My Fishing Diary at the Driving School Pond: The Hype vs. The Reality
Hey everyone, I’m Brother Cao. Today I’m sharing my latest wild fishing story from the driving school pond in Northeast China. I went in thinking I’d “explode the bucket” (catch a huge haul), but things didn’t go as planned. Let’s dive into the details!
First Impressions of the Driving School Pond: No One Goes Home Empty-Handed… Except My Uncle?
Let me start by saying this driving school pond does produce fish. Seriously—no matter how much you catch, you won’t leave empty-handed. Even my master’s wife (Auntie) can catch 1 or 2 fish every time she comes. The bites are slow, but there are definitely fish here. Well… except my uncle. He’s been here several times now, and he still keeps getting skunked (no fish). Can’t even catch a decent crucian carp—what can I say?
Our Daily Fishing Routine: Early Mornings and Nucleic Acid Tests
These days, we’re balancing fishing with nucleic acid tests (twice a week). Me, Uncle Zhang, and my master always do the test after we get back from fishing at noon. Let me walk you through our typical day:
- My sleep schedule’s flipped: I used to stay up till 10 PM, but now I’m dead tired by 8 PM and pass out. But I wake up super early—4 AM, when it’s still dark—just scrolling my phone.
- By 5 AM, the sky starts to lighten. I pack my gear, and by 5:30, Uncle Zhang calls to confirm. Then I put on my fishing gear and meet him at Beigang Intersection. We head straight to the pond behind the driving school.
- My master’s even more dedicated: He goes home at noon to pick up Auntie, do the test, then they come back around 2 PM to fish again. They leave at 4 PM every day. That energy? I have to respect it.
Today’s Weather: Frosty Mornings and Cold Feet
It frosted again today! The puddles on the cement road to the pond had a thin layer of ice, and the weeds were covered in frost. I wore two pairs of cotton pants, so I wasn’t cold… but my feet? Freezing. Pro tip for fellow anglers: If your feet get cold, try wrapping newspaper around them inside your shoes. I did it, and it works better than thick socks! Who knew?
Fishing Spots and Gear: Why I Moved West
Uncle Zhang and my master stuck to their usual spot on the west bank. I normally fish the north bank, but today I moved a bit west. Here’s why:
- The east side of the north bank gets windy, which makes it hard to see the float.
- The sun’s glare in the morning is brutal—can’t keep my eyes on the float at all. Moving west fixed both issues.
My gear today: 3 nine-meter rods (baited with earthworms + chicken liver) and 1 7.2-meter rod (using a “meat sandwich” lure mix). But guess what? My uncle showed up at 7 AM and took my 7.2-meter rod—said he needed it. So I was left with just the three 9m rods.
The Bite: A Hot Start, Then Crickets
Oh man, the start was fire. As soon as I cast my three 9m rods, I got consecutive bites—four crucian carp in a row! By 8 AM, I’d already caught six. I even recorded a video saying I might “explode the bucket” today. But then… poof. The bites stopped. After that, I had to “stab the needle” (move around to find active fish) and only caught four more crucian carp by 11 AM. Total for me: 10 crucian carp (two small ones, the rest decent size).
My master was jealous. When I was getting consecutive bites, he ran to the south bank, then to my spot, trying to find bites. He said, “I’m so anxious—watching you catch fish while I get nothing drives me crazy!” In the end, he went back to his west bank spot, and that’s where he finally got bites.
How Everyone Else Did: The Good, The Bad, and The Skunked
- My Master: He used a sea rod (someone gave it to him, but he didn’t know how to use it—so I set up the string hooks for him yesterday and taught him today). By the time I left, he’d caught 3 crucian carp on his hand rod and 2 on the sea rod. Not bad!
- Uncle Zhang: He had a slow day—only 2 crucian carp. I gave him 4 of mine when we left.
- My Uncle: Total disaster. He fished the spot where I usually catch sand gobies and bullheads, but those small fish didn’t bite at all today. He only caught 2 tiny crucian carp. Poor guy—he doesn’t have long rods (his son-in-law has a 9m rod but won’t lend it), so he always borrows mine.
- Auntie (Master’s Wife): She came around 2 PM (she helps my junior brother at the shop in the morning). She’s got a huge fishing addiction—no mahjong, no square dancing, just fishing. I hope she caught something later!
Final Thoughts: The Frost, The Tiredness, and Tomorrow’s Plan
Today was tiring. I sat there all day, and my face felt flushed from the cold wind. I gave most of my catch to my uncle and Uncle Zhang—went home with nothing, but that’s okay. The best part was the early-morning bites and hanging out with the guys.
Pro tip for Northeast anglers this season: It’s getting cold! Wear warm clothes (my master wore a big yellow cotton jacket—borrowed it for a bit, and it was so warm. I’m digging mine out tomorrow). And don’t forget the newspaper trick for cold feet!
Tomorrow’s another nice day—no rain. I’ll be back at the driving school pond. Maybe tomorrow I’ll actually explode the bucket? We’ll see.
