Night Fishing During Cooling: Empty Bag and Lots of Smoke – A Real Angling Experience

It Started with a Call on a Cooking Afternoon

November 10th, around 11 am, I was in the middle of making lunch when my old classmate called out of the blue. “Got the day off! No work for me,” he said excitedly. “Let’s go fishing at Yinghe River!” Turns out, his unit had a close contact, so he was temporarily off work. He lives in the countryside, and since we hadn’t crossed paths, this was the perfect chance to fish. But I had some other chores to finish, so I told him to head out first.

By afternoon, the village announced a nucleic acid test. That’s when I ran into Tiger—you know, the guy who always seems to know the weather. “Tomorrow’s gonna be a big drop, bro,” he said. “Rain coming, and temps plummeting. Don’t fish today, or you’ll be stuck for days.” I thought, “Alright, let’s go then!”

Headed to the River with a Slight Warning

After wrapping up the test around 3 pm, my cousins Lei and Dong were busy at home, so it was just me, Tiger, and my wife (we’ll call her “Leader” for now) heading to the fishing spot. When we arrived at Sun Di River Bend, it was packed with anglers—so many people that it felt like a festival. We kept walking and ended up at the old bridge-side spot I’d used before.

Wait, the excavator was still there, churning up the riverbed with a loud “rumble-rumble.” This had been going on for days, and honestly, it was driving me nuts. But around 8 pm, they finally left—thank goodness! The river bend was usually crowded, but most anglers seemed to be leaving early, so we snagged the spot quickly.

Looking around, the river had risen by about 20 cm, carrying some trash. I spent 10 minutes cleaning up the area, which made the spot feel way cleaner. Time to prep for night fishing!

Prepping Gear for a Cold Night

Last night, my 4.5m rod had better luck with small fish, and today’s temperature was steady, so I brought both 4.5m and 5.7m rods. My line setup and float were all “old reliable”—no need to mess with those. We still had leftover bait from yesterday: the “classic three” combo (a mix of flour, soybean meal, and shrimp paste) that never fails. I took a portion, mixed in some rice wine for a quick nest, and kept the rest for direct bait.

Wait, the construction crew was dumping dirt into the river near the bridge! The water got all choppy, and my float was bouncing up and down with every ripple. If a fish was biting, I’d never tell the difference. I tried to ignore it, but after 30 minutes of waiting, I started to worry: “Is there even a bite here?”

The sun set, painting the trees with amber light, and the cool breeze felt nice. I took out my rod, cast it—then the float became a “fixed needle” with no movement. At 5 pm, the wind picked up, and I started to feel cold. I took out some snacks, munching while waiting. Meanwhile, my wife checked the float every 5 minutes, just like usual.

Night Falls, Fish Go Silent

By 7:30 pm, the construction finally stopped, and the water calmed down. I texted my classmate—he replied, “No bites at all.” Same went for Tiger. Looking around, every angler around me was silent too. No fish splashing, no float wiggles—just the sound of crickets and distant chatter. “What’s wrong today?” I thought.

We all stuck it out, but no luck. Some guys tried changing bait, others moved spots, but nothing worked. Tiger was frustrated: “If no bite by 8 pm, let’s go home!” I agreed—we’d been waiting over 4 hours, and the whole river was “silent.” Then, around 8:30 pm, my 4.5m rod twitched. I lunged for it, but the line went slack—no fish. A minute later, the 5.7m rod had a massive “top float,” but I was too slow to set the hook. Just like that, the river went silent again.

So, we packed up around 8:30 pm. No fish, just a lot of cigarettes. Tiger and I smoked together, laughing about how “fishing is half waiting, half smoking.” My wife summed it up: “Today was a blank day, but at least we got some smoke time!”

Why No Fish? The Cooling Effect

After we got home, we all wondered: Why did the whole river go quiet? It must’ve been the sudden temperature drop. Tigers said, “Fish get lazy in cold water!” That makes sense—we’d been fishing in 15°C weather, then the next day it dropped to 8°C. No wonder fish stopped biting.

Some anglers tried “quanyi xing” (another bait combo), but it didn’t help. The key here was the weather, not the bait. So, what could we do next time?

Lessons from This “Cold Night Fishing”

1. Check the forecast—Always check the weather 2-3 days ahead. A sudden drop like this is brutal for night fishing.

2. Warm gear is key—Bring extra layers, a hat, maybe even a small heater for your hands. Cold kills energy, and fish are sluggish too.

3. Bait adjustments—Maybe add more shrimp paste or sweeteners if it’s cold. Warmer water temps need more protein, but cold water fish need energy boosters.

4. Patience with “blank days”—Even if you don’t catch, the experience is still fun! Just don’t forget to bring snacks and a good book.

Today taught me: Fishing’s not just about catching fish—it’s about the stories, the laughs, and even the wasted cigarettes. Maybe next time, we’ll hit a warmer river, or fish in the morning when temps are higher. But for now, I’ll enjoy the rest of the weekend, smoking a fresh cigarette, and planning the next trip!

What’s your worst “blank fishing day” story? Drop a comment below—I’d love to hear how you stayed positive (or smoked through it)! 🎣