Back to the Past to Become a Fishing King

Chapter 839 - 565: Using a Cannon to Kill a Mosquito (2)

Seeing the captain returning with food, everyone swarmed up like preschool kids during meal times.

Breakfast distribution took place, positions were set, and chow time began! Everyone devoured their food eagerly, their mouths burning from the hot juice in the meat-stuffed buns.

While eating, Zhang Yang briefly discussed the morning’s catch with the group.

Overall, fish had a good night in the nests. Even YOYO, who caught the least, had over a dozen big breams in the basket. Old Zhao caught the most, with 27 fishes totaling nearly twenty pounds.

"Boss, why do I feel the fish situation here is a bit strange? Normally this season, fish are easier to catch after the sun’s up. Now they act like it’s warmer and stop biting!" Han Mocheng bit into his stuffed bun and joined the morning fish discussion.

Zhang Yang didn’t answer immediately but instead turned to Brother Ma: "Brother Ma, how was the fishing yesterday when you arrived?"

While peacefully eating breakfast, Brother Ma replied, "I came yesterday around seven with some friends from the group. When we arrived, aside from a local night fisher still around, there was no one else!

After setting up our spots and checking the bottom, I immediately lured the fish. Around 7:15, our bait went in, and by 9:30, fish started biting eagerly for about an hour. After two p.m., it slowed down. After that, I re-baited the area, but until your arrival, only one unlucky carp bit—no substantial bream!

My assessment is: this location’s fish might be migrating in small groups. Once caught or the bait diminishes, it’s hard to gather them again!"

Brother Ma’s analysis was similar to Zhang Yang’s conclusion that this Wen River section seemed to host migrations like behavior.

Unclear why, but the breams here tend to have migratory habits and bite less as the sun rises.

"Could it be that the fish rose to the surface? It stopped biting, but when changing bait, I hooked a fish scale!" Old Zhao speculated, adding his guess.

After these old fishing hands discussed, potential possibilities emerged. Still, intelligence was scarce, requiring more fishing to nail down precise data.

However, one certainty existed. Since Brother Ma first baited at seven, it kept biting till late morning, meaning the morning stop was temporary, possibly just a result of fishing out the overnight fish stock. Re-baiting should bring more catches.

With this in mind, everyone, full and satisfied, returned early to their fishing spots to continue patiently.

Unlike the others, Zhang Yang had a more open mind.

He kept thinking about fish conditions while fishing, and besides re-baiting half a pound of ’Rice for Making Wine,’ he occasionally used the long bait rod and feather ball baiter to add more.

During bites, Zhang Yang saw no bait issues. After bites stopped, frequent casts revealed a problem.

The baiting area wasn’t clean; hooks occasionally caught ribbon-like green algae.

This fine algae is common in local water usually found bottoming out some areas largely absent near shores during early spring.

Dense distributions resemble a green algae carpet underwater, looking spectacular beneath.

Some might wonder how Zhang Yang knows such details. Simple answer: Zhang Yang’s excellent swimming skills allowed him observations during his past-life dives.

Once while changing bait, Zhang Yang’s hook snagged some green algae again, prompting him to ask, "Do your bait spots snag? Loads of ribbon-like algae here?"

His query unified responses confirming everyone’s hooks were snagging algae.

This green algae isn’t as firm as aquatic vegetation; when caught on hooks, it hardly breaks the line. Slight upward pulls can dislodge algae attached under stones, sometimes pulling strands over 20 or 30 cm long.

After asking this, Zhang Yang speculated aloud, "Could algae snags frighten the fish away from our bait spots?"

"You’re suggesting bait adjustments?" Brother Ma instantly recognized Zhang Yang’s speculation.

Zhang Yang nodded: "It seems likely. What do you guys, Brother Ma, and Brother Zhao think?"

Often truth is right before our eyes. Once realizing it, thoughts broaden instantly.

Old Zhao pondered a bit: "Hey, you may be right!

When fish bite more, it’s competitive feeding, making snags rare, thus little impact on baited areas.

As the fish catch diminishes, snagging opportunities increase, possibly startling the fish!"

With fish dispersed, bites stopped, frequent casts increased snagging, affecting bait spots!"

Zhang Yang immediately raised his rod: "You guys continue; I’ll try adjusting bait approach, maybe it improves!"

Zhang Yang took action, opting for a simple solution—not snaging algae scaring fish?

Adjust below-water double-hook status from resting on and touching the ground to touching lightly and floating.

Such precision micro adjustments would only come easily to old hands like Zhang Yang, using standard bobbers and No. 5 sleeve hooks with active red worms, barely impacting sight.

By trimming lead and micro-adjusting bobber seats, Zhang Yang tweaked from three bobs to two and a half, making rigs vastly more sensitive.

With configurations adjusted underwater, he cast again, largely reducing algae snags.

Still chasing perfection, Zhang Yang meticulously trimmed some lead, enhancing line tension, slightly floating yet touching hook."

Now, casting at concentrated spots avoids algae, reaching guessed ideal states with meticulous adjustments.

Optimizing hook conditions, Zhang Yang began fish luring again, occasionally sending small rice grain portions down with the bait rod.

Every fifteen minutes, a small handful replenishes.

After such meticulous elaborations, movement returned in Zhang Yang’s baited spot by 9:30.

The sensitively adjusted bobber on calm surfaces showing subtle fish movements had no wind.

Zhang Yang, now using competitive fishing techniques wildly on wild fishing settings, crushed mosquitoes with cannons, going overboard.

After landing a few bites, Zhang Yang finally caught a solid downward gulping bite over an hour period.

"Haha, verified our guess! The algae snag detail was it! I’ve caught fish again!"

With them not yet basketed, Zhang Yang confidently shares assessments with pals.