Chasing the Big Catch: My Early Morning Fishing Adventure
The Pre-Dawn Prep: Why I Showed Up at 4:30 AM
September 14th, the 19th day of the eighth lunar month—right after Mid-Autumn Festival. The air was crisp, the summer heat finally gone, and it felt like the perfect time for anglers to score big. I’d only gotten half a day of fishing during the three-day holiday (thanks to a cousin’s wedding) and caught just two or three bream—total letdown. So when I finished my night shift in the county town at 4 AM, I didn’t head home. I drove straight to my go-to fishing spot, determined to make up for lost time.
It was pitch-black at 4:30 AM when I arrived. A fellow angler who’d also just finished a night shift was there, using a glow float to target carp. He’d been there 30 minutes and hadn’t caught anything yet. I have a glow float too, but night fishing isn’t my vibe. Instead, I decided to find a spot, hit it with bait, and nap in my car until dawn.
I grabbed my bucket and bait bags, then scattered a few handfuls of beer-soaked corn, red worm pellets, and homemade wine-infused rice. That beer corn? A buddy left it for me last time he fished here—he’d caught four carp between 3 AM and 7 AM, the biggest around 3 pounds, the smallest half a pound. Solid results, so I trusted his tip. After baiting the spot, I crashed in my car. Woke up at 6 AM exactly—sky was dim, a little cloudy, and the ground was damp. Quick bathroom run, grabbed my gear, and headed to the spot to start fishing.
Rigging Up: My Go-To Rods and Lineups for Wild Carp and Crucian
Same as always, I brought three rods: 6.3m, 5.4m, and 4.5m. Here’s my lineup breakdown:
- 6.3m rod: 3.0 main line + 3.0 braided line, size 3 Iseama hook (for big carp)
- 5.4m rod: 2.0 main line + 1.2 leader, size 6 Gold Embroidery hook (for medium crucian)
- 4.5m rod: 1.5 main line + 1.0 leader, size 4 Izu hook (for small to medium fish)
The two long rods got old altar corn; the short one used a mix of store-bought all-purpose fishy and sweet bait (50/50). The water was shallow—only 70-80 cm, less than a meter—because they’d just drained some water. But since I’d pre-baited the spot, the water surface was rippling like crazy. Fish were already in the area—yes!
The First Bite: A Carp That Put Up a Fight
Ten minutes after casting the long rods, I got a bite. Suddenly, the float submerged completely (a “black float” in angler terms). I yanked the rod up hard—immediately, the rod bent into a big curve. Fish on! The pull was strong, so I knew it was a carp. It kept darting toward the middle of the river, so I pulled the rod and ran toward the bank. After two or three back-and-forth tugs, I finally pulled it to the surface. A carp, probably 1.5 to 2 pounds. I held the rod with my right hand, grabbed the net with my left, and scooped it up. First catch in the bag!
I tossed it into the fish keeper, rebaited, and cast again. Five minutes later, another sharp dip in the float. Yanked again—another bite, definitely another carp. Wild river carp have serious strength: it darted forward, then toward the bank, left, then right. Next thing I knew, all three rods’ main lines were tangled. I fought like crazy to untangle them, but somehow kept the fish on. Got it into the keeper too—phew!
Switching Gears: From Carp to Crucian (and a Few Tangles)
That second carp spooked the school, so the 6.3m rod went quiet. I switched the short rod to a pull bait (mix of fishy and sweet) to target crucian. The bites picked up—sometimes I caught two at once! Then the 5.4m rod’s float shot up (a “top float” bite). Yanked it—boom, a big crucian. For that rod, I’d hooked wheat grains on the top hook and small old altar corn on the bottom—perfect for targeting both big and small fish.
The Lull and the Wrap-Up: Why Persistence Pays Off
Then a small carp (a “carp fry”) bit the 5.4m rod. It wasn’t big, but it fought hard—darted into the grass and almost got away. I had to run to the right spot to pull it out, and I didn’t have my phone to snap a pic. By 9 AM, the bites stopped completely. I fished until 10:30 AM, but not a single bite on any rod. I was exhausted—I’d pulled a night shift and driven hours, after all. Good thing I brought two mooncakes; they kept me from starving. Time to call it a day.
I released the small fish and kept the bigger ones and some silver fish—gotta protect the resource so we can keep fishing here. As I packed up, I thought about how this morning proved something: showing up early, baiting the spot ahead, and sticking it out even when tired really works. Sure, three rods tangled, and I almost lost a fish, but the big catches made it worth it. Can’t wait to come back and chase even bigger carp and crucian next time!
Final Thought for Fellow Anglers
If you’re struggling to catch big fish, try baiting your spot the night before (or super early like I did)—it makes a huge difference. And while three rods sound like a good idea, they can tangle if you’re not careful. Maybe stick to one rod next time to focus on a single target. Most importantly: don’t give up. Even if you’re tired or the bites are slow, hard work (and a little patience) will eventually land you that big catch.
