This Thousand Mile Fragrance isn't the medicinal herb, but a special fishing bait with a unique aroma blend.
Why did Zhang Yang get a little nervous upon catching a whiff of this aroma?
It's simple. This bait's aroma is highly effective for catching big crucian carp. If used correctly, it could indeed threaten Zhang Yang's catch.
Zhang Yang's own bait mix also included the Thousand Mile Fragrance; however, the concentration in his bait was limited. Even using it alone, the aroma couldn't match his opponent's.
The bait used by Ma Yuhua had a smell that suggested an extra high concentration of Thousand Mile Fragrance had been added.
Purely in terms of offensiveness, Zhang Yang was currently at a disadvantage in terms of attracting fish with aroma.
But this small setback wouldn't faze Zhang Yang.
After a brief shock, Zhang Yang gradually calmed down.
Being slightly disadvantaged in aroma isn't fatal; there's still hope!
Thinking of this, Zhang Yang opened his tackle box and grabbed a large handful of Liza Tianxia Wushuang dry powder, sprinkling it onto the prepared ground bait.
You might have heard of the Tianxia Wushuang bait, but Liza Tianxia Wushuang is not as well-known.
Also produced by Marukyu, Liza Wushuang has a higher protein content, with more fish and bone meal ingredients than ordinary Tianxia Wushuang. Adding just a small amount can significantly increase the animal protein content, enhancing its attraction to fish.
Zhang Yang originally prepared this stuff to adjust the protein content in his bait for when fish feeding interest was low, adding a little could have a good effect.
But upon noticing his opponent had a high concentration of Thousand Mile Fragrance bait, with no other options up his sleeve, he had to focus on this.
A large handful of Liza Wushuang was thrown into the ground bait, and the air was immediately filled with a rich yet pure fish meal aroma. Ma Yuhua, standing nearby, sniffed slightly with a serious expression.
It's commonly understood that big crucian carps prefer fragrant baits, usually those with plant protein like wheat germ.
Yet, experienced anglers like Ma Yuhua know that for attracting fish, regardless of the type, high protein baits with a natural fishy aroma are very effective.
Fishing next to Zhang Yang, seeing him add Liza Wushuang to his ground bait, Ma Yuhua felt it was absolutely a sign of going all in for a head-to-head competition.
The ground bait was quickly adjusted, and Zhang Yang casually grabbed a handful, squeezing it into a ball to test its texture.
The new mix was slightly dry, making baiting more challenging, but it would disperse faster in the water, providing a slightly enhanced attraction effect than with a normal moisture content.
Zhang Yang used Liza Wushuang to reduce the attraction disadvantage, and was very satisfied with his adjusted ground bait.
Unbeknownst, the preparation time had ended, and pit owner Liu Mazi signaled the official start!
Soon, the hand-thrown ground bait bombing resumed at the pond.
However, compared to the earlier round where anglers were frenetically tossing baits into the pond, this time significantly fewer people were using hand-thrown ground bait.
Many ordinary anglers began realizing the benefits of using lead pellets for bait and were clumsily attempting to use them, and although sometimes the bait fell at their feet, with practice, they could also get the hang of it and unknowingly improve their fishing skills.
In the opening stage, Zhang Yang stuck to his previous strategy, initially using lead pellets to form seven or eight bait balls at the fishing spot.
Each throw was at least the size of an egg, with a relatively dry mix, making it compact. After entering the water, he would gently manipulate the rod tip to control the dispersion.
Zhang Yang's earlier adjustments with the ground bait didn't reveal much, but after just the third cast, Old Wu, who was observing not far behind, was impressed.
Old Wu also used lead pellets, but he considered his technique inferior to Zhang Yang's on the scene.
Zhang Yang's baiting and casting techniques were not only smooth, but his accuracy was spot on. To Old Wu, the three egg-sized bait balls entered the water almost on the same spot, a precision that made Old Wu feel inadequate.
The surprises for Old Wu didn't end there.
After placing eight bait balls, Zhang Yang immediately switched to a frenetic state of ground bait bombardment.
With the hooks in hand, bait was divided, scooped, and squeezed into Triangle Cannons in the blink of an eye, and the baits, focused and dense, hit the water once more.
This time, young Qin and a few other fishing friends also noticed the technique.
Young Qin said, "This guy's baiting technique is really fast!"
"Yeah, this Triangle Cannon baiting method is quite novel. Compared to the bowling method we usually use, it's far more efficient!" another angler agreed.
Chen Xueqiang smirked, "Triangle Cannons are no secret among anglers in W City. I can do about 70-80% of this technique!
It's just the beginning! The real action starts once the bait attraction kicks in! Mark my words, in no more than fifteen minutes, we should see fish being caught!"
Chen Xueqiang said this with confidence, because right after casting, someone across the pond was already catching fish; today's fish activity was quite good.
Yet, this time he was mistaken.
During the first half hour of fishing, Zhang Yang focused on using aggressive ground bait to attract fish, showing no intent to stop to actively fish.
After half an hour, more than a pound's worth of ground bait had been used, and the water near Zhang Yang's spot was cloudy.
Seeing his earlier confidence now dashed, Chen Xueqiang frowned slightly, "Something's off. Given today's fish activity, it shouldn't take this long for the bait to work! Others have already started catching fish!"