I've been hitting the lake a couple times a week lately so I'm learning a lot about catching them on the lake...after 12pm.
I can find them earlier but can't get them to eat. I'm a strict lure man on the lake and bays so I have not tried any type of natural bait.
If I come back after 12pm I can get them to hit lures for a short period of time, then have to leave them for a while.
The later in the day the bigger they get...picked up a 24 and 25 inches just before we called it a day at 4pm. I've also notice the hat around 5pm they start rising up and once they do that I can't get them to eat. We ended the day with 8 Hybrids over 19".
Is it normal for them to not feed until after mid day?
Lol...I'm just wondering if it's normal for them to not feed late morning. The best bite seems to be hottest at 2pm. I'm really new at fresh water so I'm learning as I go. It just seems odd that they would have this predictable of a feeding pattern.
Here is the SIL with his 25" Hybrid...accompanied by my daughter and grandson.
Most of my best trips have been in the mornings. BUT, I have had amazing trips during the day or evening too so I think they are feeding machines IF you find them.
I dont know about lures....I was sitting on a big school of hybrids a few days ago and catching them only on live shad. They totally ignored lures except maybe one or two times, they even ignored half dead non lively shad. I love keep lures close by but this summer they have been finicky at my lake IMO.
Thanks for the info. I've only been fishing fresh water for the last 11 months. That is after having fished the gulf and bays for the last 40+ years.
The weekends I stay at the lake, my wife is with me and she doesn't like getting early on her days off. We normally get up at 4:30am during the week...so it's her only chance to sleep in. If I go for a day trip, the sun is up by the time I get there if I leave the house at 4:30am.
So far I've found the Hybrids get lure shy pretty quick, so I leave them alone for 30 minutes and come back, we will usually hook up instantly.
Also...do big Hybrids normally run with White Bass?
I would imagine what you are currently experiencing is their current feeding pattern. Tomorrow or next week it could be totally different. The one thing about hybrids is they don't mind the summer heat unlike stripers where they are for the most part are on a morning feed.
Thanks guys...looks like my lack of experience is showing.
I guess I'm lucky to have the skills to find fish. It's really not that different than finding Snapper, Amberjack or even Tuna. Get on the structure they like, they will be there. I like to know more about the pieces of the puzzle. Because it has happened on nearly every trip in the last 11 months....I find the fish easy but they won't bite until mid day. Just seems odd...
Reef fish don't feed very aggressively until mid day on a full moon. So when I was running charters offshore I'd chase other surface fish early then move to the Snapper later in the day. Tuna and Mackerel would feed early regardless of the moon phase...ok...ok...rambling now...
Hybrids are kinda weird sometimes. In my experience, they take more of a Sandbass style pattern. Shallower than Stripers and are more active in hot water, than Stripers. But, sometimes they just won't eat. Idk why. I've had days this year where I'd set up on a school and catch 60 in an hour, next day same school- 20, the next weekend catch 10. That's with LB. I've out fished live shad with cut shad on occasion. Sometimes, they wouldn't touch it. I feel like 90% of the time if you put food in front of a hungry fish they'll eat it (generalization) but there is certainly a random factor to Hybrids, in my opinion. Or maybe it is actually a pattern that I still don't know. I feel some lakes they behave better than others, also. I'll catch them over any other freshwater fish though. I do know that.
Most of my best trips have been in the mornings. BUT, I have had amazing trips during the day or evening too so I think they are feeding machines IF you find them.
I dont know about lures....I was sitting on a big school of hybrids a few days ago and catching them only on live shad. They totally ignored lures except maybe one or two times, they even ignored half dead non lively shad. I love keep lures close by but this summer they have been finicky at my lake IMO.
Clay in your pics they are tight to the bottom. What do you look for to distinguish fish from humps on the bottom?