2024 Fishing Log #57: Three Trips to Baima Lake’s Lotus Root Fields – Line Snaps, Rod Breaks, and Wild Catches!

Arrival at the Spot: Early Birds and Familiar Faces

I rolled up to the fishing spot at 6:30 AM, and guess what? The usual crew was already stirring. My go-to spot? Empty—thank goodness, no crowd to jostle with. Old Jiang was set up 50 meters to my left, also targeting a lotus root field. His setup looked promising, so I figured the bite would be on today.

The sun was being shy at first, blushing red over the lake like a bashful kid. But then a huge, gray-black cloud rolled in and swallowed it whole. The part of the lake still in sunlight glowed gold, while the other half turned a moody dark blue. Talk about a dramatic sky!

Prepping the Lotus Root Fields: Clearing Reeds and Battling Wind

I dropped my gear and did my usual routine: prepping 10+ spots in the main lotus root field. Then I grabbed a sickle and hacked through 8 meters of tall reeds to reach a hidden, untouched section—no one had fished there before, which is always a good sign (fish love virgin spots!).

Just as I finished, a long rod popped out and started chumming. I thought a new angler had arrived, but nope—it was Jiang, sneaking in a chum spot at a nearby opening. Classic move, Jiang!

Old Jia was coming too, with his sister and brother-in-law. The brother-in-law’s got a license but only 5,000 miles under his belt—no wonder Jia’s sister was nervous! She made Jia drive instead. Smart call, honestly—no one wants a white-knuckle ride to the lake.

Morning Chaos: Big Carp Jumps and Duck Drama

My spot was a half-moon-shaped lotus field, separated from the inner fields by 40-50 meters of open water. There were a few sparse, floating dead lotus leaves, but that didn’t stop the action. Right after I set up, a huge carp jumped 20-30 cm out of the water right across from my gear. A few minutes later, it leaped again at the edge of the inner lotus field—BOOM, so loud it spooked a black duck. The duck took off, skimming the water with its feet touching the surface like a martial artist doing water walking. Total movie moment!

The morning was warm, but there was fog on the lake road. When I crossed the Taoyuan River Bridge, the north side was thick fog, but the south was clear. I thought, “Since it’s not cold, fish should be feeding early!” An hour later, I baited up with a 0.5-size Chinu hook and dropped it in.

First Bites and First Disasters: Line Snaps Galore

First spot: a quick bite! Landed a 1.5-ounce crucian carp. Second spot: tiny fish were nipping, then I snagged a lotus stem. I couldn’t shake it loose, so I pulled it closer to cut the stem with my sickle. But guess what? The sickle sliced through the stem AND my brand-new main line—yep, the one I tied yesterday. Ugh, rookie mistake?

The west side was way better—untouched by other anglers. As I always say, uncharted waters = more fish. I was catching 10+ fish by 11 AM, maybe a pound total. Jiang texted me: “How you doing?” I said 10+, he said only 3. I didn’t believe him at first, but he swore it was true. We stuck to our spots—too late to move anyway.

Wind, Tangles, and Total Chaos: Rod Breaks and Lost Gear

At 10 AM, the southeast wind hit—3-4 knots, right in my face. I switched to a heavy sinker hook, but the wind kept messing with my line. The water was 2 meters deep, so I needed 3 meters of line, leaving 1 meter floating. That extra line got tangled in lotus stems or caught on leaves every 2 seconds. Pull it up? Snagged. Shake it? No luck. Yank it? Broke 4 lines in a row. I was so frustrated—even my calm self was ready to scream!

When I tried cutting the stem again, the sickle went rogue (it’s blind underwater, okay?). It sliced through line and stem every time. I had 20+ rigs (star floats, single hooks, big/small sinkers, Chinu hooks) so I kept retying, but the chaos never ended. Most of my spots were ruined—fish spooked, lines broken.

Then the ultimate disaster: I dropped my chum dispenser, and it never came back. Underwater lotus stems were like a trap—grabbed the dispenser, hook, and sinker and swallowed them whole. I grabbed the sickle again, but it cut my line AND the rod’s second section. Yep, my favorite rod broke. First time ever losing a rod section—total heartbreak!

“Fine,” I thought. “If you can’t beat ’em, leave.” I grabbed my backup 11-meter rod (same brand as the broken one, basically its twin—hardly used, still new) and headed south.

Salvation at the Southern Spots: No Tangles, No Tears

10 meters south, there’s a narrow opening no one uses. I chummed 2 spots on the left, then trampled reeds on the right to chum 2 more. Time for lunch—fried rice, my go-to fishing fuel. I had a hunch these spots would be good: narrow water, surrounded by thick reeds and lotus, no one had fished here before. Virgin territory!

After lunch (12:15 PM), I checked the west spots again—snagged 1 line, caught 1 crucian and 1 silver carp. Then I hit the southern spots.

Post-Lunch Success: No Snags, No Tangles

Left spots: first one snagged a line (come on, really?), second one—finally! Caught a nice crucian. Right spots: even better. I caught 3 on the left, 8 on the right—total 11, no snags, no breaks. The lotus stems were sparse, so my line glided through. It was like fishing in heaven after the morning from hell!

At 1 PM, the wind died down—thank goodness! No more floating line tangles. I even caught a few more before the bite slowed. A guy was fishing the next southern opening (hidden by reeds, only heard his cast), but I didn’t bother him.

Wrap-Up: Head Counts and Happy (But Tired) Anglers

By 3:15 PM, I called it quits. Texted Jiang—he was ready too. I packed up, took my trash (always leave the lake clean!), and met Jiang. His catch had bigger fish, but fewer than mine. Old Jia left an hour earlier: he caught a ton, his sister a few, and his brother-in-law? A big fat zero. Classic, right?

As I drove home, I thought about the day: broken lines, a broken rod, lost chum dispenser… but 11 fish, a few laughs, and that duck water-walking moment. Fishing’s never perfect, but that’s why we love it—you never know what’s gonna happen. Next time, I’m bringing extra rods, extra lines, and maybe a blindfold for the sickle. Wait, no—maybe just a better way to cut lotus stems. Either way, Baima Lake’s lotus fields always keep me on my toes. Can’t wait for the next trip!