Small Fishing Goals vs. Harsh Reality: My Disappointing (But Fun) Day Chasing Small Blue Fish

Let me tell you—nothing stings more than setting a tiny fishing goal and still falling short. Last Saturday, I had the day off (okay, technically I was “caught slacking” and got a forced day off, but let’s not split hairs) and decided to hit the water with a coworker. Our target? Small blue fish (we call ’em “blue knives” around here—tiny, feisty, and perfect for frying). My coworker set a modest goal: 5 pounds. Me? I went big (or so I thought) with 10 pounds. Wait, why were we so confident? Because a buddy of ours—who’s basically a fishing newbie—went out the week before and hauled in 10+ pounds of these little guys. He said the water was full of them! So yeah, our “small” goals felt totally reasonable. Spoiler alert: Reality had other plans.

Our First Stop: A Promising (But Troublesome) Small Waterway

We planned to leave at 6 AM—bright and early, ready to crush those blue knives. Our first spot? A tiny waterway downstream from the Niuxinling Dam on the Conghua Liuxi River. I grabbed my 3.6-meter rod, and we set up shop. The water was only about 1 meter deep—perfect for small fish, right? At first, it seemed like we were on track. We landed two or three small blue fish… and then the chaos hit.

The Great Small Tilapia Invasion

Everywhere we cast, we got double hooks of small tilapia. I’m talking nonstop—no matter where we threw our lures, those little guys were there, stealing our bait before the blue knives could even sniff it. It was so frustrating! To make matters worse, the water was dropping fast. Like, we’d set up in a spot, and 10 minutes later, the water level was 10 centimeters lower. We had to keep moving our rods, which killed our rhythm.

After two hours of this mess, we’d only landed about 1 pound of blue knives. One pound! We were so far from our goals it wasn’t even funny. I grabbed my rod and ran to a nearby rocky outcrop to test it—same depth, same problem. One tiny blue knife, then nothing but tilapia. Ugh. I hurried back to my coworker, and we both agreed: This spot was a bust. Time to move.

On the Hunt for a Better Spot: Following the Cars

We packed up our gear in a hurry and headed upstream toward the dam. We were driving along, and suddenly I spotted something: a bunch of cars parked on the side of the road. Fishermen! If there are cars, there’s usually fish, right? We pulled over immediately and walked down to check out the spot. A local angler was there, so we asked how it was going.

His answer? “Water’s about 3 meters deep, and I’ve caught 20+ small blue fish today.” Yes! That’s exactly what we wanted to hear. We didn’t waste any time—we grabbed our rods, set up our chairs, and got to fishing. Finally, a spot that might work!

Second Spot: Better, But Still a Battle

Okay, let’s be real—this spot was better, but it wasn’t perfect. We still had to deal with small tilapia, but they weren’t nearly as bad as the first spot. The blue knives were actually biting! Plus, we even caught a few small barramundi (that’s a nice bonus, right?)

But here’s the thing: The wind was crazy that day. It made casting super hard—our lures were getting blown all over the place. I felt like I was fighting the wind more than the fish! Still, we kept at it. We cast, reeled, cast again, and slowly but surely, we started filling up our bucket.

The Final Count: How Did We Do?

Before we knew it, it was 6 PM. Time to pack up and head home. We dumped our buckets on the ground and counted our haul. My coworker had about 3 pounds. Me? I had… let’s just say I didn’t hit 10. Or 5. Wait, no—wait, I think I had around 2.5 pounds? Yeah, that’s right. Together, we had maybe 5.5 pounds total. So much for our “small” goals, huh?

We were a little disappointed, but honestly? We weren’t mad. We spent the day outside, laughing at the tilapia that kept stealing our bait, high-fiving when we caught a blue knife, and even caught a bonus barramundi. It was a fun day, even if we didn’t hit our numbers.

What We Learned (And Why We’ll Be Back)

First off: Water levels change fast. That first spot was great the week before, but by Saturday, the dropping water had pushed all the blue knives out. Second: Always follow the other fishermen. If they’re parked somewhere, there’s a reason. Third: Don’t let small tilapia get you down—they’re just part of the game. And fourth? We’re coming back to get revenge. Next time, we’re hitting that spot early, checking the water levels first, and we’re gonna catch those 10 pounds (okay, maybe 5—let’s be realistic).

Oh, and let’s not forget the best part of the day: When we got home, my coworker had already cooked dinner and made soup. We sat down, ate our fresh fried blue knives, and talked about the day’s chaos. That’s the real win, right? Good food, good company, and a day outside. Even if we didn’t hit our goals, it was still a perfect day.

So if you’re a fisherman who’s ever set a “small” goal and fallen short—you’re not alone. Sometimes the fish just don’t cooperate. But that’s okay. The best days aren’t about the numbers. They’re about the laughs, the battles with the wind, and the hot meal waiting for you at home. Now, who’s ready to go fishing with me next weekend? I’ve got a score to settle.