Zhang Yang pointed to the plastic basket not far away and quietly said, "Look, if the fish were normal, would they be so calm when taken out?"
With Zhang Yang's reminder, after a brief observation, everyone realized that indeed, the fish pulled out behaved like they had been whacked on the back of the head—stiff and unresponsive, showing no resistance.
After weighing, the Grass Carp were placed into the pond; they could maintain a swimming posture, but they showed no intent to dive down and frisk around, simply floating on the surface in groups, like driftwood.
After witnessing this, Wang Yan pursed his lips in frustration, "Damn it, Liu Mazi is trying to scam us, right? Doping the Grass Carp with anesthetic—floating on the surface like this, no way they'll bite over the weekend!"
Zhang Yang nodded, "Adding anesthetic to Grass Carp is fine, they're not as hardy as Crucian Carp or Common Carp; without it, transportation issues might occur.
But today, the anesthetic amount is clearly overdone. If not careful, it would be a competition for snatching stunned fish! Thankfully, we came over to have a look early!"
Han Qiang looked at the fish floating on the surface with some worry, asking, "Have we paid the fishing fee? Maybe we shouldn't fish this weekend."
"Not yet, we registered over the phone, didn't exchange fees verbally. Let's wait till all the fish are released and then have a chat with Old Liu!"
"Alright! You're the boss!"
Weighing each basket individually, it took over half an hour to release two thousand pounds of Grass Carp. Once the fish truck left, Zhang Yang led his team into Liu Mazi's cabin.
"Hey, isn't it Master Zhang! When did you get here? Sorry for not greeting you earlier; been busy weighing fish!"
Liu Mazi, already acquainted with Zhang Yang, hurriedly greeted him upon meeting, handing out cigarettes.
Zhang Yang cheerfully accepted the cigarette and lit it, getting straight to the point, "President Liu, your Grass Carp release doesn't seem right!"
"Not right? How so? Before, I used a slide to release fish, and many anglers complained I wasn't releasing enough. Today, the fish were weighed basket by basket!" Liu Mazi boasted confidently.
"The quantity is sufficient, but too much anesthetic was added. The fish are floating on the surface, are you sure they'll bite over the weekend?"
"You definitely have to add anesthetic when releasing Grass Carp; without it, they'd perish on the road! But don't worry, I'm confident in the amount we've added; there are two days left, they're bound to open their mouths!"
"Let's be straightforward first: You're the professional when it comes to releasing fish. If you say they'll bite, my friends and I believe you! But if they don't bite come weekend, then what's the plan?"
"If they don't bite, I'll refund your fishing fee! I'm hoping to attract attention and make money with this Grass Carp pond, not to bait-and-switch from the start!
You're a veteran at this, I'd expect you'd understand my words clearly?" Liu Mazi replied straightforwardly.
"Alright! We'll definitely be here this weekend! By the way, where did you source the Grass Carp from? Reservoir cage fish or from Weishan Lake?"
"From Weishan Lake! We didn't even hit the market, sourced directly from the place!"
"Okay!"
...
After spending time roughly equivalent to a cigarette's burn in the cabin, Zhang Yang inquired all the information he desired and found an excuse to leave the fishing grounds.
Once on the minivan, everyone asked, "Earlier, you asked if the fish were reservoir cage or from Weishan Lake, is there a difference?
Are we wrong in our judgment? Old Liu seemed confident and certain!"
Zhang Yang explained, "Cage-raised Grass Carp and those from Weishan Lake are both Grass Carp, but their habits differ, as does their activity state.
Cage-raised fish can't forage, they mainly feed on pellets from young to adulthood!
Meanwhile, over at Weishan Lake, they roam hectares of water fields lined with reeds; although they receive feed, their feed composition is more complex, making their diet closer to wild fish!
Moreover, one is akin to chickens reared in cages, while the other resembles free-ranging chickens on the mountain—the big pond's free-range Grass Carp have more strength and better health!
"Wow, is the difference that pronounced?"
Zhang Yang nodded, "Alright, since the boss is certain, let's prepare ahead. Let's whip up some bait for the weekend!"
"Back to the store to mix bait?" Zhou Chu, sitting in the passenger seat, asked leisurely.
Zhang Yang laughed and shook his head, "Fishing for this type of Grass Carp with commercial bait is challenging. This time, I plan on using a wild method! You'll see later!"
Returning to the store, Zhang Yang pulled out a small half bag of raw bran from the storage room and openly began mixing it without concealing from everyone.
If you're from rural areas, you might immediately recognize it, while many city folks unfamiliar with farming might be puzzled by its appearance.
What is it exactly? It's the bran left from processing wheat into flour, machine crushed and sifted out. Rural folks typically use it to feed poultry like chickens and ducks.
By reasonably processing and frying the bran, it transforms into roasted bran, becoming a primary component of pure grain type bait.
The Grass Carp's habits are markedly different from those of Common Carp or Crucian Carp; its natural diet is partial to grasses, plant roots, and other fibrous food. In crafting fishing bait, using raw bran is far superior to roasted bran.
Zhang Yang added a bit of 80 mesh Lubricating Powder to the raw bran, completing the primary mixing.
"Just this? So rustic? Will it work?" Wang Yan grabbed a handful of the mixed bran, feeling it was a bit simplistic.
Zhang Yang laughed and explained, "Mix it well with beer overnight; it's a recipe for Grass Carp, tried and true!
Even if it doesn't work, I have a backup plan; a single fishing session will reveal the situation!"
"What else?"
"I'll keep it a secret, but I'll have everything ready by tomorrow afternoon, preparing it for everyone then!