Dawn and dusk are often prime fishing times for bass and other species as the low light makes them less wary. (St. Croix Rod)

By Frank Sargeant
Frankmako1@gmail.com

The best day of the week to go fishing is obviously, for most of us, any day you don’t have to work. 

But is there a day when fishing is actually better than the other days?

It’s easy to see the worst days are going to be Saturday and Sunday when everybody is on the water, followed closely by Friday, because some anglers get an early start, and three-day tournaments are almost always Friday-Sunday.

Researchers studying radio-tagged bass found that it took two days for fish to settle down after heavy fishing pressure, so that makes Tuesday likely.

It you want three good days, Tuesday Wednesday and Thursday are best bets.

But a lot of other factors are part of the equation.

Coastal fish like reds and trout also often bite well at sunrise and sunset, though tidal influences are more important in saltwater. (Z-Man Lures)

Drizzly days are often good because there are a whole lot of “fair weather fishermen” who wait for that perfect day to enjoy the water. And lower light often results in a better bite, too.

There are countless internet guru’s who will sell you a guide to the sun/moon/stars that promises big catches, and some of these are occasionally right, but a lot of fishing guides and others who are on the water every day don’t report much connection, except for muskie fishermen, who are a little, you know, strange . . . . 

There is, however, a definite correlation between tide flow and the activity of many coastal fish like tarpon, redfish and snook—big tides around the new and full moons bring good fishing, and minor tides on the lesser periods bring less action.

Many anglers also note that warm water species like largemouths and the sunfishes seem to spawn most actively around the spring and early summer new and full moons, and this makes them easier to find, so those periods are usually good times to go if you can.

Of course, if you can get at places others can’t fish—private ponds and rivers that flow through private lands—you can fish any day you like and are likely to have much better success than you would on public water. 

Fish that don’t often see lures are usually easy to catch. I once fished on one of Central Florida’s legendary phosphate pits that had not been fished in three years, and two buddies and I caught and released 136 bass in under three hours throwing crankbaits. I don’t know what the moon phase was or what day of the week it was but I’d guess it did not matter.

Walleye are known to be more active on cloudy days and at night, as are striped bass, snook and tarpon in saltwater. (Northland)

While most of us can’t get on private water very often, if you can find a spot other anglers are not visiting for some reason, it can be good. On some lakes, very low bridges or shallow marshes keep conventional boats out of some areas—get into those spots via kayak or wading and you’re highly likely to score big, no matter what day it is. A study of Google Earth can help you pick out some of these locations, even on heavily fished waters.

Some waters turn off and on depending on current flow rather than fishing pressure or day of the week. The TVA lakes in Alabama, Tennessee and Kentucky are notorious for this—they all get hammered all the time by tournament pressure, and fishing can be pretty so-so in some of them on some days. But as soon as the dams open and the water starts to move, anglers who know where the shell bars and rockpiles are can load up on bass. You’re likely to have plenty of company in some spots such as below Wilson Dam at the head of Pickwick, where dozens of boats sometimes swarm, but there are enough fish to go around when the flow is right.

If you go at zero-dark-thirty, you’ll be the first angler of the day to hit a particular spot, and that always boosts your odds. Low light also makes many fish more likely to eat artificial lures, it seems. 

And fishing the last half hour after sunset can be productive, also due to the low light plus the fact that a lot of guys want to have the boat loaded and be on the way home by dark. 

Or, for that matter, fish in black dark. It’s a whole new world out there, and of course some species like walleyes and catfish in fresh water and stripers, tarpon and snook in saltwater prefer to feed after dark. Salt or fresh, you’ll pretty much have the water all to yourself.

Bottom line is that with a few tweaks in timing and conditions, you can improve your odds a lot—but the best time to go fishing is always anytime you can.