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Why first-light fishing doubles your summer bass catch
(the trick I stole from a pro)
Keith Lusher
June 25, 2025
Hey, Keith here.
Summer has arrived! Are you already struggling to catch bass?
During a pre-fishing trip with tournament angler Jason Pittman, I learned a timing strategy that completely transformed my summer pond-fishing success.
Like many anglers, I've always avoided the early morning, but by then the bite has already shut down thanks to the summer heat. The real action happens when you can barely see your lure hitting the water.
That day with Pittman, he complained about tournament blast-off times while explaining why he catches his biggest bass before most people even wake up.
His approach has helped me land more trophy fish during summer's first light than any other time of day.
Today, I'm going to teach you how to maximize that magical first-light show—because beating the sun to your fishing spot is crucial for summer bass success.
BEST LINKS
What I looked at this week
The summertime blues for summer bass (Bayou Life Magazine)
Summer bass habits (Ultimate Bass)
Catch big bass in the dog days of summer (Kayak Angler Magazine)
Bass fishing a neighborhood pond before sunrise (Bluegill and Bass)
DON’T go bass fishing after sunrise! (LakeForkGuy)
Deals of the week
DEEP DIVE
The tournament pro's first-light revelation
Everything changed for me during that pre-fishing session with Jason Pittman. We were smack-dab in the middle of scouting for an upcoming event when he said something that caught my attention.
"I hate how long tournaments make us wait for blast-off," Pittman said as we worked a shallow flat. "They don't call our numbers until daybreak, and I'm telling you, I miss out on probably three fish because of it."
I assumed this was about safety. "I think that's done for safety. They don't want anyone traveling in the dark," I replied.
"I understand that," he responded, "but during the summer, I'm at my first spot before I can see where I'm casting. That first hour of fishing at first light is the best there's going to be all day."
His words stuck with me, and I've been proving him right ever since. My biggest bass and highest numbers consistently come from dawn until about 6:30 in the morning.
Anglers are forced to wait for daybreak at the last tournament Pittman fished.
The science behind summer's early bite
There's solid reasoning behind why first light produces the best summer bass fishing. Bass are cold-blooded creatures that must regulate their body temperature through their environment. During summer, water temperatures rise quickly once the sun hits the surface.
In those precious early morning hours, bass take advantage of comfortable water temperatures to feed aggressively before seeking deeper, cooler water for the rest of the day.
The feeding behavior is predictable. Bass position themselves in areas that will receive full sun exposure because they know baitfish will be active there before the water becomes too warm.
Maximizing your first-light success
Based on my experience following Pittman's advice and extensive research, here are the key tactics for dominating summer's early morning bite:
Target sun-exposure areas first. Focus on shorelines and flats that will get the full force of morning sun. These areas heat up fastest, so bass feed there aggressively before moving to cooler water.
Master topwater presentations. Early morning low-light conditions are perfect for topwater action. Bass come to the surface to feed on panfish that are looking for food. Buzzbaits, walking baits, and poppers excel during this window.
My favorite buzzbait to use when fishing pre-dawn is the BOOYAH Buzz clacker buzzbait.
Don't forget about frogs. Even in low light, bass still love weed cover. Work frog presentations like the SPRO Bronzeye frog along weed edges where bass roam before getting into thick cover. Vary your cadence to find what triggers the most strikes.
Keep a finesse follow-up ready. When fishing topwater, missed strikes are common. Keep a wacky-rigged stick bait ready to throw immediately where the blow-up occurred. The bass will often be looking for what they just missed.
Senko and Yumdinger are two of my favorite stick baits to wacky rig.
Transition to deeper water as the sun rises. Once the sun climbs higher and surface temperatures rise, shift focus to shaded areas and deeper structure where bass retreat to find cooler water.
Sunrise times for today.
BONUS TIP: Come prepared for the conditions. Bring bug spray for early morning insects, a flashlight if starting before sunrise, and plenty of water even though mornings are cooler. A neck gaiter helps with both sun protection and keeping bugs away.
My recommended early morning arsenal
Here are a few lures I recommend for different early morning situations:
For top-water walking action in open water, I like using a Heddon Super Spook.
For early morning fishing in the shallows, I throw a Strike King Buzz King for aggressive topwater strikes.
For working weed edges, I like to throw a Spro Bronzeye Frog and work it back aggressively.
For those bass that I miss, I tie on a Yamamoto Senko as a follow-up lure. This works because the Senko is a completely different presentation from any topwater baits.