Autumn Fishing Fever: Why I Hit the River Before the Holiday Rush
Oh man, autumn has been hitting different this year-crisp air, lower temps, and that perfect “let’s go fishing” vibe. And with the Autumn Equinox falling on September 23rd? You know I couldn’t stay home. Plus, the National Day holiday is just around the corner (like, 6-7 days away!), and let’s be real: holiday fishing spots turn into chaos. Crowds everywhere, spots hard to find, and with a high school senior grandson at home? I’m not risking any COVID stuff-no public transport, no crowded places. So I decided to cram in as much fishing as possible before the holiday to scratch that itch… and maybe catch a surprise or two.
So off I went to Xiaoqing River’s Yancang Wharf-my go-to spot lately, even though the fish there are super skittish from all the regular anglers. Let’s dive into how the day went!
Day Details: Weather, Gear, and Prepping Bait Like a Pro
First, let’s set the scene: September 23rd, Friday (Autumn Equinox), cloudy with a north wind (forecast said 5, but it was more like 3-thank goodness). Temps 13-21°C, pressure 1003 hPa. Fishing index 73, fish activity 64. But that north wind and sudden temp drop? I knew the bite would be tricky. Also, Yancang Wharf has deep water, waves, and fish that’ve seen every bait under the sun-so I prepped three types of bait the night before, stashed in the fridge. Let’s list ’em:
- Bait 1: 3 parts Big Fish King Fragrant + 1 part Big Fish King Fishy + 6 drops Energy Fruit Acid
- Bait 2: 2 parts Wuliang You Musk Flavor + 1 part All-Kill Fragrant
- Bait 3: Backup-earthworms (can’t go wrong with live bait!)
I took the first bus, two transfers, and got to the wharf at 7 AM. Most good spots were taken, so I squeezed into a spot between two willow trees-4.5m rod would work there, no problem with the branches. Gear check: 4.5m stream rod, 1.0+0.8 line set, 3# sleeve hook. Water depth ~2.8m, current slow. I used a Big Fish King reed float with 2.4g weight-adjusted to flat water, then added a little lead for a 10cm sliding lead, so the float moved a tiny bit but never more than 1m (perfect for the current).
The First Hour: Small Bites, Frustrating Starts
First step: bait the spot. I mixed Wuliang You crucian bottom bait with 2x Wuliang You Fruit Acid + a little sticky powder, then used a stainless steel feeder to send it 30-40cm upstream. Gotta get those fish curious! Then I started casting-wait, no, I “pulled” the rod (you know, the steady cast-pull to draw fish in). At first? Only the “scouts”-tiny fish nipping the bait, no real bites. I switched to Big Fish King Fishy-Fragrant bait as a kneaded ball, but that just brought more tiny fish. Ugh, those little guys are the worst-they steal bait before the big ones even show up!
Then the float started dancing (thanks to the waves). Suddenly a tiny dip-boom! I lifted the rod fast, and up came a tiny crucian carp. Yes! Finally a real fish. I didn’t bring a bucket or net (planned to release everything, since I was just here for fun), so I unhooked it and tossed it back. No big deal, but it was a sign-fish were around.
Surprise! Small Crucian Carp Spree
After that first tiny crucian, things got weird-good weird. I switched to: one hook with earthworm, one with kneaded bait. And boom! Bites started nonstop. I caught 7-8 tiny crucians in a row-never happened here before! I was so hyped I stood up to fish (tired? Just switch feet on the stone railing beam). Another spree hit-one after another, tiny but fun. Out here, it’s not about big fish-it’s the rush of feeling a bite, lifting the rod, and feeling that little tug. Total joy!
Wait, then the bites stopped. I tried double kneaded bait, double earthworms-nothing. Sometimes the earthworm would be gone without a float dip! Ugh, those sneaky tiny fish again. So I went back to my first bait mix (3:1 Big Fish King + fruit acid)-let’s see if that works.
The Big Surprise: A Beautiful Small Carp!
I cast with the first bait mix, kneaded balls. Waited… waited… then-BAM! A full black float (that’s the “I’ve got a big one” sign). My heart dropped-was it a big crucian? A carp? I gripped the rod tight, kept the angle up, used the rod’s flex to pull left and right. The tug was heavy-maybe 1kg? But I was using 3# sleeve hook-super thin, so I had to be careful. After a few minutes of tug-of-war, I saw it: a beautiful small carp! Round, red tail, red mouth-so cute!
My neighbor angler saw the fight and grabbed his net-saved me! We got it in, and I just stared. It was too pretty to keep-growing, just a little guy. I kissed it (yes, I’m that weird angler) and released it right away. Can’t take a baby fish home, even if it’s a surprise catch.
After the Carp: Quiet, Then Time to Go
After releasing the carp, the spot went dead. Like, no bites at all-even tiny fish. Why? Oh right-when I fought the carp, I couldn’t pull it away from the spot (too many willow branches on sides), so it scared all the other fish away. Oops. I cast for 30-40 minutes-nothing. Nada. Not even a minnow. It was almost 11 AM, so I packed up. No biggie-today was way better than I expected.
Total catch: dozens of tiny crucians (released all) and one beautiful small carp (released). I went light-no bucket, no extra gear-just a rod, line, three baits, and a good time. Who knew a casual pre-holiday trip would turn into a carp surprise?
What I Learned (And What I’ll Do Next Time)
Today’s trip wasn’t about records-it was about fun and surprises. But if I had to pick a few takeaways? Let’s see:
- Prep multiple baits: Fish are picky, especially in tricky weather. Having options saved the day (the carp loved the fruit acid mix!)
- Adjust your float: Current and waves mess with bites-sliding lead was perfect here to keep the bait steady.
- Keep it light: No bucket, no extra gear = less hassle, more focus on the fun.
- Low expectations = big surprises: I went just to scratch the itch, and got a carp! Who knew?
Oh, and one thing I forgot: add time stamps to photos! I sent these to my fishing club buddies, but no timestamps-oops. Next time I’ll remember. But hey, the memories are real, even without the stamps.
Now I’m home, tired but happy. The holiday’s coming, so I’ll rest up-no crowded spots, just me, maybe a book, and waiting for the next autumn fishing day. Who knows? Next time maybe a bigger carp? Or a crucian that’s actually a little bigger? Either way, I’m ready.
