Failed to Catch Silver Carp, But My Second Night Fishing Trip This Year Was a Total Success

Let me tell you, today started off as a total grind—morning fishing for dogfish (or whatever those little guys are called) was okay, but crawling up and down the ditches? Total workout. Temps were high, wind was zilch, so it was muggy AF. Burned through energy like crazy, fished till 12:30, then spent hours cleaning the car, gutting fish… Wait, if fishing’s hard, what about dealing with the catch? Who do you even give them to? By the time I was done, it was 5 PM. Full day, but weirdly, I wasn’t tired at all—hello, adrenaline and fishing obsession!

First Flop: Silver Carp Hunt Gone Wrong

Since I’d crushed it the last two nights catching silver carp from the small wooden bridge, I grabbed my 1.68m UI-tuned lure rod and headed back. Three straight days of silver carp? Let’s make it four! But man, life’s never that smooth—remember the Fisherman and the Golden Fish tale? Yeah, that’s me today.

The wind all day was basically nothing—even the coastal wind turbines were off (coastal wind’s usually way stronger than inland). But by dusk, a nice 3-4 mph southeast breeze picked up, cool and comfy. Perfect for casting… until it wasn’t.

Disaster Strikes Mid-Cast

First three casts north from the bridge—boom. My leader broke. The connection ring just snapped, and my whole swivel + sabiki rig? Gone. Vanished into the water. Ugh, total buzzkill. Like, I planned for everything but a cheap connection ring? “Ambition unfulfilled, hero’s heart broken” (okay, maybe dramatic, but that’s how it felt). Total fail. Packed up before I even left the bridge.

Then Came the “Boss” (AKA My Neighbor)

Just as I was folding my rod, my neighbor (let’s call her “the Boss” for fun) showed up. Turns out, her tai chi team needed a cameraman—they wanted to film their moves to fix mistakes. I’m the worst at saying no, especially to people I know. Like, one reason to say no is enough, but 1000 excuses if you want to avoid it? But I’m soft, so I caved. Sigh.

Silver Lining: Night Fishing Idea Sparks

By the time I finished filming the tai chi crew, it was pitch black. Then I remembered: I’d swapped 5 electronic float batteries on the Fishing People app a few days ago, stashed in the basement. Bored, curious, and tired of failing at silver carp—why not try night fishing? My first night trip last week was basically an air strike (no fish, zero), so this was a make-or-break.

Shoutout to the Fishing People app, by the way—my gear’s gotten so much better since I joined. Cap lamp, bait, line, hooks? All app rewards, trials, or coin exchanges. Barely spent a dime. Don’t judge the time I put in—we all trade something for our hobbies, right? It’s a win-win.

Night Fishing Newbie Confessions

Full disclosure: I’m a night fishing rookie. Total amateur. Most of my “skills” are from YouTube, not real nights on the water. My first night trip was a bust, so I’m basically a “clean slate” angler—some call that a noob, but I call it “room to improve.”

And let’s not forget my buddy Maocai—dude loves fishing and poker, but his poker skills? Trash. Once he had 6 cards including jokers and only ran one 6. Tech bad, addiction strong. Relatable, right? We all have that one hobby we suck at but can’t quit.

Since night fishing’s my kryptonite, I’m obsessed with proving I can do it. No real night trips? Can’t call myself a fishing fanatic. Duh.

The Bridge: Glow-Up Upgrade

The wooden bridge just got a makeover—glowing lights, red and green hues, super pretty. A few people walked by, but no issues. Before the renovation, bikes and trikes zoomed through; now, there are barriers, so only pedestrians. The wooden planks creak, so you hear people coming—win-win for walkers and anglers.

I grabbed a box of earthworms from my basement (had ’em for 6 months—convenient!). Chose worms for night fishing because they’re tough to pull off the hook. Small fish are rare at night, so one or two worms last all night. Perfect for a lazy angler like me.

Setting Up Night Fishing: 3 Test Spots

First, I scattered rice bait (soaked in alcohol, duh) in three spots: deep water, shallow water, and middle depth. Now, I know night fishing usually isn’t “multiple spots and move,” but I’m testing where the fish hang at night. Alone, so I gotta experiment. If I had buddies, we’d figure it out faster, but solo mission it is.

Next, set up my line: electronic float (swapped in the new Fishing People batteries—they’re bright AF!), adjusted depth for each spot, and went with “2 eyes down, 3 eyes up” (basic bottom fishing, no fancy tricks). Night fishing’s not the time for experiments—stick to what works (or what you think works).

Rotated through the three spots, 5 minutes each. Way longer than daytime walking fishing—night fish don’t bite as fast. Even with the bridge lights, I’m pretty sure they use their noses more than their eyes. Makes sense, right? Dark = smell > sight.

The Big Win: Finally Catching a Fish at Night!

About 30 minutes in, I’m at the second pier from the east. My electronic float has red, green, red, green sections with black lines between each “eye.” I see a tiny twitch—green (fourth section) flickers, then stops. Did a fish bump the line? No clue, but I waited. Then… the whole float lifted up! A float lift—the classic night bite! The glowing tip was 2/3 out of the water. I lifted the rod—boom, big bend! Now, this rod’s an old “noodle rod” (super flexible, never caught anything over 2 oz before). I carefully reeled it in, slow and steady, till I could scoop it onto the bridge. A small bream (or whatever that flat fish is called)!

That’s it! I was so stoked I packed up right away. No need to push my luck. Now, I just need to fix my broken lure rig for next time’s silver carp hunt. Oh, and maybe teach Maocai how to play poker… or just stick to fishing with him.

What about you? Ever had a day where your first plan flops, but a random detour turns into a win? Drop a comment below—love hearing other anglers’ chaotic success stories. And if you’re a night fishing noob like me, don’t give up—sometimes the best bites happen when you least expect it (and when your first lure rig breaks).