2024-9-21 66th Fishing Trip: 123 Small Crucian Carp in Liaozhong

Oh man, let me tell you about my 66th fishing trip of the year—this one was wild! My buddy Chen wanted some crucian carp for his fish tofu soup, so we rounded up Zhou, Chen’s apprentice, and hit the road to Liaozhong. Four of us, ready to catch some small crucian carp… and man, did we get more than we bargained for!

The Journey & Weather Chaos

First off, the drive was long. We left at 5:30 AM, thinking we’d beat the crowds. But the weather app? Total liar! It said 2 mph wind when we left, but by the time we got to the spot? 4 mph gusts. No joke—we didn’t even get to set up our rods for crucian carp first; we were straight-up battling the wind. My line was like a kite string, and I swear, when I hooked a fish, it felt like I was flying a kite! Wind + big rod bends = chaos, but fun chaos?

Setting Up the Gear (For Small Crucian Carp… Or So We Thought)

We came here for small crucian carp, so our gear was tuned for that. Let me list it out—nothing fancy, but it worked (until the big guys showed up):

• Rod: 4.5m soft-tip rod (perfect for feeling small bites)
• Floater: Big Beauty No. 2, 2.8g weight
• Main line: 0.6mm
• Leader: 0.4mm
• Hook: No. 3 sleeve hook
• Adjustment: Level water, fish at 2 eyes (you know, the float’s markers)

We mixed up the bait, skipped the floating stuff (morning minnows were annoying), and went straight for bottom fishing. And then? The bites started. Oh my gosh—they were insane!

Small Crucian Carp Explosion (Until the Big Guys Arrived)

First 8 bites? Boom, boom, boom—small crucian carp every time. Then… nothing. Dead stop. Then, out of nowhere, the float twitched twice, then sank a little. I lifted the rod—snap. Line cut. Carp! Are you kidding me? Last time we were here, carp wouldn’t bite, and crucian carp went crazy. Now? Carp are crashing our crucian party!

We waited a bit, reset the spot, and crucian carp came back—still going crazy. Then, another black float (full sink)! I thought, “Here we go again…” Lifted the rod, and it rocketed into the water. Second line cut. Ugh. Then a third time? We saw it— a mirror carp, maybe 2 lbs. I was so excited! Zhou even grabbed the net… but it darted under a tree and got tangled. Gone. Oh well—3 line cuts? Pfft, I brought 200 leaders. Bring it on, big guys!

Zhou’s Lucky Switch (5.4m Rod = Bigger Bites)

Zhou was on my left, using a 4.5m rod and not catching much. So he switched to a 5.4m rod—instantly started catching bigger crucian carp. Dude, he was hauling them in faster than me! Chen and his apprentice were on my right at first; Chen later let his apprentice take the spot and moved to the woods with a 3.6m rod—caught 10+ small ones too. Then Chen got tired, put up a 6.3m rod with corn, and started chatting with Zhou. Classic Chen—chill mode activated.

The Carp’s Final Surprise (4th Line Cut!)

We were all chatting, drinking tea, I lit a cigarette… and then—where’s my float? It was gone! I lifted the rod—boom, hooked. This one was different—stuck. Like, no movement at all. A total “iron hide” carp. Then it did a fancy turn… and bye-bye. Fourth line cut. Perfect, right? Clean cut, no line left. I guess that’s what happens when wind and big fish mix—today’s plan was too small!

Wrap-Up: 123 Small Crucian Carp (Finally!)

We packed up at 2:30 PM. The catch? 122 small crucian carp. Wait—need a 123rd for a perfect number! So I cast one more time… and boom! 123. Perfect, like a straight flush. Chen’s making fried small crucian carp and fish tofu soup tonight—definitely gonna drink some beer with that. Zhou probably caught more than me, and bigger ones too. Last year we hit 100 crucian carp—this year we crushed it with 123. The river shrimp were big too, so that’s why the bites were good.

Quick Notes for Next Time

Chen’s only fished with us 3 times this year, so it’s always fun when he’s around. The small crucian carp are biting like crazy, but they’re tiny. Next time—wait for cooler temps, maybe around October 1st. The minnows will calm down, and we can catch bigger crucian carp. Fingers crossed for perfect weather, water, pressure, wind, humidity—everything to be great!

Oh, and one thing: don’t ask for the spot. Me and my friends need a quiet place to fish. If you really have to know… text me at [redacted] (but no, actually, keep it to yourself). Fishing friends, we’ll meet again!