The Top Fishing
Chapter 307 - 173: Money Fish_2

Chapter 307: Chapter 173: Money Fish_2

But this fellow kept demanding more line, and even when he tightened the drag, he couldn’t stop it from taking line. Its strength was so outrageous that it was comparable to the thirty-pound grouper he had caught the day before, which amazed Lin Yang immensely.

However magical it might have seemed, it was still just a fish. As he continually let out and reeled in line, lifted the rod, the giant fish’s energy was rapidly being depleted, and its fate was already sealed.

Under his relentless effort, the big fish from the sea lasted about ten minutes before it could no longer hold on.

You see, for a fish around ten pounds, to struggle for over ten minutes is already quite extraordinary. Sea fish might be strong and swim fast, but because the water is deep, they also exhaust quickly.

As the big fish’s energy waned, Lin Yang started reeling in consistently. In no time, the big fish that had escaped far under the water was pulled closer to the surface.

Yue’er’s phone, which was live-streaming, was also constantly aimed at the water surface. Then everyone saw a golden-yellow hue becoming increasingly clear underwater. Upon seeing this shade of gold, all the viewers in the live stream room were stunned, and then the next second, they started frantically commenting.

"Holy shit, a gold-colored fish? Could it be a yellow croaker? The host has struck it rich."

"The host’s luck is too good, he actually caught a big yellow croaker, and such a large one might be worth at least six figures."

"I’m a fisherman, this doesn’t look like a yellow croaker; yellow croakers are brighter in color, and they generally aren’t this large. This fish has a brown-yellow back, a big mouth, and a big head; I think it looks a bit like a Money fish!"

"The guy upstairs, stop joking around, where can you still see Money fish these days....""

As the barrage of comments continued to fervently argue, Lin Yang had also identified the true identity of the fish.

When he first saw the golden hue, he, too, was stunned and initially thought he had caught a yellow croaker, but this thought was quickly dismissed.

Because something was amiss. Although yellow croakers are indeed golden, in reality, wild pure yellow croakers caught during the day in clear water should appear silvery-white. Those yellow ones sold in the market are those caught at night, or when the water is very murky.

Today, the weather in Peng City remained fine, the water here was not murky and the waves were mild. A yellow croaker caught under these conditions should be silvery-white. So what was up with this swipe of gold?

"Brother Yang, I saw in the comments some people saying this is a yellow croaker, and some say it is a Yellowlip Fish. What fish is it exactly?" Yue’er poked him with a finger and asked, blinking her eyes.

Li Xiaopeng, who stood nearby also live-streaming with a phone, heard Yue’er mention yellow croaker and Yellowlip Fish, and immediately rushed over.

"Really? Let me see!"

Lin Yang did not respond to their comments right away but solemnly continued to pull the fish in the water closer to the boat, but the closer he got, the more his eyelids twitched because he had recognized what the fish was.

"Yellowlip Fish?" Looking at the fish in front of him, he felt his head swell instantly.

The Yellowlip Fish, also known as Money Mullet, Money fish, Fish High, White Flower Fish, and Yellow Dried Fish, is from the same Sciaenidae family as the yellow croaker, but unlike the yellow croaker, no matter how expensive it is sold, it cannot match the price of this fish.

Back in the years when Yellowlip Fish were allowed to be fished, a ten to twenty pound specimen could sell for over one to two million or even three hundred million. Its fish maw, capable of treating severe hemorrhages, is the most prized among all fish types, fetching up to hundreds of thousands for a pound, making it one of the most expensive fish, second only to auctioned Bluefin Gold Spear fish.

Yes, the fact that they were once allowed to be caught means that now they are not allowed to be fished.

The Yellowlip Fish is now on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as critically endangered and is a part of China’s Red Data Book of Endangered Species. It is currently listed as a Class II protected species in the country, also known colloquially as the ’jail-time fish.’

Seeing him bring this fish onto the boat, some knowledgeable viewers in the live stream went absolutely crazy.

"Oh my god, this is really a Yellowlip Fish! The host has made a fortune."

"Making a fortune is possible, but whether there’s time to spend it is another matter. Yellowlip Fish is now a protected species, ’jail-time fish’ might ring a bell."

"Feel sorry for the host for a second, catching such a creature."

Indeed, as the comments suggested, if he hadn’t been live-streaming, he might have been able to secretly sell the fish.

But now, having caught a Yellowlip Fish in full public view, even if given ten times the courage, he wouldn’t dare to trade this fish.

The Yellowlip Fish is much larger than the yellow croaker, typically reaching maturity at about 15 pounds. The one Lin Yang had caught was clearly still growing and weighed around ten pounds, but even if not fully mature, it was still a Class II protected species.

Lin Yang was now eager to release it but figured he’d better get the fish securely aboard first.

Though he had always fished cast-and-retrieve style, this time he chose to have Li Xiaopeng use a landing net. After pulling the fish into the landing net, they carefully brought the fish aboard the