Fish and Sunlight
Bass fishermen know to cast to shady areas to catch fish. Fishermen like to sit in the shade to fish, just like fish like to hold in the shade to ambush food. Sunlight affects fish and fishermen in many ways, and understanding how fish react to sunlight can help you catch them.
Today just after noon I was at my pond and threw out about a pound of floating catfish food. Some bream started feeding on it but they were not real active.
The sun was shining bright. As I walked around to the other side of the pond, suddenly I heard the bream start feeding like a school of pirranah. A cloud had coverd the sun and the bream immediately started feeding heavily.
I think the bream had been holding deeper, avoiding the bright light, and came up to feed as soon as the cloud caused the light level to get lower. As soon as the cloud passed the bream slowed down their feeding again.
So bream and bass both like to feed better in lower light levels, which makes sense since they are related. When fishing for them try to fish shady areas - around weeds that create shade, in shadows that are cast onto the water by shoreline trees and under docks. All offer shade for bass and bream to hold in and feed.
Does the line you use matter based on light levels? Years ago Linda and I were fishing a cove in the spring and big clouds were drifting across the sky. I had two rods rigged, one baitcasting with blue Stren 17 pound test and a spinning rod with 8 pound clear line.
Linda had two spinning rods - one with 8 pound clear line and another with 14 pound blue Stren.
We stayed in that cove all afternoon and caught about 25 bass. We were casting Texas rigged worms to shallow bushes. We noticed that we got more bites when the sun was behind a cloud so I picked up my light outfit the next time the sun was out, and sure enough I kept catching bass. Linda followed my lead and it worked for her.
As long as the light was bright we used light line, even in the thick cover, and got bites. We were able to go back to heavier line when the clouds provided shade. Keep that in mind, try lighter line when the light is bright.
Smaller lures and baits might also be better when the light is bright. Drop down in size and use less flashy baits in high light levels, and use bigger and flashier baits in low light levels.
Think about the sun when you fish. Use the shade and adjust your line and bait to fit the light level. It might help you catch more fish.
Today just after noon I was at my pond and threw out about a pound of floating catfish food. Some bream started feeding on it but they were not real active.
The sun was shining bright. As I walked around to the other side of the pond, suddenly I heard the bream start feeding like a school of pirranah. A cloud had coverd the sun and the bream immediately started feeding heavily.
I think the bream had been holding deeper, avoiding the bright light, and came up to feed as soon as the cloud caused the light level to get lower. As soon as the cloud passed the bream slowed down their feeding again.
So bream and bass both like to feed better in lower light levels, which makes sense since they are related. When fishing for them try to fish shady areas - around weeds that create shade, in shadows that are cast onto the water by shoreline trees and under docks. All offer shade for bass and bream to hold in and feed.
Does the line you use matter based on light levels? Years ago Linda and I were fishing a cove in the spring and big clouds were drifting across the sky. I had two rods rigged, one baitcasting with blue Stren 17 pound test and a spinning rod with 8 pound clear line.
Linda had two spinning rods - one with 8 pound clear line and another with 14 pound blue Stren.
We stayed in that cove all afternoon and caught about 25 bass. We were casting Texas rigged worms to shallow bushes. We noticed that we got more bites when the sun was behind a cloud so I picked up my light outfit the next time the sun was out, and sure enough I kept catching bass. Linda followed my lead and it worked for her.
As long as the light was bright we used light line, even in the thick cover, and got bites. We were able to go back to heavier line when the clouds provided shade. Keep that in mind, try lighter line when the light is bright.
Smaller lures and baits might also be better when the light is bright. Drop down in size and use less flashy baits in high light levels, and use bigger and flashier baits in low light levels.
Think about the sun when you fish. Use the shade and adjust your line and bait to fit the light level. It might help you catch more fish.