Reuniting with an Old Fishing Buddy After 10 Years: A Sunny Spring Fishing Trip (13–23°C, 2–3 Breeze)

Let me tell you—when I got a random friend request on WhatsApp last month, I almost hit “ignore.” The message just said, “I’m your old fishing buddy.” Harmless, but who uses that line these days? But then I squinted at the profile pic, and my jaw dropped. This was Li—my old pal from the Suzhou Fishing Forum back in the day! Ten years had flown by, and here he was, popping up out of nowhere. I hit “accept” faster than a fish hits a worm, and before I knew it, we were planning a fishing trip for the weekend.

Meeting Up on a Perfect Spring Day

The forecast said sunny, 13–23°C, 2–3 breeze—ideal fishing weather. I rolled up to the riverbank at 1 PM, and there was Li, already set up with his gear, grinning like a kid who just found a hidden tackle box. We swapped quick hugs, grabbed a packed lunch from a nearby spot, and then it was time to cast lines. But first, let’s talk about the fish situation—because that’s what we’re all here for, right?

The Morning Bite (Before I Arrived)

Li got there at 10 AM, and he was on fire! He told me he was landing small crucian carp left and right until 11:30 AM—“nonstop, like the fish were lining up,” he said. But then a couple of electric fishermen showed up (you know the type—ruin everyone’s day with their noisy gear), and the bite died down instantly. Total buzzkill. By the time I got there, the fish were being shy—classic midday slump, especially with that warm spring sun.

My Gear: A Throwback to 10 Years Ago

Since we were reuniting after a decade, I decided to dig out my old 4.5m “Crucian Knife” rod—my go-to back in the forum days. Paired it with a shallow-water float that weighed 1.18 grams (perfect for 1.2m depth, which is what we had here). The river was about 10 meters wide, and the surface was covered in tiny fish—black clouds of them, just darting around. That meant tiny fish nibbling at everything—great for entertainment, not so great for catching the bigger ones we wanted.

Getting the Fish to Bite: Trial and Error

First, I used my homemade grain mix for chumming. Tossed a few handfuls, and within 10 minutes, I saw bubbles—fish were coming! I adjusted the float a few times, then started “pumping” the rod (you know, the slow up-and-down to attract fish) and… nothing. Wait, no—wait a second! A tiny tug. I lifted the rod, and up came a baby crucian carp—like, smaller than my thumb. Li laughed so hard he snort-laughed. “Same old you,” he said. “Still catching tiddlers!”

But then we switched tactics. Li ran to a nearby shop and grabbed a pack of earthworms—game changer. I baited up, cast, and bam—instant bite! The rod bent into a huge arc (softer rods mean bigger bends, even with small fish), and a guy walking by stopped and yelled, “Whoa, that’s a monster!” When I reeled it in, we both cracked up—another tiny fish, but the drama was real. Even the other anglers nearby noticed; one switched to red worms right away and started catching too.

10 Years of Fishing Memories: From Forum Days to Now

While we waited for bites, we talked nonstop about the old days. Back then, the Suzhou Fishing Forum was the place to be—no smartphones, so everyone carried digital cameras to take pics of their catches and post them. We had inside jokes, like “the worm faith” (Li swore by earthworms for everything) and the time he tried to catch a silver carp with a 4.5m rod and snapped it in half. He even remembered my old “Keyou Mingliu T01” rod—“That thing was a tank,” he said. “You caught so many fish with it.”

Now, Li runs his own factory—who would’ve guessed? After we packed up at 4 PM, he gave me a tour. The place was busy, but he made time to show me his office (complete with a fishing rod hanging on the wall—classic). We swapped “fishing swag”: I gave him two bottles of my homemade herbal fishing wine, and he gave me a bag of his secret crucian carp bait. It felt like a 10-year reunion ritual—no fancy gifts, just stuff we love.

Spring Fishing Tips We Learned (The Hard Way)

We didn’t catch a ton of big fish, but we picked up a few tricks that day—stuff every angler should know for spring:

• Earthworms/red worms are non-negotiable: Small fish love them, and bigger fish follow. We saw at least three other anglers switch to worms after watching us.
• Midday slump is real: The sun was hot, so the fish went deep. If you can, fish early morning or late afternoon in spring.
• Shallow water = tiny fish: Our spot was 1.2m deep, so most bites were small. Next time, we’re trying 1.5–2m depth.
• Chum with grain, but don’t overdo it: Too much chum fills the fish up—they won’t bite your bait.

Wrapping Up: Fish Go Home, We Go Home

By 4 PM, the sun was starting to dip, and the bite slowed way down. We packed up our gear, said goodbye to the other anglers, and Li drove me to his factory. After the tour, we hugged again and promised to meet up soon—maybe next month, maybe next year, but definitely soon. On the drive home, I thought about how crazy it is that a random friend request led to this. Ten years ago, we were just two guys posting fishing pics online; now, we’re back on the water, laughing like we never stopped.

And hey—if any old Suzhou Fishing Forum members are reading this (you know who you are, DIY moderators!), hit me up. Let’s plan a group trip. The more, the merrier—even if we just catch tiny fish and tell old stories.

Until next time, tight lines! 🎣