My Morning Recon: The Pre-Fishing Jitters That Kept Me Up
I fished for about two hours in the morning—like I mentioned last time, it was mainly to scout the fish situation for the afternoon. So I headed back around 11:30 to catch some sleep. But here’s the thing about anglers: once you’ve hit a spot, you can’t sleep soundly! I crashed at 12:30, but by 1:10, I was tossing and turning, dreaming about my spot and whether the fish were already swarming the bait. I rolled around until 1:30, sighed, and thought, “I can’t take this anymore—time to go fish!”
Afternoon Showtime: My Secret Weapon (Homegrown Worms!) Takes Center Stage
I brought out my secret weapon for the afternoon: earthworms I dug up from my vegetable garden at home. I got to the spot and immediately rigged them up—would this homemade bait actually work?
The First Game-Changer: Longer Rod + Run-Lead Rig for Those Pesky Minnows
I didn’t waste any time once I got there—I grabbed my 5.4m Zhulu Classic rod as my main setup. Why? Because during the morning session, my 4.8m rod had me stretching forward nonstop; it felt like the fish were hanging out farther away.
Anglers, listen up: if you’re using worm bait, you have to fish on the heavier side! Set your float to level water or one eye, then fish at two, three, four, or five eyes—whatever works. But I went even more extreme: there were a ton of minnow at my spot, so I used a run-lead rig to get the bait to the crucian carp’s mouths fast, no detours.
Double Tail on the First Cast? The Spot Was Already Popping!
Was it the spot kicking in, or did my adjustments hit the mark? My first cast with a worm head hooked a double tail right away! Once again, proof that if there are fish in the spot, they’ll eat—no matter what!
But I couldn’t leave well enough alone. I set up my 4.8m rod too. And while I was messing with that, the 5.4m rod didn’t stop biting! Sometimes when you’re obsessing over catches, you get nothing—but when you’re not overthinking it? Fish after fish roll in.
Don’t Let the Spot Go Cold: Bait Mix for Topping Up the Spot
After about 20 minutes, I thought, “I can’t just sit here and let the spot die out!” So I mixed up some bait—mostly all-purpose fishy scent, a little less all-purpose sweet, plus rice wine to keep the fish around. I used my 4.8m Zhulu Crucian rod to chum while fishing with the 5.4m Classic. I was so busy, I could barely keep up!
The Second Adjustment: Even Longer Rod to Outrun the Gobies
Maybe the commotion drew them in, but gobies started showing up—and once they did, the bite slowed down. So I made my second change: I put away the 4.8m rod and grabbed a 6m Jiangang rod to cast even farther.
Did the longer rod help? You bet! The crucian carp came back like nothing had happened.
The Sun Dips, the Bite Dies: Time to Pack Up
Today, I fished with worms the whole time, topped up the spot with bait mix, and used homemade rice wine to set the initial spot. But here’s the catch: I’d picked a spot in the northwest corner. It was sheltered from the wind and sunny in the morning, but after 4 PM, the sun completely disappeared.
Fish are so sensitive this season! The second the sun was gone, the bite stopped cold. I tried everything—nothing worked. No choice but to pack up and head home.
Keeping My Promise: Share the Catch, Release the Rest
I’d promised my best friend some fish this morning, so I set aside a few big ones for him. Then I released the rest. Gotta follow nature’s rules: keep the big ones, let the small ones go, so we can keep fishing later!
My Takeaways (For Fellow Anglers Who Hate Wasting Trips)
Today taught me a few new things, and I want to pass them on—no fancy jargon, just real stuff:
- As the temperature drops, crucian carp spend less time near the shore. Casting farther is the way to go for better catches.
- Cooler mornings aren’t great for fishing anymore—stick to the afternoon if you can.
- Pick spots that are sheltered from the wind, sunny, and near weedy areas with lots of cover.
Next time, I’m going back to an old spot I fished a while ago. The spot I used today was sheltered and sunny (in the morning) with deep water, but once the sun left, it was useless. The old spot? It stays sunny longer. Fingers crossed for some big crucian carp—can’t wait!
