where we fish m8 even the pipe dont do aswell.thats y with the onshore wind and surf you will catch becouse the fish are more confident in murky water to come in close and feed

 

[JamesHunt]

I fished for 3hours today in a local river thats heaving with bass,.......found a little lagoon plopped a ragwork out on a size one hook,.......had 13 up to a pound.

Then had a little spin and got a couple more,..biggest was 2lb.

I think persoanlly venues vary,...not the day / night thing.
Each venue fishes different to the other,....some fish better up, others down, some with strong onshore winds, others with a flat calm sea.

Same with night and day in my eyes:victory:

 

[bn79]

I fished for 3hours today in a local river thats heaving with bass,.......found a little lagoon plopped a ragwork out on a size one hook,.......had 13 up to a pound.

Then had a little spin and got a couple more,..biggest was 2lb.

I think persoanlly venues vary,...not the day / night thing.
Each venue fishes different to the other,....some fish better up, others down, some with strong onshore winds, others with a flat calm sea.

Same with night and day in my eyes:victory:

i had the best year bass fishing i have ever had this year , near on 40 sizable and more under size like your 1lb fish, All of the sizable fish have been at night??