Old Fishing Spot Packed with Anglers: Wrong Bait Recipe, Watched Others Catch Fish Nonstop

Man, it’s been way too long since I last fished that small river where I used to catch grass carp. Today was finally the day I planned to head out-after dropping my wife off at her parents’ place, I hit the road. By the time I rolled up to the spot, it was already past 8 AM, and let me tell you… the scene was chaos.

The parking lot (and the roadside) was jammed with cars, motorcycles, and electric bikes. I immediately knew: something’s biting like crazy here lately. My usual go-to spot? Already packed with several anglers. I had to trudge further down the bank, hauling my gear. Everyone here was doing traditional fishing-you know, the kind where you set up multiple bait piles and hop between them. Everywhere I went, someone yelled, “Already got a bait pile here!” Took me forever to find a tiny spot to plop down my chair.

My First Mistake: Ditching Worms for Store-Bought Bait

I started by tossing some homemade rice wine bait (you know, the kind that’s supposed to draw in big fish) into the water. I’d heard there were tons of baby bass (aka “dinks”) here, so I grabbed my store-bought “all-in-one” scent bait from the tackle box. Big mistake. Here’s my setup, by the way:

• Rod: 4.5-meter Wushuangli (a Chinese brand, but super reliable for river fishing)
• Line: 1.5-pound main, 0.8-pound leader, size 4 hook

I mixed up the bait, rolled it into a ball, and cast. First cast? Total chaos. The water erupted with tiny bass darting around, stealing my bait before it even hit the bottom. I switched to a thicker “dough ball” (more like a paste) to make it harder for the dinks to steal, but nope-still the same mess. My float was jumping up and down, darting sideways, and every time I set the hook? Nothing. Zip. Nada.

Turns out, almost everyone else here was using live worms for traditional fishing. I was the only idiot doing “modern” rod-and-reel with store-bought bait. Ugh. Talk about sticking out like a sore thumb.

Watching the Pros Catch Fish Like It’s a Video Game

Okay, so I’m stuck fighting baby bass, and then there’s these two guys next to me-total rockstars. They’re using traditional rods (the long, flexible kind) with worms, and they’re catching fish nonstop. Every 5 seconds, one of them yells, “Got another one!” or “That’s a big’un!”

These weren’t tiny fish either-we’re talking 3-ounce (or more) “plate” carp (the local term for big, flat-bodied carp). The rest of us were just watching them perform. I glanced at my bucket: 3 baby bass. Zero plate carp. My bait smelled like roses, but clearly, the fish here wanted live worms. Not my fancy store-bought stuff.

When those two guys packed up to leave, they dumped their buckets on the bank-holy cow. One had 6-7 pounds of plate carp, the other almost as much. They were grinning like fools, bragging about their “secret worm recipe” (which was just regular garden worms, let’s be real). I begged them for a handful-begged!-and they finally tossed me a clump of wriggling worms.

Finally, Some Luck (But With a Catch)

Okay, so I swapped my fancy bait for a worm. First, I adjusted my float: I usually fish “4-2” (float set 4 inches down, catch at 2 inches), but switched to “flat float-2” (float lays flat on the water, catch at 2 inches). Why? Because the water here is shallow, and the big fish like to feed near the bottom but not too deep.

First cast with the worm? Night and day. The baby bass stopped stealing my bait. But here’s the problem: the bottom was full of snags-logs, rocks, old fishing line. I cast, set the hook, and… snap. Leader gone. Did that four times. Four! I was so mad I almost threw my rod into the river. But I didn’t-because I finally felt a tug.

Black float (that’s when the float sinks completely-sign of a big bite)! I set the hook, and man, that weight! It was a plate carp, probably 4 ounces. I reeled it in, yelling (quietly, so I didn’t scare the fish) “Yes! Finally!”

Drama: My Scissors Drown in the River

Right after landing that carp, I heard a “splash” behind me. Wait, what? I turned around, and my tackle box was open-my tiny scissors (the ones that came with my float set) had fallen into the water. Ugh! My tackle box was 3 feet from the water, how did that happen? Probably when I was reaching for my leader spool. I checked the water: it’s shallow here, maybe 2 feet deep. I decided to grab it later-didn’t want to mess up my fishing groove.

Next bite? Black float again! But this time, it was a “emperor” (local name for a type of catfish? Wait, no-wait, the guy next to me said it’s a type of carp that’s silver with a yellow belly. Either way, it was a good size-maybe 3 ounces. I was stoked… until the sun hit my face.

It was noon. The “golden hour” (early morning, before 10 AM) was over. The bites slowed down to a crawl. I added more of my rice wine bait to my spot, but nothing. No more plate carp, no more emperor-just a few more baby bass. Bummer.

Cleaning Up (and Saving My Scissors)

By 1 PM, I’d had enough. I dumped all my fish (baby bass, the plate carp, the emperor) back into the river-no need to keep them, I just fish for fun. Then I took off my socks and shoes, rolled up my pants, and waded into the water to get my scissors. The bank was sloped, but not too steep, and the water was warm (it’s summer here). I felt around for 30 seconds, and there they were-snagged on a rock. Phew! I hate losing gear, especially matching sets.

Here’s a pic of me mid-wade, trying not to slip: (insert pic)

The Big Takeaway (and My Plan for Tomorrow)

Today’s lesson? Always bring live worms to a river spot where everyone’s using them. I wasted the first 3 hours fighting baby bass because I was too stubborn to use worms. By the time I switched, the golden hour was gone. I’m still mad about it-like, why didn’t I check the spot first? Why did I rely on my “fancy” bait?

Tomorrow? I’m coming back, and here’s my plan:

• Wake up at 5 AM (earlier than today, to hit the golden hour)
• Bring 2 containers of live worms (no more store-bought nonsense)
• Set up 2 bait piles (traditional style, like the pros)
• Bring extra leaders (because snags are real)
• Keep my tackle box closed tight (no more scissors in the river)

Will I catch more plate carp than those two guys tomorrow? Probably not-they’re total pros. But I’ll catch more than today, that’s for sure. Fishing’s all about learning, right? Even if it means looking like a newbie for a few hours.

What’s your worst fishing mistake? Let me know in the comments-we can commiserate together! And if you’re fishing that river tomorrow, keep an eye out for me-I’ll be the guy with the 2 worm containers and a very closed tackle box.