Hey, Keith here.

This past Sunday, we set the clocks back an hour, and down here in southeast Louisiana, the sun will set around 5:15.

That sounds like bad news for after-work fishing, but last fall it handed me some of the best 45-minute trips I've ever had.

The catch is that the window doesn't last.

Once temperatures drop into the 40s, that evening bite goes cold right along with the water, and the fish start eating at lunch instead.

Today, I'm sharing how I worked that short evening window, why the bite moves to midday as it gets colder, and how to plan your trips around both.

Last fall, I found myself making a string of perfectly timed trips after work.

For me, the best time to fish is right as the sun is going down, and once the clocks fall back here in Louisiana, the sun sets at the perfect time.

All summer long, a 4:30 p.m. stop would have been way too hot to bother with—not to mention three hours before sunset.

But after November 1, pulling up to the bank at 4:30 lined me up with about 45 minutes of incredible fishing right before dark.

The spot was a pond in Lacombe, Louisiana, just off a service road along Interstate 12.

It's nothing fancy, but it's perfectly set up for a quick walk around, which is exactly what you need when the clock is ticking.

Almost every day after work, I stopped by and fished my way around the bank as the light faded.

I did most of my damage with a Shimano Zumverno jerkbait and a wacky-rigged 7-inch Berkley PowerBait Power Worm.

One covers water fast and the other falls slow and quiet, and between the two of them, I had both moods of a fall bass covered.

I took advantage of that bite until the temperatures dropped into the 40s, when the evening bite grew too cold.

The biggest change I make this time of year is to stop fishing whenever I can and start fishing when the weather tells me to.

In late fall, even one afternoon with air temperatures in the low 60s can turn the fish on, and the best days often fall right between stretches where the highs only reach the low- to mid-40s.

That's the pattern for most of the country.

Down here in Louisiana, the numbers run warmer, but the idea is the same.

After a cold front knocks our highs into the 60s, the first sunny afternoon that climbs back into the 70s is the one I circle on the calendar.

That means it pays to check the 10-day forecast—the same way you'd check it before a hunt.

Look for the warm day sitting between cold ones and pay special attention to the second or third day of a warming trend, since the water needs a little time to catch up to the air.

A bright, calm afternoon will warm the shallows a lot faster than a gray, windy one. If you have any flexibility in your week, that's the day to take a long lunch.

While the last 45 minutes of light can be exciting, it can be easy to waste those valuable minutes when you get to the bank. I've found that a little planning the night before makes the difference between a fun, quick trip and a frustrating one.