Hey Fellow Anglers, I’m Qiang Ge-Your Go-to Wild Fishing Enthusiast!
First off, if you’re enjoying this post, do me a solid and hit that like button! Posting these diaries takes time, and your footprints (comments, likes, shares) mean the world to me. Let’s dive into my chaotic yet lucky morning at Chaimi River!
Quick Rundown of My Fishing Trip
- Date: September 1st, 6:00 AM to 8:00 AM
- Location: Chaimi River
- Rod: No-brand bank raft rod (total newbie gear, trust me)
- Bait: Old altar five-grain cereal, earthworms
- Weather: Cloudy, 19-29°C
- Company: Me… and my MIA friend (more on that later)
How I Got Hooked on Bank Raft Rods (Spoiler: It’s All My Friend’s Fault)
September is prime fishing season-temperatures are just right, and the fish are hungry. I first heard about Chaimi River’s hot bite from TikTok, but what really pushed me to grab my bank raft rod was my friend. Let me backtrack: I’m a total newbie to bank raft rods. I only found out they existed this Spring when I was fishing at Shaodian with two buddies.
We sat super close to each other for an hour… and not a single bite. Nada. Then my friend pulled out his bank raft rod, tossed it in, and bam-fish after fish! Turns out the fish weren’t ignoring us; they were hiding far from the shore, not near our hand rods. I thought, “Whoa, this bank raft thing is cool!” So I splurged 150 yuan on two no-brand rods. But let’s be real-I’ve used them maybe three times since. I’m still hella rusty.
Fast forward to last night: my friend texted saying he fished Chaimi River with his bank raft rod and caught bream, crucian carp, and redtail. I couldn’t resist! I dug out my rods, prepped everything, and texted him to meet at dawn. Spoiler: That plan went sideways.
The Morning Chaos: Friend Flakes, I Go Solo
Sunrise hit, and I jumped out of bed. A man can’t fish on an empty stomach, so I made myself a big bowl of noodles. Halfway through eating, I texted my friend… no reply. Called his WeChat… no answer. Ugh, he was definitely still passed out. Fine-plan B: go alone. I packed my gear and hit the road.
I got to Chaimi River at 6 AM, and the place was deserted. There’s a super steep slope down to the water-slippery as heck. I almost face-planted into the mud, but caught myself with my hands. Now my palms were caked in gunk, but at least my clothes stayed clean. Small wins, right?
Newbie Struggles: Threading Lines & Tangling Hooks (Why Is This So Hard?)
I stopped by a tackle shop yesterday and grabbed a box of earthworms-figured I’d start with that. But let’s talk about my bank raft rod skills: zero. Threading the reel, stringing the line, and dealing with the tandem hooks? Nightmare. The hooks kept tangling, and it took me 15 minutes just to set up one rod! By the time I got the second rod in the water, it was 6:30 AM. I only had two hours total-half an hour wasted on gear. My heart hurt a little.
The “Newbie Luck” Streak Starts: First Bite & Beyond
As soon as I tossed the second rod, I noticed the first one’s tip twitching. But I was too busy fighting tangles to care. When I finally checked it? All the earthworms were gone! I rebaited, but then the second rod’s tip started shaking like crazy. I yanked it up, and I could feel something pulling-yes! I reeled it in, and there was a little crucian carp. My first catch of the day! What a good sign.
I checked the bait on the second rod (still good) and tossed it back. Then I went to redo the first rod’s earthworms. No sooner had I cast it than the second rod twitched again. I pulled up another tiny crucian carp-maybe less than an ounce, but I didn’t care. It’s been ages since I caught a crucian; lately, I’ve only been fighting small fry. This was a win!
Friend Finally Shows Up (Sort Of) & Bait Swaps
Right then, my friend called-turns out he overslept. I told him where I was and went back to fishing. The earthworms were getting hit left and right, but I kept missing bites (stupid small fish!). So I switched one rod to wheat grains from the old altar cereal. That slowed things down a bit, which was good-I was getting overwhelmed. Once, a fish jumped out of my hands and landed in a muddy puddle by the water. The river level had dropped, so the ground was squishy. I didn’t bother chasing it-its lucky day, I guess.
With earthworms on one rod and wheat grains on the other, the bites kept coming. I was actually keeping up!
Double Hook-Up & The Mysterious “Newbie Luck”
Sometimes the rod tip would just wiggle a little-was it small fish, or a big one with a dead bite? I waited a bit longer, and boom-double hook-up! Two little crucian carp at once! I laughed out loud-was this the “newbie luck” everyone talks about? My rusty skills shouldn’t be this successful, but here we are.
Final Catch & Early Wrap-Up
I reeled in my last fish around 7:20 AM-way earlier than I thought. One minute the bites were nonstop, the next they just… stopped. I also lost two leaders to snags (still don’t know what I hooked), but good thing I brought extra tandem hooks.
I tossed the rods a few more times, but nothing. When I counted my catch: 11 crucian carp and one bitterling. Not bad for a two-hour trip (minus that 30-minute gear struggle).
Wrap-Up: Newbie Lessons & Next Time
By 8 AM, I packed up-got real-life stuff to do. As I climbed that slippery slope again (this time without face-planting), I couldn’t stop smiling. Who knew a no-brand bank raft rod and some “newbie luck” could make for such a fun morning?
Lessons learned: Always set up gear the night before (duh), don’t rely on friends to wake up on time, and wheat grains are a lifesaver when small fish are stealing bait. If you’re a beginner curious about bank raft rods, just go for it-even rusty skills can pay off with a little luck.
What’s your best “newbie luck” fishing story? Drop it in the comments below-I’d love to hear it. Until next time, tight lines!
