New Fishing Spot with Dense Weeds: Caught a Big Turtle – So Unbelievable!!

Okay, let’s cut to the chase: I found a new fishing spot last month, and man, it’s wild. Dense weeds, lily pads, you name it – the kind of place where fish *should* hide. But guess what? I didn’t catch a single fish. Nope. Just a big turtle. Talk about a plot twist! Let me walk you through the whole chaotic, hilarious, and slightly frustrating day.

When & Where It All Went Down

First, the deets: it was Tuesday, October 18, 2024. Location? Zheng Lu (don’t worry, I’ll explain the vibe later). Weather? North wind 3, clear skies – perfect for fishing, right? Wrong. Wait, no, the weather was great… the fishing? Not so much.

My Setup (Because Details Matter, Even When They Fail)

I went old-school traditional fishing, just me, myself, and my rod. Here’s what I packed:

• Rod length: 6.3 meters (yes, I needed that for the thick weeds)
• Line: 1.0 main line, 2.3 meters long, single hook through line, size 4 sleeve hook (basic but reliable)
• Bait: My secret weapon – homemade wine rice (for chumming) and live earthworms (classic, can’t go wrong… or so I thought)
• Environment: Water depth 1.5 meters, full of water weeds, reeds, and lily pads – basically a fish’s dream hideout

The Spot That Looked Like a Fish Paradise (But Wasn’t)

Last winter, this same pond gave me *over 100 pounds of native crucian carp*. No joke. So I thought, “Hey, maybe the fish are opening their mouths early this year!” Because normally, they only bite in spring or super cold winter. So I decided to “test the waters” (pun totally intended).

The place was *so* wild. No one else was there – total secret spot. But here’s the problem: there was barely any open water. Just thick weeds everywhere. I mean, how do you even cast a line in that? So I did what any desperate angler would do: I took off the rod tip, used the thin second section, and *carefully* cleared small grass holes (about the size of a plate). Why small? Because big holes let too much light in, and fish get skittish. Smart, right? Well, we’ll see.

Pro Tip (That Actually Worked… For a Minute)

I didn’t cast far – only 3 meters from the shore. Why? Because in the morning, shallow water warms up faster than deep water. Fish love warm spots, so I kept it close. Basic angling 101, but sometimes you forget the basics when you’re excited.

Chumming Like a Madman (Because More Bait = More Fish… Right?)

I brought 2 pounds of my homemade wine rice chum. My plan? Make *multiple* spots. Because if one spot fails, you’ve got backups. Here’s how I did it:

• Find a spot that looks like it could hide fish (weeds, lily pads, etc.)
• Clear a tiny grass hole
• Use a chum dispenser to put in *half* a load (cold weather = less chum – fish don’t eat as much as in summer; if you overfeed them, they’ll ignore your bait!)

And hey, in winter, overnight chum spots are *chef’s kiss*. If fish find food, they’ll stick around. But since this was a morning trip, I had to wait for them to find my chum.

My Chumming Mistake (Oops)

I ended up making 8 spots on the north side. Why? Because the south side was too far to walk between. 8 spots sounded like enough… until I realized I’d used *over 1 pound of chum* without even noticing. Oops. But hey, “you gotta spend bait to catch fish,” right? At least that’s what the old-timers say.

The Chaos Begins: Duck Interruptions & Floating Weeds

While I was chumming, I noticed a ton of wild ducks. As soon as I stepped closer, they all flew away. Sorry, guys – didn’t mean to crash your party. Then there was the floating weed problem. The pond was covered in duckweed, so thick that my float couldn’t even go down. How do you fix that? *MacGyver style*:

• Grab some mature reeds from the shore (they’re strong and flexible)
• Weave them into a circle
• Use the chum dispenser to gently push the duckweed out of the circle until you have clear water

And fun fact: that duckweed? You can take it home and make tea. Tastes “original and wild,” according to my grandma. Who knew?

Then Came the Distraction: A Walk Down Memory Lane

While waiting for the chum to “work,” I wandered around. Found some potatoes (yes, potatoes in the wild? Well, near the pond). Reminded me of when I was a kid: we’d put potato chunks in a bamboo basket, leave it in the field overnight, and catch loaches and eels the next morning. Those were simpler times – no mortgages, no car payments, just family and fishing.

Now? Everyone’s stressed about money, school, healthcare. But hey, life’s short. You gotta do what makes you happy. For me, that’s fishing. Even when I catch a turtle instead of fish.

The Turtle Incident (Spoiler: It Was Not a Fish)

After walking around, I came back to my spots. Hung a fat earthworm on my hook, dropped it in… and waited. 10 minutes. Nothing. 20 minutes. Still nothing. Then I noticed something weird: my grass holes were messed up. The water was cloudy. Did the wind do that? No, the wind was barely blowing.

Then I looked up. And there she was: an old lady *swimming* in the pond. Like, “I’m just taking a dip” swimming. Oh my god. She’d stirred up *5 of my spots*. Talk about bad luck! But hey, that’s why I made 8 spots – backups, baby.

So I checked the other 3 spots. Nada. Zilch. Nothing. 2 and a half hours later, still no bites. I started thinking: “Did I come too early? Is it not cold enough yet?” Because crucian carp only bite when it’s cold. Maybe October is still too warm.

I stuck around until 10 AM. No action. So I packed up. And that’s when I realized: I’d caught a “turtle” (fishing slang for “no fish at all”). But hey, the day wasn’t a total loss.

The Silver Lining: A Cute Dog & a Sweet Potato Lady

While waiting, a little rural dog followed me around. I gave him a piece of bread, and he stuck by my side the whole time. Rural dogs are the best – loyal, smart, and full of personality. Then I saw an old lady digging sweet potatoes. She was in her 70s, and I wanted to buy some, but she didn’t use WeChat (no digital payments here). So I just took a photo and left. Those sweet potatoes looked *so* good – yellow inside, probably super sweet.

Checking Other Spots (Because Curiosity Kills the Cat… Or the Angler)

On my way home, I stopped by a nearby fishing spot to see how other anglers were doing. The weather was nice, so night fishing would probably be better, but during the day? No one was catching much. Just a few big silver carp in a bucket. Those carp were huge – like chopstick length, but way fatter.

Then I went to the Grand Canal. Anglers there were using casting rods, 7 or 8 each, and just laying back in chairs. But no fish. Why? Because the sun was too hot – fish were floating at the surface to stay warm, not feeding at the bottom.

Final Thoughts (No, Not a Summary – Just Real Talk)

So yeah, I caught a “turtle” that day. But did I care? Not really. Because I got to explore a new spot, see some cool nature, and remember what it was like to be a kid again. Fishing isn’t just about catching fish – it’s about the experience. The quiet, the fresh air, the little surprises (like a grandma swimming in the pond).

Will I go back? Absolutely. Next time, I’ll wait until it’s colder. Maybe in November or December. Then those crucian carp will be biting, and I’ll catch my 100 pounds again. Or maybe I’ll catch another turtle. Who knows? That’s the fun of fishing – you never know what you’ll get.

Oh, and if you’re looking for a secret spot with dense weeds? Hit me up. But fair warning: you might catch a turtle instead of fish. But hey, that’s part of the adventure, right?