2024-3-10 Fishing Trip to Liaoyang Wangjia: 45 Catches of Willow Root Fish

Okay, let’s kick this off-this wasn’t supposed to be a fishing trip. I was just tagging along with my buddy, Zhou, for some random errand in Liaoyang. But hey, when life throws you a detour to a black pit (that’s what we call a local fishing spot here, don’t judge the name), you roll with it. Spoiler: it turned into a way better day than any boring errand could’ve been. Let’s spill the tea.

The “Boring Errands” Turned Fishing Detour

So Zhou’s got this thing-he’s always “needing to handle stuff” in nearby cities, and half the time it’s just an excuse to sneak in a cast. Today was no different. We drove around Liaoyang, did the whole “wait in the car while he runs inside a random building” thing, and then he’s like, “Hey, wanna check out this black pit I heard about? Wangjia area, supposed to have fat willow root fish.” I was like, “Sure, why not? Errands were already killing my vibe.”

We pulled up to this little spot-nothing fancy, just a small pond with a couple of wooden benches and a lady yelling from the porch (that was the owner, later we found out). Zhou talked to her, and next thing I know, we’re paying 50 beans (that’s RMB, for you non-locals) for TWO HOURS? Wait, no-wait, she said 30 beans for 6 hours per person, but we were like, “We’re only gonna stay an hour, tops.” She laughed and said, “50 for two, hour and a half, go nuts.” Deal. We grabbed our gear and booked it to the water.

First Cast = Chaos (The Good Kind)

Okay, let’s set the scene: I’m using my 4.5-meter Daiwa Zhao rod-37 action, which is perfect for these little guys (not too stiff, not too whippy). Line setup: 0.6 main, 0.4 leader, 3# competition hook. Bait? Single shrimp paste-no fancy mixes, just pure shrimp goop. Zhou was using some weird homemade stuff, but whatever, his problem.

I cast out, let it sink a little, and BOOM-first bite within 10 seconds. I set the hook, and this thing fought harder than I expected! Willow root fish are usually small, but this one was GIGANTIC. Like, bigger than my palm. I reeled it in, and Zhou’s eyes popped. “Dude, that’s a monster!” he yelled. I dropped it in the bucket, and next cast? Another one. Then another. Within 30 minutes, I had 20 in the bucket. 20! The bucket was almost full-had to grab a net (even though it was too big, but hey, better than nothing) to keep ’em alive. No way I was letting these fat boys die on me.

Check out that first one-look at the size! I couldn’t believe it. Zhou was over there muttering, “Why am I using this stupid bait?” while I was just hauling ’em in. It was like the fish had a death wish for my shrimp paste. Every cast, every bite. No waiting, no nothing. Just pure, unadulterated chaos (the fun kind).

Zhou’s “Struggle” vs. My “Win Streak”

Let’s be real-Zhou’s having a rough day. He’s using some weird “secret” bait he mixed up at home, and the fish are just… ignoring him. I’m over here, 2, 23, 24 catches, and he’s got 2 small crucian carp. 2! And they were tiny. Like, thumb-sized. He kept retying his line, changing his hook, even switching to my shrimp paste, but nothing. The fish were just not feeling his vibe.

At one point, he threw his rod down and said, “This is ridiculous! Why are they only biting your stuff?” I just laughed and said, “Maybe because I didn’t overcomplicate it? Shrimp paste is basic, but it works.” He grumbled, but then he went back to casting. Still nothing. Poor guy.

My “Right-Hand Man” (Spoiler: It’s a Dog)

Okay, let’s talk about the real MVP of the day-this random black dog that showed up. I named him “Noob Black” (original, I know). He just plopped down next to my feet and stayed there. No barking, no stealing bait, no nothing. Just… watching. Every time I pulled a fish out, I’d toss it to him, and he’d gobble it up. If I didn’t toss one, he just sat there, tail wagging slow. Total sweetheart. Didn’t even beg. Just a chill pup.

Look at him-all focused on the water, like he’s my fishing coach. “Good job, human. Another one? Nice.” I swear, he was more into the fishing than Zhou was at that point. Zhou was over there pouting, Noob Black was over here being my hype man. 10/10 dog, would bring treats next time.

The Fish Count: 45, Baby!

So, after an hour and a half (we stayed a little longer than planned because the fish were still biting), I counted up my catches. Let’s see: bucket had 32, net had 13, and the ones I gave to Noob Black were… let’s say 10? Wait, no, let’s do it properly. Let’s add: first 30 mins = 20, next 45 mins = 25. Total 45. Yeah, that’s right. 45 willow root fish. All fat, all healthy. Zhou had 5 small crucian carp. I teased him nonstop about it. He said, “Wait till next time, I’ll bring better bait.” Sure, buddy. Sure.

Here’s the final haul-look at that bucket! The owner lady came over and was like, “You two are crazy fast! An hour and a half, and you’re leaving? Stay longer!” But we had to go-Zhou still had that “errand” he forgot about (or maybe he just didn’t want to get embarrassed more). She laughed and said, “Next time, come back-fish are biting every day!” We promised we would.

The “Bait Mixing” Disaster (Or Win?)

Okay, quick side note: I forgot my bait bowl. Oops. So what did I use? Noob Black’s food bowl. Yeah, that’s right. A dog bowl. I mixed the shrimp paste in it, and Zhou was like, “Dude, that’s gross!” But hey, it worked. The fish didn’t care. I even thanked Noob Black for letting me borrow his bowl. He just wagged his tail. Total legend.

Final Thoughts (And a Promise)

So, what started as a boring errand turned into one of my best fishing days ever. 45 willow root fish, a chill dog sidekick, and a buddy who’s still salty about his small catches. Who could ask for more? The spot was cheap (50 beans for two hours), the fish were fat, and the owner was super nice. I even got a new fishing buddy (Noob Black, obvi).

Next time, I’m bringing my own bait bowl (duh) and maybe some treats for Noob Black. Zhou says he’s gonna bring “the ultimate crucian carp bait” but I’m not holding my breath. Either way, I’m definitely coming back to Liaoyang Wangjia. That black pit is a hidden gem. If you’re in the area, check it out-just don’t forget your bait bowl… or steal a dog’s.