Chapter 327: Chapter 204: Fishing Techniques for Jiangsu Carp_2
After a series of fine-tuning, Zhang Yang’s original adjustment from eight eyes to three eyes was changed to eleven eyes due to a lighter hook.
Zhang Yang didn’t add lead sheets but decisively adjusted the bobber upwards until the catch was at six eyes before stopping.
With the preparations complete, Zhang Yang pinched double hooks with peanut-sized bait and added a small scattering cannon to the hook shank. A flick of the wrist, and it was cast into the spot.
The lighter hook slightly slowed the bobber’s speed when entering the water, but after stabilizing, it descended normally and quickly reached position.
When the double hook reached the bottom, six eyes of the bobber were exposed above water. Zhang Yang watched attentively, not missing the slightest movement.
After two hours of fishing, quite a few fish had gathered in the nest. As soon as the catch stabilized, small movements quickly appeared.
About half an eye of upward and downward tug, not crisp, Zhang Yang judged that the fish were nudging the bait but not taking it.
Release the catch without a rush; wait for a firm downward tug before pulling decisively or lifting the bobber.
The lighter hook reduced the difficulty of the fish taking the bait to some extent. After several hesitant moments, a small, strong downward acceleration appeared with a "snap."
The amplitude was about one eye, seemingly powerful, but Zhang Yang held the rod handle without lifting the rod.
Had it been a Hebei carp, Zhang Yang would have lifted the rod long ago, but today’s fish were different. Lifting the rod indiscriminately could cause fish to escape, ruining the early preparations.
Indeed, Zhang Yang’s decision not to lift the rod was correct.
After a one-eye downward tug, the bobber didn’t continue downward or blackout but rather rebounded, like small fish playing with the bobber.
This bobber behavior indicated that the fish didn’t swallow the bait or spit it out immediately. Rashly lifting the rod would have had only a 30-40% success rate at best.
The bobber continued to wobble, dip, rebound, repeatedly showing similar behavior, but Zhang Yang remained unmoved.
Initially taking bites, it’s about interpreting the bobber’s signals. Zhang Yang used his rich fishing experience to swiftly deduce the underwater state of the fish eating the bait through the bobber’s continuous actions.
Suddenly, the bobber dipped by one eye, followed by another dip of more than half an eye.
Classic carp behavior, consecutive bites.
Seeing this, Zhang Yang decisively lifted the rod and hooked the fish.
With a flick of the wrist, got it!
The heavy force from the underwater fishing gear transmitted to the rod tip, Zhang Yang gripped the rod handle steadily with his right hand, while his left hand naturally rested on the middle section of the rod handle, smoothly lifting the first fish out of the nest.
The fish’s swimming posture underwater was steady, confirming to Zhang Yang that the hook was secure. Although the force was somewhat strong, it was far from uncontrollable. After a few maneuvers, the force gradually diminished. Zhang Yang seized the opportunity to top the rod and leveraged the rod’s strength to lift the fish out of the water.
A carp weighing over four pounds emerged and was smoothly guided into the landing net by Zhang Yang.
The first catch got!
After landing the fish, Zhang Yang pinched the area behind the fish’s gill cover through the net, inspecting the hook’s position in the fish’s mouth.
The hook was in the center of the fish’s mouth at the twelve o’clock position; despite many releases, the hook was still shallow, about two to three millimeters inside the fish’s lip.
Zhang Yang’s excellent fish control and the relatively versatile carp rod prevented the fish from escaping due to a shallow hook if the handling were rougher.
With one fish in the net, Zhang Yang decided to reduce the peanut-sized bait by one-third, only covering the hook base, resembling a miniature weight.
Again, pinching a small scattering cannon on the hook shank, Zhang Yang flicked his wrist and cast it again.
Even a small adjustment made a noticeable difference once the double hook bait reached the bottom.
Changing from elliptical-shaped bait to weight-shaped bait shortened the bait length by about a third, aligning with Zhang Yang’s prediction, as the fish exhibited less hesitation than the first catch.
After releasing the bait three times, the bobber exhibited the same behavior as the first catch: a strong downward pull, followed by another immediate tug.
Zhang Yang lifted the rod again and hooked the fish, the experience mirroring the first. After several exchanges, the second fish emerged and safely entered the net.
With two fish in hand, Zhang Yang grasped the fish’s feeding pattern today and boldly adjusted further.
Zhang Yang decisively abandoned the traditional baiting method, grabbing a handful of yellow flour scattering cannon, adding light bran Snowflake Powder, some extra attractant, and finishing with Lubricating Powder to prepare a new bait.
Yes, you read that right. Zhang Yang planned to use this drawn bait to catch today’s carp!
The size of the weight-shaped bait was already the smallest, yet the fish still struggled with the bait, according to Zhang Yang. As an experienced angler, he wouldn’t settle for just waiting patiently to find the right entry moment. Fishing for freshly caught fish shouldn’t linger—it’s not Zhang Yang’s fishing style.
After adjustments and adding water, a fluffy, adequately lubricated bait was ready.
Zhang Yang separated the double hooks, pressed the bait on, and smoothly drew it out along the side of the bait ball, leaving two round bait balls on the hooks.
Glancing at the now satisfactory bait, Zhang Yang, unsatisfied with minor details, dropped the lump back into the basin and nudged the bait along the basin wall with his fingertips, kneading it back into a ball.
After this detail work of bait separation and kneading, the frayed structure of the bait became more compact. The size of the drawn bait balls shrunk by about half a size, but the weight remained almost unchanged.
Zhang Yang felt confident that at nearly three meters of water depth, once the fish took the bait, it should easily swallow it in one go.
With the bait prepared and scattering cannon pinched onto the hook shank, Zhang Yang cast the bait into the spot once again.
The subsequent bobber behavior was more promising. The bobber barely settled before a strong bob was noted.
With no changes to the tuning and catching adjustments, altering only the bait’s state significantly altered the fish’s response on the bobber.
A strong bob of one and a half eyes, not rebounding after a downward tug, quickly and steadily slid downward.
This behavior almost certainly meant that the bait was in the fish’s mouth; a smaller catch setting would have resulted in a blackout bob by now.
Confidently, Zhang Yang lifted the rod and hooked the fish, got it!
Following several exchanges, the third fish emerged.
The hook was perfectly positioned inside the upper lip at twelve o’clock—not too deep, not too shallow but just right!
Seeing this, Zhang Yang, who had thought of minor adjustments to the catch, now deemed them unnecessary, even saving the effort of repositioning the bobber.
With a series of continuous catches, having spotted the fish’s feeding behavior pattern, Zhang Yang’s performance was just beginning.
Separated hooks with drawn bait, normal cannon on the rod handle, and once the bobber was in place, fish immediately took the bait. Zhang Yang streamlined the entire process clearly and thoroughly.
All the previous hesitant bites and potential issues were fully overcome by Zhang Yang through various targeted adjustments.
Meanwhile, Zhu Wu next door, after causing four fish to escape from his nest, saw his forcibly summoned fish scatter in fear, leaving the bobber motionless.
By the time Zhu Wu noticed that Zhang Yang, whom he disliked, had started catching fish continuously, Zhang Yang had already secured eleven large carp and continued his streak.
Zhu Wu is considered a scumbag, with notably poor reputation in the local fishing community, having almost no companions. Initial acquaintances might tolerate him, but after a few interactions, most people distance themselves from Zhu Wu.
Although wealthy, Zhu Wu’s character is flawed. A local saying perfectly describes his type: "A grain of rice can make him feel full."
Faced with those weaker than himself, Zhu Wu acts entirely self-centered, disregarding others’ feelings. Publicly slapping Liu Zi over a trivial matter is a prime example.
Most rational people wouldn’t do something so foolishly ostentatious.
Now, seeing Zhang Yang start catching fish, Zhu Wu’s bad habits kicked in, and he began to harbor ill intentions!