Back to the Past to Become a Fishing King

Chapter 868 - 581: A Fortunate Mistake

After Xu Cheng finished setting up his fishing gear, he relaxed and half-turned to either play with his phone or secretly observe Zhang Yang’s reactions and fishing method.

According to Xu Cheng’s expectations, after he started bombing, Zhang Yang and his group would also replenish their spot, but unexpectedly, Zhang Yang and his friends did not do so.

The expected bombing for bait didn’t happen. Instead, all three on Zhang Yang’s side started using double hooks with bait balls the size of walnuts, casually increasing their frequency.

Yes, you read it right, they increased the frequency with a 7.2-meter rod.

The two girls might be a bit lacking in their casting technique, but Zhang Yang, being the main force, cast quickly and steadily, with the bait landing very concentratedly in one spot. Even someone like Xu Cheng, who was just getting into fishing, could vaguely sense something extraordinary.

"Damn, a 7.2-meter rod, casting frequently for the spot? This guy’s really something," Xu Cheng watched for a few more minutes and couldn’t help but continue chatting as he saw Zhang Yang not stopping.

Zhang Yang’s mouth slightly curved up as he casually replied, "Just fooling around to pass time! We brought only a little bait, so we have to use it sparingly!"

This explanation seemed reasonable and easily diverted Xu Cheng’s attention.

Little did he know, in terms of bait, Zhang Yang had several boxes in the trunk, as his family owns a bait factory – how could they ever run out?

The next half hour passed in relative calm. After baiting the spot, Xu Cheng sat under his sun umbrella fiddling with his phone, scrolling through fishing clips on Douyin, while Zhang Yang and his group tirelessly cast and replenished their bait.

If there was an underwater camera at this moment, you’d witness a rather peculiar phenomenon.

Around fishing spots created by both sides, there were quite a few fish circling cautiously without daring to approach. Zhang Yang’s overnight bait had already fully absorbed water and sunk to the bottom, and when big fish occasionally passed by, they’d stir up some small debris and foam.

On Xu Cheng’s side, after their bomb baiting, their hand-thrown bomb bait placement accuracy was also quite high, but the big fish around the spot were noticeably bolder.

The fish also circled just outside the bait zone, not daring to come close, but on Xu Cheng’s side, the circling radius was noticeably smaller than Zhang Yang’s side.

Why did this happen? It’s actually quite easy to explain.

Zhang Yang’s side used bait with a lot of concentrated extract, which needed time for its effective components to diffuse and reach the threshold concentration for fish receptors.

Fish need some time to adapt to this material, so the fish nearby don’t dare to immediately enter the spot to feed.

Externally, it appears as if they’re circling the bait area, reluctant to eat yet unwilling to leave.

On Xu Cheng’s side, however, because they used naturally fermented bait, the concentrations of various substances were more natural, posing significantly less stimulation to the fish.

The big fish were less cautious, hence the smaller circling radius.

Someone might ask, then, that it seems Zhang Yang’s bait with secret additives wasn’t that impressive after all.

It might even perform worse compared to the naturally fermented bait. Despite all the hype, it wasn’t invincible, was it?

Actually, it’s not contradictory. Whether natural fermentation or laboratory preparation with concentrated extraction processes, there’s essentially no big difference.

Generally, it’s about using specific bacterial strains for fermentation and decomposition, causing changes in the effective components of basic materials, producing small molecular intermediates suitable for fish feeding.

It’s just that Zhang Yang used high-cost animal material like cricket extract, while the other side used cheap tofu residue for fermentation.

The different materials result in different products after fermentation, leading to varying attractiveness.

If Zhang Yang only wanted to catch a few fish quickly, one dropper of additive would’ve been effective at that level.

Why did he add an extra dropper to what was already sufficient? It’s for long-term benefits.

In a short time, having a high effective concentration, but with water always in movement, after it diffuses for a while, more distant fish can be attracted.

The more fish, the bigger the schools, the less cautious they’ll be when feeding. Plus, they gradually adapt to the presence of these attractants, leading to an expected frenzy feeding period in the future; then, it’ll be time to reap the rewards.

Based on his thorough understanding of fish habits and the attractants, Zhang Yang wasn’t the slightest bit nervous during his continued casting, maintaining a steady pace.

Though his arms were slightly tired, they were still within a bearable range. Occasionally, when thirsty, he’d slow down and take a sip of mineral water, maintaining a calm and unhurried demeanor, resembling an experienced old angler firmly seated on the fishing platform.

Zhang Yang was extraordinarily calm, but Xu Cheng and Da Bing next to him were quite the opposite.

Since they started baiting, they’d kept a close watch on the bobber. Initially, they still had time to observe Zhang Yang and Xiao Wei’s fishing style, but within an hour they grew restless, frequently checking the time and increasingly fidgety.

After an hour passed, Xu Cheng’s anxiety seemed to peak. He put down his fishing rod with a bit of frustration and got up from his fishing platform.

"Damn it! Da Bing, it’s your turn. I’m going to cool off in the shade!" Xu Cheng grabbed a bottle of ice-cold Coke given by the boss and downed it in large gulps.

"Sure! I’ll take over! Geez, today’s odd, it’s been an hour and the bobber hasn’t moved!"

Obediently, Da Bing got up and climbed onto the fishing platform, sat down, and after changing the bait to a solid bait ball, he gripped the 7.2-meter rod, swung it in a wide circle overhead, and with a loud thump, cast the bait out into the water.

In terms of casting skills, Xu Cheng might barely pass, but Da Bing was clearly an amateur. His whip cast’s accuracy was nowhere near Xu Cheng’s normal casts, as the double hook bait landed over a meter off target.

Normally, with such poor casting, it’s unlikely to catch fish.

But this time was different. Da Bing, like Zhang Yang earlier in the day, hit the jackpot by accident.

The bait landed at the edge of the bait spot where fish were circling but not daring to approach.

The bait spot was concentrated, and fish dare not enter to eat. Now with bait thrown right in front of their mouths, some bold fish would try a few nibbles.

Indeed, as soon as Da Bing’s bait reached the preset depth of 2.8 meters, the bobber started showing activity.

The bobber, suitable for 6 grams of lead, with a thickened tail for added buoyancy, now gently trembled up and down, indicating fish nibbling beneath the surface.

Xu Cheng, having downed half a bottle of cold Coke in one go, put it down and habitually glanced at the bobber, catching sight of the wobbling motion. He immediately called out in alert.

"The bobber! The bobber! It’s moving! It’s wobbling!!"