Weekend Night Fishing for Qingjiang Fish at Nancao East Bay Fishing Village in Zhengzhou: $50 Fee & Successful Catch

Okay, let’s be real—after a long work week, the last thing I wanted was to stare at a screen or scroll through mindless social media. Then, boom—my fishing group blew up with a post: a pond near Nancao Bridge in Zhengzhou was stocking Qingjiang fish and carp. The fee? 50 yuan (about $7 USD). I thought, “Heck, why not?” So I texted my buddy, grabbed my gear, and hit the road. Spoiler: it was chaotic, frustrating, and totally worth it.

Finding the Spot: Nancao East Bay Fishing Village

First off, getting there was a trip. I used Baidu Maps (yes, I still rely on it for local spots) and typed in “Nancao Bridge.” Sure enough, there were handwritten signs along the road pointing to the pond—no fancy GPS, just good old-fashioned directions. We rolled up around 5:30 PM, and the place was already buzzing with a few other anglers. The pond looked like a typical square black pit—nothing fancy, just a muddy bank and some floating algae. Classic.

Setting Up: Gear & Initial Mistakes

Now, I’ll admit—I’m a bit of a gear snob for this kind of thing. I grabbed my 3.6m 8H short rod (perfect for tight spaces), 2.0 main line, 1.5 fluorocarbon leader, and size 7 Wolf Tooth hooks. Why? Because Qingjiang fish are skittish and have tough mouths—you need something strong but not too bulky. My buddy went with a similar setup, but we both made a huge mistake at first.

I stuck to my usual wild fishing method: no hook, adjust the float to level water, then fish 2 eyes. Big mistake. I cast a few times, and every time there were nibbles, but I couldn’t hook anything. Just… line bumps and half-bites. Ugh. I thought, “Wait, maybe the fish are off the bottom?” Qingjiang fish are known for floating to the surface to breathe—duh, I should’ve remembered that!

Adjusting Strategy: From Bottom Fishing to Floating Bites

So I scrambled to re-tune. I cranked the float up to 8 eyes, then fished 2-3 eyes—way shallower. Then, I started with “lead belt bombs” (basically, small chunks of bait attached to the line to draw fish in) and cast a million times to build a school. After 10 minutes, I started seeing tons of fish bubbles—yes! That meant they were in the area.

I switched to light bottom fishing with rubbed bait (soft, smelly bait that sinks slowly). And then… BAM! A huge downward bite. I set the hook, and the fight was on. This wasn’t a tiny wild fish—this was a 3kg Qingjiang fish! My rod bent like a noodle, and I had to fight it for 5 minutes before pulling it out. My buddy yelled, “You’re on the board!” And he was right—50 yuan for that fish alone was worth it.

Keeping the Momentum: Carp & More Qingjiang

After that first catch, I didn’t let up. I kept the casting frequency high—fish hate it when you stop feeding them. When I saw more bubbles, I switched to “upper hook with small bomb, lower hook with rubbed bait.” That way, the upper hook drew in fish, and the lower one caught them. Next up? A 2kg carp! I was so focused on reeling it in that I forgot to take a photo—oops. But hey, a catch is a catch.

Then, dusk hit. The bites got slower, but I didn’t panic. I switched to fishing 10cm off the bottom—Qingjiang fish love hanging out there when it’s dark. Sure enough, another bite! This one was bigger—probably 7kg. The fight was insane; it pulled my rod into the water twice, and I had to lean back hard to keep it from breaking. When I finally got it out, my buddy was laughing: “That thing’s bigger than your rod!”

The Dry Spell: When Fish Stop Biting (And You Lose Your Mind)

By 7:40 PM, things went south. I “speared” (accidentally hooked) another fish, but after that? Nothing. Nada. Zilch. I tried everything: full float lead (fishing with the float at the top of the line), switching to pulled bait (smaller, faster bait), even changing hooks. Nothin’. The other anglers around me were in the same boat—some were staring at their rods like they owed them money, others were already packing up.

By 11:40 PM, I’d had enough. I looked at my watch, sighed, and said to my buddy, “Let’s call it. These fish are ghosting us.” We packed up, and on the way home, we talked about what went wrong. Turns out, the pond had a ton of green algae—classic black pit stuff. Algae uses oxygen at night, so the fish were probably just gasping for air, not eating. Duh, I should’ve noticed that earlier.

Pro Tips I Learned (The Hard Way)

Okay, let’s get real—black pit fishing isn’t for the faint of heart. But if you’re gonna do it, here’s what I learned:

• Wait a few days after stocking Qingjiang fish: They’re super skittish. The day they’re put in, they’re hiding or floating—hardly eating. Give it 2-3 days, and they’ll calm down.
• Green algae = skip night fishing: Algae eats oxygen at night, so fish are lazy. Go during the day when the sun is out—algae makes oxygen then, so fish are active.
• Talk to the locals (and bring snacks/smokes): I saw a guy catch 5 fish, so I walked over with a pack of smokes and asked, “What’s your secret?” He told me he was using 4.5m rod and fishing the corner. That’s the tea—black pit anglers know the spots, but you gotta be nice to get the info.
• Square ponds = fish the corners: Fish love corners—they feel safe there. Don’t waste time in the middle.
• Tune high, fish low: Unlike wild fishing, you need a sensitive setup. Tune the float to 8-10 eyes, fish 2-3 eyes. Small bites = set the hook—you’ll miss less.

Final Thoughts: Wild Fishing vs. Black Pits

Let’s be honest—black pits are a gamble. You pay, you might catch nothing, and you’re basically giving the owner money. Wild fishing? It’s free, more relaxing, and you never know what you’ll get. But sometimes, you just want a fight—like with that 7kg Qingjiang fish. That’s the rush.

We gave away one fish to a buddy, and I took home two. The next day, I made Qingjiang fish hot pot—so good. Crispy skin, tender meat, spicy broth? 10/10. Way better than selling them back for 3 yuan a kg (seriously, who does that?).

So if you’re in Zhengzhou and want a fun weekend night? Nancao East Bay Fishing Village is worth a shot. Just remember my tips, bring snacks, and don’t get mad if the fish ghost you. At the end of the day, it’s about hanging with friends and not thinking about work. Oh, and catching a fish bigger than your rod. That’s a win.