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Bull.

Let's take a moment to dissect this age-old saying. From the time I was a little whipper snapper, I always got up early. We didn't have cows that needed to be milked or anything, but living on Hilton Head Island, my siblings and I would have to hop out of bed around 5 a.m. and commute to school in Savannah every day. We often didn't get home until 5 in the afternoon, when it was time for homework and then off to bed.

So as you can see, I pretty much have been a poster boy for that famous saying. Except I never got a nickel for all my efforts, and my spine is like a big old "S" -- so that debunks the healthy part. And wise? You all know the answer to that one.

If I had my way I would re-write the saying to something like: "Late to bed, early to rise, sleep the rest of the day and that is wise!"

Yep, when it gets to this part of the summer, with the heat index up in the low 100s by 11 a.m., what fish in its right mind would be hungry during these brutally hot periods of the day? Like me, they hunker down in the coolest place they can find, take a siesta (what a great concept) and venture out only in the first and last hours of light to feed.

Fresh or salt water, fish are the same. Probably 90 percent of all anglers started out fishing in fresh water and as you may or may not remember, your dad would shake you awake when it was still dark outside with a hearty "Get up, the early bird catches the worm, so let's go!"

Is it coming back to you? That was lesson No. 1 in your fishing education, and over the years a lot of us simply forgot. So we sit out there all day long like a rotisserie chicken. Even with 70 SPF sunscreen, you get still get cooked. And nine out of 10 times, when did the bite happen? That's right, early in the morning and late in the day. Yet you still spend all day flailing the water. Why?

I have changed my fishing tune accordingly. I pick my battles based on the tides -- only at first and last light -- and for the rest of the day, it's me and the air conditioning. And you know what? It works great. I have a real hard time justifying fishing in the middle of the day, especially on those days when there is nary a breath of wind nor a cloud in sight.

It used to not bother me much to fish, fish, fish all day, every day, but as I get older, it has transformed into fish, sleep, fish and to be honest, I like that way a whole lot better. Not only do I like it better, my family doctor likes it better because he was getting tired of saying "what's that dark spot on your arm? I better slice that baby off." I was beginning to get whittled down pretty good, almost like when a carver starts with a large block of wood and ends up with a 3-inch elephant.

My new way of fishing the summer months applies to every type of fishing. Fresh, near shore, even offshore, I pick my days. I used to not bat an eye at the thought of running through sloppy seas to go offshore, but now I wait for a window of opportunity. Over the years I have had the snot kicked out me by rough seas hundreds of times and now it all has caught up with me. Between monster waves and copious amounts of sun, I'm starting to take on the appearance of the Hunchback of Notre Dame that has been dumped in a deep fat fryer. And believe me when I say it isn't a pretty sight.

Besides being more comfortable, I guarantee that the early morning and late afternoon bites are the most productive times to fish during these hot months. I like to get up around 5 a.m., go get my bait and be on my spot when big red starts coming up over the horizon. I don't care what type of fishing you are doing, those first two hours of daylight are the magic hours.

Even as far out as the Gulf Stream, where the tides aren't as critical, the hours between sunrise and around 9:30 a.m. will usually produce more fish than the rest of the day. Inshore, if you pick days when the tides correspond with a rise and setting of the sun, you will catch more fish almost each and every time. I see so many boats heading in around 4 or 5 p.m., when that is when they should be heading out.

So there you have it, the straight dish from "Siesta Boy." Ask any of my friends who make the mistake of stopping by my house between 2 and 4 p.m. It might appear that I'm snoring, drooling and talking in tongues, but really I'm getting ready to go fishing come late afternoon. All I can say is try it and you, too, may find that early and late are great.