The Struggle Against Wind and Unimpressive Catches
These past few days, the wind has been getting stronger by the day. Last time I changed spots and set up an overnight nest, I went fishing the next day, but the results were far from ideal – only one crucian carp weighing around two to three taels and a bunch of silver carp. No decent catch means I’m too embarrassed to post about it!
Luckily, today is Sunday, my day off. I was ready to go all out. After finishing my morning shift, I arrived at the fishing spot I’d chosen last time at around 8 o’clock. The northwest wind was blowing at level four or five, which was really strong, but my spot was sheltered from the wind and sunny. Let the outside be stormy; I’m as steady as a rock in this corner!
Temperature: 6-16°C
Water depth: 3 meters
Bait formula: All-purpose fishy scent + wine-soaked rice
Line setup: 1.5 main line + 0.5 sub line, size 5 sleeve hook
Wind direction: Northwest wind, level four or five
Fishing position: Northwest corner
The Initial Battle with Silver Carp
My plan was to use rubbed baits to build the nest. Maybe it was because of the overnight nest I’d set up yesterday, but as soon as I cast the line, there were bites. Soon, I started catching fish – but unfortunately, they were all silver carp! So I kept rubbing baits to build the nest, casting one rod after another tirelessly. Of course, those little silver carp kept coming up non-stop!
After about twenty minutes of this, the silver carp were getting more and more intense. I decided to throw in some more nest material – if this kept up, I might end up playing with silver carp all day! I tossed two handfuls of my own soaked wine rice, made the bait formula into bigger rubbed baits, and kept going!
After another twenty minutes or so, even using bigger baits to penetrate the water layer didn’t solve the problem. There were not only silver carp but also minnow fish – it was a nightmare! That meant I had to use a more ruthless trick: running leadweights!
The Game-Changer: Running Leadweights
Changing to running leadweights is actually quite simple. I didn’t even need to add more lead; I just switched to a float with a smaller lead weight. I changed from a float with a 2-gram lead to one with a 1.5-gram lead, and finally, the bait could reach the bottom!
Once the bait reached the bottom, crucian carp weren’t far away! Look, they came quickly! The size was pretty good, so I kept rubbing baits and fishing!
Sometimes, when everything is right, catching fish becomes a natural process. One after another, sometimes even double catches – it was great!
The Lull and Preparations for the Afternoon
Later, the fish bites slowed down. My original plan was to test the fish situation in the morning and get ready for a big afternoon session. I noticed that my 5.4-meter Zhu Lu classic fishing rod was covered in dirt. I smelled it – ugh, it was really stinky! So I had to wash the rod while fishing.
My childhood friend came over and said he wanted to eat fish in the evening. The rubbed baits were almost gone, so I took out the few fish I had, kept the big ones and released the small ones to give to him. But I promised him the afternoon catch would be better, so he should come back then!
I almost forgot the most important thing: refilling the nest to prepare for the afternoon fishing. My own soaked wine rice is still being tested for effectiveness.
Cleaning up the trash: I came in a hurry, but I’m leaving clean!
I’m full of hope and anticipation for the afternoon. I’ll go home to rest for a while and then come back to fight in the afternoon!
