No wonder Wang Yan said it was too harsh, this fish-catching pose looked brutal to any ordinary person.
But Zhang Yang just lightly pursed his lips, "Too harsh? Take a closer look."
Wang Yan lowered his head and patiently examined Zhang Yang's operation of hooking the fish's eye sockets. He soon noticed a detail he had previously overlooked.
"You're digging into the fish's eye sockets? Not the eyes? You scared me, I thought you were poking the eyeballs!"
Zhang Yang nodded, "Yeah, the eye sockets!
The technique of pinching the hollow behind the gills can be used for two or three-pound fish, but it's hard to grab anything larger.
However, this eye socket technique, once mastered, can handle even five-pound fish!
Pressing the fish's eyes a little with your fingertips will make it instinctively stay rigid and hardly struggle!"
"What about even larger fish?" Wang Yan, feeling inspired by the topic, continued to push the conversation further by questioning.
"There is a way for larger fish too, like sliding the middle finger into the fish's mouth to lock the gills and control it, but this technique isn't very practical, so let's not elaborate!
Actually, none of these methods are highly efficient. The real way to increase fishing efficiency is to unhook the fish directly in the landing net without touching it!
The current fish situation doesn't have that high density, and your equipment is a bit unsuitable. Let's start with the basics first!"
"Alright! I'm convinced now. I used to think that pit rod fish were just raised without much technical content, but there are so many techniques involved! Even if I don't catch any fish today, it's not a loss!"
"You'd better keep up the pace and continue fishing. If you dawdle for a while, the fish will disperse and run away!"
With Zhang Yang's reminder, Wang Yan realized he'd been asking too many questions, slowing down his casting frequency unconsciously.
Next, Wang Yan deliberately increased his casting frequency, and soon the bobber movements in the nest got dense again.
Glancing at Han Qiang next to him, with three fish caught already, due to frequent fish hooks, his old problem flared up again.
The frequency slowed down as he purposefully waited for fish to bite, reducing the fish density in the nest.
In contrast, Wang Yan ignored any slight movements of the bobber whenever he cast bait into the water; he had no intention of patiently waiting for fish to bite unless a fish swallowed the hook tightly, then he'd reel one in.
Watching Wang Yan manage the nest's details, Zhang Yang wondered if he was deliberately doing this or if luck or instinct happened to align with the current fishing rhythm?
With this doubt, Zhang Yang asked softly, "Old Han next door has caught three fish already, you don't seem in a hurry, what's your plan now? Talk to me?"
Chewing on gum, Wang Yan glanced at Han Qiang next door and said, "Snatching a couple of fish early doesn't count for much. I'm planning to make him stop completely!"
"Make him stop completely? Why do you think you can do this? You both are using the same bait!"
Zhang Yang internally got the answer he desired but still didn't give up probing further. He wanted to see how deep Wang Yan's understanding was.
"Let's try! Even if I can't make him stop, I can definitely snatch more fish over!
In the past, when fishing with Qiang and my mentor, I noticed a phenomenon: a hot nest with bites attracts more fish than a cold nest.
In a newly made nest, small fish always come first, then the larger ones.
As long as there are bites, the chance of attracting fish is much higher without bites. I guess the fish group has a mutual luring effect!
Combining this with your demonstration in the shop's bobber tuning tank, I think this large, misty dispersal bait might amplify this effect even further.
Fish aren't smarter than humans; at best, they just go where there's more food, right?"
After hearing this, Zhang Yang was completely impressed.
Technical nuances can always be learned and practiced slowly, but the mental insight and summarization of fishing differentiate a top angler from an ordinary one.
From today's brief observation, Zhang Yang could confidently conclude that although Wang Yan wasn't a master yet, he would surely become one if he continued fishing and accumulated enough experience.
Before coming, Zhang Yang was interested yet cautious about Wang Yan, but now he decided to cultivate this exceptionally talented guy to the fullest extent!
The next second, Zhang Yang rolled his eyes mischievously and said, "This strategy is indeed effective, but the bait's performance limits the extent of its fish-attracting effect. Wait, let me get you some dry bait to adjust it. Maybe we can really outperform Brother Qiang!"
Wang Yan's eyes lit up, "Alright!"
Soon, Zhang Yang went to Old Zhao on the south bank, greeted him, and got half a bag of unprocessed bait. He also grabbed a handful of elastic particles and put them in his pocket.
Returning next to Wang Yan, he said, "Adjust the water ratio of the dispersal bait smaller; the bait will explode faster with stronger aggression. Do you want to try?"
"Sure, but it's too dry and hard to bait on!"
Wang Yan was eager to try but showed a little hesitation in his eyes, as the increased baiting difficulty left him without any immediate solution.
But a smart person thinks fast, and after pondering for a few seconds, he slapped his forehead, "Got it!"
He grabbed some bait, sprinkled it into the dispersal basin, mixed it well, then took out the gum he'd been chewing for ages from his mouth, pinched it, and hung it on the main hook of the trace line.
Seeing this improvised method, Zhang Yang was completely conquered by Wang Yan's creativity!
No need to fear hard baiting for dispersal bait; adding resistance to the hook will solve most of the problem.
Zhang Yang originally suggested using elastic particles as backing to solve the hard baiting, but before he could take out the particles from his pocket, Wang Yan had already found a solution.
Pinching gum onto the hook as a 'base' easily solved the difficulty caused by the lower water ratio!
This on-the-spot adaptability impressed Zhang Yang, bringing him to exclaim enthusiastically!
"Nice! This method is great! So damn good!"
Zhang Yang got a bit excited, speaking louder, even attracting Han Qiang's attention from next door, causing him to frown and glance over.
"Xiao Zhang, what are you and Wang Yan plotting against? We are brothers, and Chinese shouldn't deceive Chinese!" Han Qiang said, feeling slightly insecure.
"Haha, I didn't do anything, just a small suggestion! But I can remind you, if you keep fishing like this, you might lose this match!" Zhang Yang smiled broadly, teeth showing.
"Hear that? Zhang Yang wouldn't lie to you! I found a new secret weapon, and within an hour, I'll make you stop completely! Why not surrender now, surrender and lose only half, yielding with no harm!" Wang Yan smugly continued to apply pressure on his buddy.