I've had the most wide open surface bites on calicos, barracuda, and bonito in the afternoons in La Jolla between 3-6pm in the fall. One afternoon I boated 68 fish in about 4 hours of fishing. Ever cast of a surface iron was hammered multiple times, even when skipping the jig across the surface as fast as I could. Interestingly enough, I had similar surface iron action on various days, all in the afternoon. I've never had a bite go off quite like that in the morning, though I'm not saying it couldn't.

TL,
Adam