Monster Fish Teased Me Embarrassingly, But Brought Back Long-Lost Fighting Thrills!
Let’s be real—this year’s weather has been a total joke. One minute we’re freezing through record-low temps, the next we’re sweating through days that feel like summer’s first blast. It’s like Mother Nature decided to skip spring entirely and jump straight from winter to… well, whatever this is. But hey, I’m not complaining too much—warmer weather means more fishing days for this old angler, right?
Prepping Like a Kid on Christmas Eve (Even After 50+ Years of Fishing)
October 13th, Thursday. I checked the forecast like a man possessed: overcast, southeast wind 2, temps 11–21°C (52–70°F), barometer 1009 hPa. Fishing index 71, fish activity 81? That’s basically a green light from the fishing gods. But here’s the thing—even after fishing most of my life, I still can’t sleep the night before a trip. I’m up packing rods, mixing bait, double-checking every little thing. Old habits die hard, I guess.
My Go-To Bait & Gear for This Trip
I went with my classic “two-strong-smell, one-sweet” mix—you know, the kind that’s proven to lure in those big river fish. For the spot? The salt warehouse dock on Xiaoqing River, where the water’s deep (over 2.8 meters, or 9 feet) and the current can be tricky. To fight the flow, I grabbed my Big Fish King No. 3 float—heavy enough to keep the bait down where the fish are, even when the water’s moving.
Getting to the Dock: Crowds, Cleanup, and First Casts
By the time my buddy “Bent Rod Earth” and I got to the dock, it was already packed. We squeezed into the west side—no room to spare, but hey, beggars can’t be choosers. First order of business: get bait down fast before the current washes it away. I used my 6.3-meter rod and a stainless steel feeder to drop bait right on the spot. Then, I let my mixed bait sit and “wake up” (you know, the way dough needs time to rise—bait’s the same, trust me). I even tossed a little leftover bait from the day before to keep the fish hanging around.
Cleaning Up Someone Else’s Mess (Again)
Once the bait was set, I took a minute to clean up. The night fishermen had bailed in a hurry—leaving snack bags, cigarette packs, even old bait bags all over the place. Ugh, why do people do that? I always bring extra plastic bags just for this. Gotta keep the spot nice for everyone, right? Plus, a clean spot means better focus (and less chance of tripping over a beer can mid-fight).
Tweaking the Float for Slow Drift (And Accidental “Catches”)
After setting up, I added a tiny bit of lead to my float’s quick-release weight. Why? To make the bait drift slowly along the bottom—just enough to catch the fish’s eye without spooking them. But here’s the silly part: that slow drift meant I was hooking everything but fish at first. Plastic bags, old fishing towels… I felt like I was cleaning the river instead of fishing it. Typical, right?
The First Monster: A Silver Bullet That Got Away
Xiaoqing River’s salt warehouse stretch is no joke—deep, wide, and the fish are sparse. So I settled in, casting over and over, eyes glued to the float. Then—bam! A tiny “nudge” followed by a slow lift (that’s a “point-send” float bite, for you anglers). I swung the rod up hard, and boom—weight! A silver flash broke the surface: a big white bream, probably 7–8 ounces (200–225 grams). Finally! I was grinning like an idiot, reeling it in slow, letting it tire out—you know, the “fight” I’ve been missing for months.
But here’s where it got embarrassing: we forgot the net. Duh! The fish was big enough to need a net, but not huge—if I was on the other side of the chain link, I could’ve lifted it with the rod. But I was stuck on the inside, surrounded by trees. So I held the rod out to my buddy, yelling, “Grab it! Grab it!” He reached for it… and the bream did a last-second flip, popped free, and swam away like nothing happened. No photo, no story to brag about—just a empty hook and a red face. Ugh, so close!
The Second Monster: A Red Carp That Outsmarted Us (Thanks to Construction)
I shook off the embarrassment and kept casting. Ten minutes later—black float! That’s the big one, right? I lifted the rod, and wow—this was heavier. A carp, for sure. I leaned back, let it pull, reeled when I could—slow, steady, the way you do with big fish. My buddy saw the fight and ran to the east dock to borrow a net. Just as he was grabbing it… crash! A construction worker dropped a steel pipe, and the noise was deafening. The carp, which was already tired, bolted like a rocket. Snap! My line broke at the swivel—gone. Just like that. I stood there, rod in hand, staring at the water. Two big fish, two getaways. Talk about a tease!
To be honest, I didn’t care about keeping the fish—all I wanted was a photo to share with my fishing buddies, then I’d let ’em go. But nope—they just wanted to mess with me. Jerks.
A Small Win (and Letting It Go)
I was a little sour, but I kept casting. Then—slow, steady lift of the float. Not as big, but solid. I reeled it in slow, and there it was: a nice 3-ounce (85-gram) crucian carp. My buddy was about to run for the net again, but I yelled, “Wait—this one’s small enough!” I lifted it out, grinning. Finally, a fish I could hold (for a second, anyway).
I put it in my live bucket to rest, then kept casting. But by 11 a.m., my buddy hadn’t had a bite all morning. He was getting frustrated, so we called it a day. I dumped the crucian back into the river—no need to keep it; it’s all about the fight, right?
Lessons Learned (The Hard Way)
Looking back, I messed up one big thing: forgetting the net. Even if you think you don’t need it, bring it. Those big fish can flip at the last second, and you don’t want to lose ’em because of a silly mistake. But hey, the rest of my setup was on point: bait mix, float choice, drift technique—all worked. I just need to work on my “panic mode” when a big fish hits (and maybe double-check the net before I leave home).
Overall, even though the big ones got away, that fighting thrill? It’s been way too long. I’ll be back next week—net in hand, ready to outsmart those tricky monsters. Who’s with me?
