Casual chatting aside, once he entered the competition mode, Zhang Yang instantly seemed like a different person, still using lead weights with bait to create four small bait zones, then pinching two pieces of wet scattered bait onto the double hooks and casting them into the baiting spot.
A small yellow noodle wet scattered bait made with a 1:0.5 water ratio, its state falling between scattering cannon and molding bait.
After entering the water, it doesn't rapidly atomize but rather absorbs water in the mid-water to near-bottom layers before beginning to expand and detach.
Overall, the atomization effect is greatly reduced, but the error margin in fishing has been noticeably improved.
In future black pit slang, there's a saying: when fish conditions are unclear, small bait goes first, referring to Zhang Yang's current baiting thought process when using wet scattered bait to fish.
Why does using small wet scattered bait increase the error margin? Actually, the reasoning is not complex, it can be explained independently here.
The atomization of bait is a double-edged sword; for pure bold fish, atomization is not a negative condition.
Conversely, when fish sense the bait powder in the water, they get excited and quickly enter the bait zone, gathering in groups to compete for food.
However, for fish that have been hooked before, atomization doesn't necessarily make them act so boldly.
Here, we can apply a scientific concept mentioned in middle school biology: conditioned reflex to explain.
Common freshwater fish are low-level aquatic ectothermic vertebrates, despite not being highly intelligent, through long-term reproduction, their genes have been ingrained with the mark of conditioned reflex.
Gathering after sensing bait atomization and being caught by the angler, these two originally unrelated independent conditions occurring simultaneously can potentially form a conditioned reflex.
The result is that fish hooked once might associate the previous atomized conditions with being caught and injured.
What would the fish do in this situation? Naturally, they would avoid danger, not fall for it twice in the same pit.
Of course, this conditioned reflex isn't formed one hundred percent at once; it's also related to the fish's courage and temperament.
But from a big data sample perspective, as long as the number of fish increases, there must be a proportion of fish within the population sample forming a fear of atomization conditioned reflex.
Some fish might dare to enter the bait zone after suffering once with high atomization, while others, being timid, dare not.
This difference impacts real-world fishing to a certain degree according to the actual fish conditions.
Thus, small bait goes first, an experience-based method for gathering intel to make analysis and judgment before confirming fishing strategy tactics.
Wet scattered bait disperses much less than dry scattered bait; even if the majority of the fish are truly afraid of high atomization, the wet scattered bait state isn't likely to scare them away.
This state, between molding bait and scattering cannon, provides the angler with ample tactical flexibility in fishing.
Casting seven or eight small wet scattered baits in succession, Zhang Yang remains as calm as ever, observing while monitoring the bobber's subtle movements.
However, the second round of fishing, most ordinary anglers still continued their previous tactic of bombing the base point with bait as soon as the fishing started; in the first ten minutes of the afternoon session, the bobber showed no movement.
It wasn't until the 18th minute of the competition that Zhang Yang finally noticed a somewhat hesitant feeding action,
the bobber moved up and down, but lacked a decisive pause, and Zhang Yang wasn't in a hurry to raise the rod.
Once the bait naturally detached and the bobber floated upwards indicating the bait's end, Zhang Yang slowly reequipped two pieces of wet scattered small triangular bait onto the rod and continued to cast into the bait zone, observing the bobber's response.
In the following ten minutes, Zhang Yang could noticeably feel fish entering the bait zone,
because there are more and more subtle movements in the bobber; however, compared to the morning, the fish density, as well as the feeding desire, is evidently weaker. The bobber's movement was chaotic, and there was no clear entrance pause visible.
With only half an hour into the competition, most of the surrounding anglers hadn't started, yet Zhang Yang remained very patient.
He casually tore a piece from the molding bait, deftly rubbed it into a strip with his fingers, then split it into two halves, placing one half onto the lower hook and naturally sticking the other half onto his thumb's nail. After the lower hook was baited, the other half was rubbed onto the upper hook.
Why did he switch from wet scattered bait to molding bait? Zhang Yang had a specific judgment for consideration.
Looking at the bobber's trivial movements, besides possibly being due to low feeding desire, there might also be an issue with the flavor, making the fish skeptical.
After all, when prepping the bait, Zhang Yang relied on the hot weather and seasonal fruit acidity, adding a full two caps, this being a highly concentrated material.
The unfavorable fish bite might also be because of using too much essence.
Now switching to molding bait, when adjusting the preparation, Zhang Yang added some dry yellow noodles along with some light gluten on the scattering cannon base, creating an overall flavor milder than the wet scattered bait.
With the normal dual hook molding bait on, Zhang Yang flicked his wrist and cast it into the baiting spot.
On the first cast, the bobber had just reached the bait point for less than three seconds when he noticed a crisp pause.
Compared to the previous tentative movements with half a point, this two-point bobber reaction was much more decisive.
Such feeding action is not to be missed by Zhang Yang, he smoothly lifted the rod with his forearm and wrist, gently striking the fish, and successfully hit the target!
After the morning's hundred pounds plus of fish catches, Zhang Yang had made initial assessments of the fish's force in the canal.
Just a round of dipping and he knew he caught a carp, skillfully maneuvering the rod into an arc, exhausting the fish's energy after a few rounds, easily netting it.
The bait's flavor was indeed too strong!
Instantly, Zhang Yang identified the primary reason for the previous bait hesitation and didn't delay, standing up from the tackle box, he fetched a packet of dry powdered bait from the box.
Strong flavor can be diluted with original flavor bait, Zhang Yang handled these basics with deft skill, already proficient.
He directly opened the package, poured a pound of yellow noodles in, and again stirred water, adjusting once more to the original water ratio.
After adjusting the bait flavor, the fruit acid taste was noticeably much milder.
Among 25 anglers in Section 11, everyone was focused on fishing with the bobber, Zhang Yang's sudden rise caught Lin Nianwei's attention first.
More than half an hour into the match, and prepping bait mid-game? Driven by curiosity, Lin Nianwei approached Zhang Yang's spot.
With the bait adjusted neatly, Zhang Yang calmly refilled the wet scattered bait in the feeding box.
However, turning back in a focused state, he found an unexpected onlooker and was startled.
"Holy crap! What are you doing behind me?"
Reacting reflexively with a bit of cussing, Zhang Yang drew the attention of neighboring anglers.
Lin Nianwei furrowed her brows slightly, daringly explaining: "I saw you get up during the match from your fishing spot, so I came to check it out!"
Only then did Zhang Yang realize the person standing was the long-legged girl from the morning, scratching his head with an embarrassed smile: "Oh, it's you! What a coincidence!"
"Yes, quite a coincidence indeed! Please continue your competition, the rules prohibit chattering during games!"
Lin Nianwei responded with a slightly stiff tone, standing still.
"Oh, okay!" Zhang Yang nodded, rebaiting and casting the rod to continue fishing.
Having both rounds in the same section as the long-legged beauty, Zhang Yang felt somewhat fortunate.
The opposite was no more than three meters behind him, not convenient to turn and look, Zhang Yang continued focusing on fishing.
Sure enough, the years of fishing experience proved crucial at this moment, after Zhang Yang adjusted the bait, with the same wet scattered small triangle, the bobber's feeding action upon entering the water showed obvious differences.
Within the skill of casting three or four rods, he encountered a standard pause, Zhang Yang lifted the rod striking the fish, accurately hitting a perfect bite on the carp's upper lip at the 12 o'clock point.
With continuous netting of two fishes, Zhang Yang had a preliminary grasp of the current fish conditions in his spot.
Since the carp showed no reluctance toward the wet scattered small triangle, having seized the vital point, naturally it was time to expand the results.
Thus, with the next cast, Zhang Yang's double hook small triangle wet scattered bait was adjusted into a large triangle, significantly increasing the frequency.
Unclear fish conditions, small bait goes first.
Promising fish conditions, boost the firepower!