03-13-2021, 04:25 PM
Depends on species. Crappie and walleye turn on late evening and bite continues until well after dark. When I lived in the midwest we'd fish pike and bass during the day and then switch gear to target walleyes as sun set. Studies have shown it takes about 30 minutes for fish to adjust their eyesight and that predators adjust quicker than bait fish. Evolution at play. Other factors such as cloud cover and waves can also effect fishing conditions. You can catch walleyes at midday with a good cloud cover and the infamous walleye chop. Also a lot of truth to full theory. For example big pike and muskies usually feed for about an hour and then don't need to eat for a few days. Hence the 10,000 casts. However a lot of big fish have been caught with full stomachs. As a kid my grandfather caught a nice musky and it had two walleyes over 20 inches in its stomach. It still comes down to location, depth and lure selection to catch fish all day. But prime hours continue to be early and late in the day.