"Forget about the bottom feed, just work on the frequency and it should be fine!" Zhang Yang heard Luo Dapeng mentioning the bottom feed and frowned slightly.
If Luo Dapeng wasn't his agent but just a stranger, Zhang Yang wouldn't think much about it.
After all, the saying that no bait means fewer fish has been passed down for God knows how many years. The concept of baiting is deeply ingrained in the minds of anglers.
But Luo Dapeng himself is an owner of a fishing gear shop and a fishing master, having sold so much bait at his shop; he should have a new understanding of baiting farmed fish.
Hearing from him again about the bottom feed made Zhang Yang a bit surprised.
"Ah, yes! Frequency works too!" Luo Dapeng seemed to realize his words were inappropriate, touched his nose, and quickly corrected himself.
In fact, Luo Dapeng didn't intend to mislead Zhang Yang; it was just that he was used to doing business like this.
In the area, although the scattered bait method with yellow powder is promoted, many beginners shopping at Luo Dapeng's store still use the yellow powder as bottom feed. The reason is simple: it requires more bait for feeding, boosting sales with such usage.
"You guys go ahead; we'll open the bait first!" Luo Dapeng greeted them, carrying his fishing box and left.
After Luo Dapeng left, Wang Yan pursed his lips and muttered, "Listening to him chat at the store, he should be a master, but his words showed his weakness. What kind of fishing requires bottom bait with yellow powder!"
Zhou Chu glanced at Wang Yan: "That's hard to say! Fishing has no fixed rules, flexible use; maybe the fish in this canal recognize the bottom feed, don't overthink it!"
...
After a while, the time reached 7:40, and the loudspeaker at the gathering spot began to speak.
"All competing anglers please note, according to the entry card number, proceed to the designated draw zones for seating draw! All competing anglers..."
The loudspeaker repeated several times, and many anglers picked up their entry cards to check the numbers, causing the waiting crowd to start moving.
Zhang Yang glanced at his number and said, "I am number 233, Box 4. What about you guys?"
"I am 234!"
"I am 232!"
Since they all registered together, their numbers were consecutive, drawing from the same box, which saved them from running around.
The group casually headed toward the draw boxes, quickly starting to line up.
For the competition venue, ten draw boxes were set up in total, with tickets uniformly printed like scratch-off cards.
When it was Zhang Yang's turn to draw, he displayed his entry card, grabbed a position ticket from the box, and scratched it in front of the staff to reveal the seat number inside.
Zone 27, Number 15!
The advantage of checking the venue early was evident; looking at Zone 27, Zhang Yang knew he would be sitting on the East Bank for the first round, in the area south of the small bridge. At least in the morning, fishing wouldn't be affected by direct sunlight impacting visual float observation.
Wang Yan: "I am Zone 13, Number 17!"
Han Qiang: "I am Zone 15, Number 8!"
Zhou Chu: "I am Zone 25, Number 11!"
Though drawn from the same box, the seat numbers were completely randomized.
Looking at the partitioning, two individuals were at the East Bank, and two at the West Bank, making it hard to determine the quality of the positions.
Such a long stretch of canal used for the fishing competition required results from the first round to gain preliminary insight into the condition of fish distribution by positions.
Approaching entry time, Zhang Yang reminded, "The fish condition is unclear for the first round; once inside, keep your mind flexible. If it's not smooth fishing, neighboring, or opposite anglers can provide useful info. Adjust swiftly if things seem off!"
"Don't worry! It's just a river fishing competition, not all are masters; I even saw some using fishing chairs," Han Qiang said confidently, showing no signs of nervousness.
"Come on, let's go! They've started entering!" Zhou Chu pointed at the distant entrance, which had opened, and anglers with fishing boxes and equipment orderly entered, searching for their positions.
"Let's go!" Zhang Yang called out, carrying his fishing box and equipment, heading to the nearest entrance.
In less than five minutes, Zhang Yang reached the small bridge, crossed it to the East Bank, walked south, and quickly found the draw position number.
Setting down his fishing box, Zhang Yang scanned around and noticed his fishing area wasn't particularly remarkable.
If pinpointing any pros or cons, it was just proximity to the bridge, unclear if traffic on the bridge would affect the fish.
In such a large-scale fishing competition, the rules were relatively lax, allowing Zhang Yang to swiftly start preparation.
Adjusting the float, finding the bottom, within minutes Zhang Yang adjusted the float he would use today. Before the competition began, bait wasn't allowed in the water, so Zhang Yang hung lead on the bottom hook and repeatedly cast.
Fishing in a completely unknown water area requires anglers to measure the depth and probe the underwater terrain, essential steps for a competent angler. Zhang Yang cast about a dozen times, quickly gaining a preliminary understanding of the underwater situation.
With a 5.4-meter fishing rod, casting with a full-line setup yields roughly a 3-meter depth. Zhang Yang tried all directions and found the riverbed flat without noticeable undulations.
This canal segment featured a sloped area from the bank to the center, about 3.5 meters long with a gentle gradient. Zhang Yang managed to locate the transitioning area between the slope and the bottom through repeated casts.
Considering the venue as a whole, the so-called river fishing competition is essentially a large mixed-stock fishing pond in Zhang Yang's eyes. The seating is relatively systematic, with a clean riverbed devoid of snags, and hardware assessment shows promise.
After a few minutes, people began filling seats on Zhang Yang's left and right.
Observing quietly for a while, Zhang Yang found Han Qiang's earlier words accurate; the competitors' skills varied, with many seated in fishing chairs, and Zhang Yang even spotted an old man on a small stool across the river.
Seeing this, many might scoff, questioning whether sitting in fishing boxes implies superiority, or using stools or chairs means lack of skill?
Determining fishing prowess can't be generalized, but from an equipment standpoint, they bear certain distinctions.
Anglers seated in fishing chairs typically favor wild fishing and leisure, while those in boxes engage more in sports and specialized pond fishing.
Fishing from a box not only offers more storage for bait and such but determines the angler's posture and state during activity.
Rod holder placement on chairs is lower, impacting the angler's posture somewhat. In professional platform fishing competitions, fishing chairs are non-existent.
Watching patiently for a while, Zhang Yang's neighboring anglers on both sides were also in boxes, leaving him slightly disappointed as hopes of exploiting proximity with the old man dashed away.
With anglers gradually settling in, the competition's activity gradually lessened, as numerous staff in volunteer vests or judge badges took their positions.
At this point, Zhang Yang noticed something interesting; the pretty volunteer lady they encountered when getting off the bus was responsible for his Zone 27.
Zhang Yang isn't a saint, so he took the time to observe since idle attention doesn't cost anything.
From close range, the girl was at least 170cm tall, wearing light tight jeans paired with white sneakers, perfectly showcasing her long legs.
Her black straight ponytail peeked from the cap's seam, complementing an unadorned face. Despite wearing an oversized volunteer vest, her impressive figure remained evident.
Following Zhang Yang's aesthetic standards, this girl deserved at least 90 points, resembling a 'milk tea sister' in appearance.