I don't know about the fish, but I LOVE getting out there at dawn.

Yes; see sonar charts for best dates and times in front part of NAFC magazine you get from the club.

Weather will always trump everything else. You can go out at the ideal time on a preferred day by the charts and if a cold front just passed through, good luck!

Oh so true! A cold front kicked me in the teeth this morning.    

Not so true regarding saltwater fishing...the weekend guys usually fish at dawn, but the guys with a little more knowledge fish the tides...

As a general rule, dawn and dusk fishing is better than other times of the day to shorebound anglers like me, but there are exceptions. If there's a current (a river, stream or creek) or if the lake or pond is as murky as a divorce lawyer's heart, then the advantages of dawn and dusk fishing are minimal. But in still water, and in clear to stained stuff, I've gotta say "Yep"... dawn and dusk are the best times to get a line wet. Cooler in the dog days, too.

I would say it all depends. Some fish are nocturnal feeders . another factor that would effect this would be seasonal as it may take time for water to warm up in spring wear fish are more active, another may be conditional there is a lot less recreational use at these times of days.