Preference for surf before midnight or after?

[RIJIMMY]

Here is one I have been wanting to get some feedback on for awhile.
I target my surf trips by maximizing my time in darkness, then look at tide, wind and location. For some unproven reason, I have a bias for fishing from 1am until sunrise, vs. fishing sunset into the night. Any thoughts from your experience? I had one of my best nights in the surf from 8pm to 10pm a few years ago, however, I usually plan my trips from midnight to dawn. I think I may be missing out on good opportunities if conditions look good in the evening.
Any insight into one being better than the other? The same?

[RIROCKHOUND]

Be flexible; I try to fish when is the most convienent to work, family etc.. then I look at time of tide, wind etc.. and figure out where to go. By staying flexible and living 2min from about 5 spots in gansett I can fish 5 nights a week without screwing up work or the cookie jar at home TOO much...
if I'd have to pick I'd say 10p to 2am but my Best nights as far as number of fish is generally either side of dusk/dawn....
less people out from 12a-5a than 8p-12a as well

[Dr. Lickman]

go sunset to sunrise-eliminate the guesswork

[Diggin Jiggin]

For most of the places I fish it makes no difference as long as its dark.

But there are a few places that fish much better in the morning but that also has a lot to do with the tide.

If you are fishing a place where the fish come in on the rise and you are fishing them on the drop on their way out, those mornings where the drop starts a few hours before dawn can be really good. But I think its really having the incoming start early in the evening in the dark that allows em to really get in there to set up that nice morning drop.

[Saltheart]

I think there is better fishing from midnight to dawn. However....as i get older , its easier to stay up late than get up early. Soooo , I fish more from dusk to midnight now. used to be the opposite.

I still say the best fishing time is hook them in the dark , land them in the light. That last 15 minutes of very dark just before dawn twilite (not sunrise) is an awfully productive time slot.

[Nebe]

for me, tides are more important than moon rise...

id rather fish 3 or 4 nights a week and bump around the state fishing the right tides, in spots i know produce in those tides, than waiting for the moon to go down or rushing to fish before the moon comes up.

moving/white water is what i am after...

if its bright i change plug colors to match the moon... ahh the joys of being a plug builder

by the way, hows that needle holding up ???

[basswipe]

The places I usually fish,sundown into the night has been more productive.

But now that I'm mobile again come Monday I'll be fishing A LOT more places!!!

[Slingah]

Originally Posted by Saltheart

That last 15 minutes of very dark just before dawn twilite (not sunrise) is an awfully productive time slot.

my favorite......crunch time

[TheRattBoy]

sunset to sunrise....any time yer away from the water yer missing out on something.

[Brother Brian]

The best time to fish is when you can.

[RIJIMMY]

Originally Posted by Nebe

by the way, hows that needle holding up ???

Havent used it yet, saving it for a special moment!

[Plug]

As a rule a.m. hours. Especially in places with boat traffic like inlets. Also in the summer the predawn hours bring the coolest H2O temps so the fish are more likely to be active.

Saltheart had it right, hook 'em in the dark, land 'em in the light.