[:p]Forget the Farmer’s Almanac. All they can provide is broad generalities. There is no way any of their information is universally applicable to all waters, all species or all areas of the country.
And, your question…about which is better…early or late? There is no standard answer there either, and it is very subjective. Every angler will have their own opinions…and some of them may be close to being right.
I usually prefer to fish early mornings, for several reasons. First, many predators feed at first light, especially during warmer weather when their metabolism is higher. They have digested the food they ate the day before…during the night…and they are hungry. And, since even predatory species usually have other predators to worry about, they like to “hit and run”…feed up and then go deeper or hide in structure.
Plenty of fish also feed in the low light condtions just before nightfall. Same thing. They feel more comfortable feeding when they themselves are less vulnerable to attack from above by fish eating birds or animals. And some have sensitive vision that keeps them deeper and quiet during the day.
**There are a bajillion variables that can affect best fishing times from one day to the next. The timing of fronts moving through, a vaiation in temperature during spring and fall transitional times, wind conditions, etc. **
As a general rule, fish that like warmer temperatures will feed more actively during the late afternoon during the spring, when daytime sunshine warms the water a few degrees. On the flip side, fish that like cooler water will feed at night or in the early morning during the hot summer periods.
One of the reasons I prefer to fish early in the day is because I fish mostly from a float tube. And, on most Utah Lakes, the calmest time of day is early morning. Some lakes have defined patterns. Light breezes from one direction early in the morning, then a calm period and then heavy winds from another direction in the afternoon. If you know the drill, you can ride the calm morning breezes, fishing as you go, and then troll back to your vehicle when the winds turn around and blow harder from the other direction.
Watching the weather is a big part of my fishing strategy. The forecast for winds higher than about 7 MPH early in the morning is usually enough to keep me from making the drive…especially at today’s gas prices. And, depending upon the lake and the part of the lake I plan to fish, wind direction can be important. Even when fishing from the shore, you need to be aware of what the wind is going to be doing.
And, the different species all have different moods and preferences…which change constantly. If I didn’t know better, I would suspect that all fish were female. Oops. Sorry. I forgot your gender for a moment.
**So, keep listening to opinions and doing research. But, whatever you think you learn, put it to the test on the waters. If you haven’t already done so, start a fishing log book. On every trip, keep track of the meteorological conditions, water temperatures and clarity, air temps, water depths that were most productive, fish activity, etc. Over time, you will develop your own opinions, based upon a combination of research and experience. **
