Fishing Diary: Epic Catch at Menlou Reservoir After Decades of No Water Release!

Oh man, you guys won’t believe the fishing day I just had! I’ve been itching to hit the water lately-life’s been busy, so my fishing trips have been few and far between. But when I heard Menlou Reservoir was releasing water for the first time in decades? I dropped everything. Let me spill the tea (or should I say, the fish stories?) step by step!

First Stop: The Disappointing Dry Bed

Menlou Reservoir is no joke-it’s a local drinking water source built in 1958, stretching 44 kilometers. I remember you used to need a permit to fish here, but it’s been closed for 7-8 years now. Rumor has it there are giants in there-turtles as big as rural cooking pots! I was hyped.

My first plan was to check the downstream of the dam: Jiahe Yushuzhuang River Section. I rolled up at 10 AM, ready to cast my line… and what did I see? The water was completely dry! Like, bottom of the riverbed exposed, no fish, no nothing. I stood there like, “Are you kidding me?!” My initial excitement turned into a mental eye-roll. Time to pivot.

Second Stop: The Sand Pit Rescue

Since the first spot was a bust, I hopped in my car and drove 8 kilometers upstream to a second spot. I remembered this area used to be a sand-mining site-there are tons of deep pits that should hold water, right? Fingers crossed!

Luckily, finally-water! I got there at 10:30 AM, and there were 4-5 other anglers already set up. I walked around to check their catches: not great, maybe 4-5 fish total, but they were decent size-2 taels (about 10g) minimum. The water had a little current, so I knew I’d need to adjust my setup. Game on.

My Fishing Setup for the Day

Let’s break down what I used-this is crucial for anyone trying to replicate similar conditions!

• Rod: 3.9m (I forget the brand, but it’s my go-to for river spots)
• Line: 1.5 main line + 0.8 fluorocarbon leader (big mistake later-more on that!)
• Hook: Size 6 sleeve hook (light for big fish, but I thought the current would make big hooks too obvious)
• Bait: Homemade mix (I’m a bait nerd, okay?)
• Float: 1.9g nano float (super sensitive, perfect for subtle bites)

Bait Recipe: The Secret Sauce

I mixed up a combo that’s worked for me in cold, slightly murky water:

• 50% Wuliangyou (fragrant & fishy)
• 25% Wuliangyou (fruity, to attract curious fish)
• 25% Lanji Tianxia (super fishy, for cold water when fish need extra scent)
• 5-10% Wuliangyou rice wine (to add a little kick and attract bigger fish)
• Water ratio: 1:1 (mix until it’s a soft, moldable ball-no crumbly, no runny)

Float Setup: Adapting to Current

First, I tried a standard setup: adjust to flat water, fish 2-3 eyes (that’s how we count float bites-each “eye” is a small mark). But the current was way stronger than I thought! The float was zipping across the water-no way to get a good bite reading. So I switched to running lead (a heavy sinker that slides on the line) and a smaller float. Now I fished 4 eyes, and shortened my leader to keep the bait closer to the bottom. Current = high float eyes-got it!

The Action: Non-Stop Bites (Until the Giants Came)

Okay, let’s get to the good stuff! I started casting, and within a few minutes… bite! The float was twitching half an eye-running lead makes bites super subtle, so you have to watch like a hawk. I set the hook, and bam-a nice fish! It was 2 taels minimum, some up to half a catty (20g)-solid crucian carp, the good stuff.

For 30 minutes straight, I was in link mode (that’s angler slang for non-stop bites-one after another). Average 2 minutes per fish! The guys next to me were staring-their spots were dead, and I was hauling in fish left and right. I felt like a fishing rockstar… until the bubbles came.

First Giant: The 3-Pound Carp That Got Away

Out of nowhere, a string of bubbles the size of corn popped up in my spot-carp! I thought, “Please don’t take my bait-my 0.8 leader is way too thin for a big carp!” But fate is cruel. Five eyes, a strong downward bite (three eyes gone in a second)-I set the hook, and oh no-the rod went limp? Wait, no-the fish was pulling so hard I couldn’t lift the rod. It swam left, then right, steady as a tank.

Thank goodness I had a breakaway rope (that’s the thing you attach to your rod to let big fish pull without breaking it) tied to my tackle box! I quickly hooked it on, thinking, “Okay, I’ve got this.” But I was cocky. The carp saw the surface, freaked out, and bolt-my 0.8 leader snapped instantly before I could even let go of the rod. Ugh! That’s the worst feeling-knowing you had a monster on the line and lost it.

Second Giant: The One That Got Away (Again)

After the carp bolted, my spot went quiet for 30 minutes-fish are skittish, you know? Then, out of nowhere, a box of wine-soaked wheat berries floated down from 3-4 meters upstream-half full, and a bottle too! I grabbed my net and fished it out. I thought, “Why not try something new?” I put two wheat berries on a hook and cast it out.

First cast-float tops two eyes, then a downward bite-I set the hook, and whoa-this fish was heavy! It pulled left fast, then right. I thought it was a 1-catty (500g) crucian or maybe a bream, but the guys next to me yelled, “Carp! It’s a carp!” Then it dove down-I didn’t set the hook hard enough. It slipped away. Ugh, two giants gone in one day? I was starting to think the fish were trolling me.

Nightfall: The Final (and Biggest) Surprise

As the sun went down, I switched on my headlamp. The bites slowed down-only 10 more crucians. I was cold (the wind was biting!), and I had about an egg-sized ball of bait left. I thought, “Let’s use this up and go home.” I started casting fast-one after another, no bites. Then… float goes completely under (black bite) as soon as it hit the water–interface bite (fish hits the bait before it sinks)! I set the hook, and boom–instantly the fish took off. It was so heavy I couldn’t even react. My 1.0 leader snapped right away. I’m 100% sure that was a 5-pound (2.5kg) grass carp-those things are tanks! I cut three leaders that day… but man, the fight was worth it.

The Haul: 9 Pounds? Wait, No-Let’s Check

After all that drama, I pulled up my net. Let’s count: I had around 12 pounds (5.5kg) total, but I’m a “keep big, release small” guy. All the 1-ounce (30g) or smaller fish went back to the water. The ones I kept? Let’s just say when I got home and weighed them, it was 9 pounds (4kg)-still pretty solid!

Post-Fishing: Cooking and Bragging Rights

Cleaning fish is the worst part-took me an hour! But I turned it into a feast: I minced the small ones into fish balls, and the big ones? Braised with soy sauce and ginger, plus a fish soup. Check out the pics-does that look good or what?

I cracked open a cold beer, sat back, and thought, “Even though I lost those giants, today was epic.” Sometimes the best fishing days aren’t about the biggest catch-they’re about the surprises, the near-misses, and the stories you tell later. Oh, and I already re-spooled my rod: 4-pound main line, 0.8 fluorocarbon for fighting, size 6 Wolf tooth hooks. Next time, those giants aren’t getting away!

What’s your wildest fishing near-miss? Drop a comment below-let’s swap stories! And if you try my bait recipe, tag me-I wanna see your catches. Tight lines, everyone!