Even the Best Anglers Struggle at Noon, But I Still Scored a Nice Little Catch | My April 14 Fishing Adventure
The Go-To Spot That Never Leaves Me Empty-Handed
April 14 rolled in with that perfect in-between weather: partly cloudy turning overcast, temps ranging from 57°F to 77°F, and a gentle 3-westerly breeze. For me, that’s non-negotiable fishing weather—no excuses to skip my daily cast. My destination? The big water body under the high-speed rail bridge south of town. If you’ve read my past posts, you know this spot is my safety net. I never get skunked here. Sure, the crucian carp are mostly on the smaller side, but every now and then, luck smiles, and I hook into a 2-3 tael (that’s 1-1.5 ounces for my metric friends) crucian or even a carp, which fights like a champ and gives me that satisfying tug we all live for.
With limited time on my hands, I stuck to my tried-and-true approach for prepping spots: just two nests baited with fermented rice, each getting about a third of a cup. I cast a bit closer than usual, extending my rod to six sections—no need to overcomplicate things when time’s tight.
A Detour That Led to a Game-Changing Fish Spot
While waiting for the nests to draw in fish, I wandered around the nearby village, and let me tell you, the gossip I heard had me sprinting. A group of local elders was chatting about a long river to the east, where anglers were hauling in 10-20 jin (5-10 kg!) of fish in a single day. Are you kidding me? I dropped everything and hightailed it over there—fish like that don’t wait for anyone.
It was only a few hundred meters down the riverbank, but when I got there, I was blown away. A handful of anglers already had their keepers nets in the water, and an older gentleman—easily in his 70s—was packing up his gear. I struck up a conversation, and he told me he’d arrived around 8 a.m. and fished until 11:40 a.m., landing roughly 2-2.5 kg of fish. The big ones were 2-3 tael (1-1.5 ounces), and even the smaller ones were a solid 1 tael (0.5 ounces). For a guy his age to haul that much in three and a half hours? That’s not just good fishing—it’s proof this river is a hidden gem.
This river stretches on forever, with a wide surface and a slow, gentle current—perfect for avoiding those annoying snags that ruin a good day. The water depth hovers between 3 to 6 feet, which is ideal for platform fishing. But here’s the kicker: I only had about an hour and a half to fish that day. There was no way I could set up properly here, so I filed this spot away for the weekend. Mark my words, I’ll be back with all my gear, ready to spend the whole day casting here.
Back to My Nests: Short Time, Solid Fun
After my side trip, I checked the time and realized my nests had been sitting for about 40 minutes—plenty of time for fish to find the bait. I hauled my gear back to the rail bridge spot, sticking to my traditional fishing setup because it’s never let me down:
- Rod: 10-meter long traditional fishing rod
- Line set: 1.0 monofilament line with seven-star float
- Hook: Size 5 Haixi upturned hook
- Ground bait: Western Musk fermented rice
- Bait: Earthworms (the old reliable!)
The First Nest: Non-Stop Action (Even With a Slip-Up)
I started at the first nest, and let me tell you, the fish were hungry. The hook hit the bottom, and the float shot up immediately—an intercept bite! I lifted the rod fast, and I had a crucian carp on… until it flipped off in mid-air. Ugh, the classic “didn’t set the hook right” mistake. But I didn’t dwell on it; I cast right back in. Three seconds later, the float wiggled a little, then slowly rose— textbook crucian carp bite. I set the hook firm this time, and pulled a tiny crucian carp straight out of the water, no escape this time.
I rebaited with a fresh earthworm and cast again, and before the float even settled, it stopped sinking. Another intercept bite! I lifted, and this time it was a big white bait fish—we’re talking decent size, not the tiny ones you throw back. If I could catch a dozen of these, I’d fry them up crispy for dinner, and they’d taste like absolute heaven.
I fished the first nest for about 20 minutes, hooking a few more small crucian carp along the way. Nothing huge, but every bite felt like a little win—exactly what I was after when I headed out that day.
The Second Nest: A Total Bust (Back to the First!)
After the first nest slowed down, I switched to the second one, which was about 1.5 to 2 feet shallower than the first. But no matter how much I twitched the bait or waited, nothing happened. Not a single nibble. Ten minutes of staring at a motionless float later, I threw in the towel and headed back to the first nest, where at least I knew there were fish.
Fishing the first nest for another 20 minutes, I managed two more crucian carp and another big white bait fish, just as nice as the first one. But eventually, the bites dried up completely, and I glanced at my phone—already 1 p.m. Time to pack up, since I had to get to work that afternoon.
Wrapping Up: It’s Not About the Catch, But the Fun
All in all, I fished for about 50 minutes, ending up with five small crucian carp and two plump white bait fish. It’s not a haul to brag about at the local bait shop, but for a quick midday session, it was more than enough. At the end of the day, us anglers don’t just fish for the fish—we fish for that feeling of calm, the excitement of the first bite, and the stories we get to tell later. And honestly? Having that 50 minutes to myself made going into work that afternoon way easier—no more jittery “I should be fishing” energy bouncing around my head.
To all my fellow anglers out there, keep exploring new spots, chat up the local elders (they know all the secrets), and don’t get discouraged if your catch is small. Sometimes the best days are the ones where you just get to wet a line, even if it’s only for an hour. I’ll be heading back to that new river spot on the weekend, and I’ll definitely report back with how it goes—wish me luck!
