The Ultimate Angler: Fishing, Rock Collecting, and Using Kitchen Spices for Bait

Okay, let’s cut to the chase—this isn’t your average fishing story. No, this is the tale of a guy who spent his last day of Chinese New Year vacation (January 27, 2024, for those keeping track) chasing two things: fish that probably weren’t even biting, and rocks that look like they’d make great plant drainage. Spoiler: The fish bailed, but the rocks? Total win. Let’s dive in.

Pre-Fishing Chaos: My “Fix Everything” Day Before

New Year’s Eve was great, but the days after? Total chaos at home. Leaky toilet? Broken cabinet door? Wobbly sliding door wheel? Dead kid’s lamp? Yeah, all of that. So the day before my fishing trip, I turned into Mr. Fix-It. My wife just stared and said, “You’re brave—what if you can’t put it back together?”

Ha! As if. I’m a fisherman, remember? We’re the original tinkerers. By the end of the day, every broken thing was perfect. Toilet flushes like a dream, cabinet closes without a squeak, door slides like butter, lamp glows like new. Wife was impressed. Me? Just doing what fishermen do—we can’t sit still. Even if it’s not fishing, we’re fixing, building, or breaking (then fixing) something.

Morning Mission: Riding to Longhu Fishing Spot

6 a.m. on January 27, I’m up before the sun. Grabbed my bike, strapped on fishing gear, and hit the road. Why ride? Because 15-16 kilometers to Longhu Fishing Spot? A car’s too easy. Plus, the quiet of the early morning? *Chef’s kiss*. The sky was still hazy, air was crisp—perfect for a ride, even if the temp was -6 to 1°C (brrr, but who’s counting?).

Roads were empty—hardly any cars, no people staring (well, maybe a few, but who cares). I’m that guy with a bike loaded with rods, reels, and a plastic bag of… rocks? Wait, we’ll get to that. An hour later, I roll up to Longhu. And guess what? Most of it’s frozen solid. But wait—there’s a spot! A tiny, unfrozen patch. Why? Because of the water birds.

The Unfrozen Spot: Thanks to Water Birds

Yep, a flock of water birds was hanging out there, swimming around, keeping the water from icing over. I felt bad—when I pulled up, they scattered to the edge, staring at me like I was a monster. But hey, I needed a place to fish! I hoped they’d come back. Nothing better than fishing with birds chatting in the background, right? Peaceful, almost magical.

Setting Up: Gear for Cold Weather Fishing

Okay, let’s talk gear—because in -6°C, you don’t mess around. Here’s what I packed:

• Float: 3.5g with a 3-eye bold tip (easy to see in cold, low light)
• Line: 0.8 main + 0.5 leader, 3# hook (small, but fish are slow in cold)
• Rod: 6.3m Shenji (it froze solid two days before—thankfully, it thawed out!)

For rigging: I adjusted the float so the bold tip didn’t mess with the setting (only the thin tail counted). If the float didn’t sink right, I added a tiny bit of lead to the leader. High float, low hook—more sensitive, which is key when fish are barely moving.

The Bait Experiment: Kitchen Spices for the Win?

Now, the fun part—bait. I didn’t use store-bought stuff. Oh no, I raided the kitchen. Here’s my recipe:

• Base: “Tongsha” (all-purpose) fish meal + shrimp powder + rice wine mix (pre-mixed the night before)
• Secret ingredients: Thirteen Spice (a Chinese kitchen staple) + chicken bouillon (for extra umami)

Why? Because cold water kills scent. I needed something strong—something that would cut through the ice and frozen water. I only added a tiny bit (two pinches, max) so it didn’t overpower the bait. Mix it all up, and boom—homemade bait. Was it crazy? Maybe. But fishermen are crazy for a reason.

Fishing (or Lack Thereof) & Rock Hunting

I didn’t bother with a proper “chum” bucket. Instead, I used a mix of casting and retrieving—throwing the bait, reeling in, repeating. That’s called “fishing with frequency” to draw fish in. But after an hour? Nada. No bites, no ripples, nothing. So I switched to a “sliding float” method with a spinning rod—hoping to cover more water.

By 10 a.m., other anglers started showing up. One guy pulled out a fish finder—scanned the water, shook his head. “No fish here. Bottom’s clean, no weeds, no cover.” Great. Another guy asked about the plastic bag on my bike handlebars. “What’s in there? Rocks? For fishing?”

The Rock Mystery: What Are These Lightweight Stones?

Ah, the rocks! I picked them up on the way to the spot. They’re super light (like almost floaty) but hard. I thought they’d be perfect for plant drainage—break ’em up, put ’em at the bottom of pots, keeps roots from rotting. The angler laughed: “I thought they were for fishing weights or something!” Nope—just a fisherman’s side hustle: rock collecting for gardening.

After fishing, I grabbed more small rocks on the way home. Better for pots, right? And hey—even though I didn’t catch a single fish, I got a bag full of rocks. Is that “ultimate angler” status? Maybe. I call it “making the most of a bad fishing day.”

Wrap-Up: No Fish, But Good Vibes

By 1 p.m., I packed up. No bites, no fish—total “blank day” (fisherman slang for no catch). But did I care? Nah. Because:

• I fixed all the broken stuff at home the day before (wife’s happy)
• I rode my bike 32+ kilometers (exercise win)
• I found cool rocks for my plants (gardening win)
• I spent the day outside, not stuck in a car or office (mental health win)

New Year’s vacation ended with three fishing trips—all blanks. But hey, that’s fishing. It’s not about the fish. It’s about the ride, the quiet, the weird side projects (like rock collecting), and the stupid experiments (like kitchen spice bait). And let’s be real—if I’d caught a fish, I’d just have to clean it. This way? I got rocks. Way easier.

Quick Note: Spring’s Coming!

Today was the first day of the fifth “nine” (a Chinese solar term—basically, it’s almost spring). In 10-15 days, the ice will melt, the birds will come back, and the fish will start biting again. I’m ready. My rods are ready. My rocks? Already in the pots. Bring on the spring fishing!

P.S. If you know what these lightweight rocks are (they’re not volcanic pumice—too dense), hit me up! I’ve searched online and found nothing. Help a fellow angler (and rock collector) out.