The Top Fishing
Chapter 418 - 203: Expert Sea Angler _2

Chapter 418: Chapter 203: Expert Sea Angler _2

The two discussed and agreed to have a Grouper fishing competition that evening.

Grouper fishing is relatively easy; just find a shallow coral reef area, use the right equipment, hit the bottom, and you can catch them. Even Yue’er, by handling a rod, would be able to pull in the fish. In terms of difficulty, it should be one of the easiest in deep-sea fishing.

After dinner, Ah Bin and Lin Yang set off in two separate yachts to the coral reef markers they had visited before.

After two hours of sailing, they arrived at the first marker. Both boats dropped anchor, and Ah Bin, rather dramatically, had the captain daringly bring the boats close enough together that he could jump onto Lin Yang’s yacht from the deck.

It was time to fish, and Ah Bin looked significantly more professional with his Sea Bass-patterned fishing cap, sun-protective clothing, an angler’s utility vest, and a very professional-looking lure belt around his waist. He held a high-end-looking, rainbow-colored marine fishing rod—clearly the attire of an experienced angler.

"Xiao Yang, it’s time to see whose fishing skills are superior. I won’t go easy on you," he said confidently to Lin Yang.

Lin Yang smiled and nodded, "It’s just a friendly competition. I’m ready to take up your challenge anytime. How would you like to compete?"

Hearing this, Ah Bin shook his head seriously, "No, fishing is a very solemn affair. I always believe if a person can fish well, there’s nothing in this world they can’t do right."

His words struck a chord with Lin Yang. Fishing is a systematic task; many factors influence the outcome, and doing it well does indeed require a high level of overall quality. From some perspectives, Ah Bin’s words did make sense.

"You’re right, I won’t hold back either," Lin Yang responded with a nod.

Seeing him get serious, a pleased smile appeared on Ah Bin’s face, "Okay, we’ll each choose the appropriate bait and rods. Our target is the bottom-dwelling Grouper that are all over here. We’ll use the total weight as the standard to determine the winner."

Lin Yang nodded, "No problem."

"Ten minutes of preparation time, and after ten minutes, we’ll start. The competition lasts an hour. If there are no objections, let’s start preparing now."

"Okay."

Before the competition started, Lin Yang also checked the fish situation in the reefs under the yacht.

The marker’s data indicated this coral reef area was home to thirty or forty species of small to medium-sized Groupers, each with subtle differences in habitat, predation habits, and diet. To truly fish for these Groupers well, there are many nuances to consider when bottom fishing.

After some thought, Lin Yang decided to use a metal jig to be more efficient.

While he was seriously selecting his equipment, Ah Bin was discreetly observing his choices. When he saw Lin Yang pick out a glow-in-the-dark slow-pitch metal jig, Ah Bin’s opinion of him rose a notch.

Glow-in-the-dark lures are very effective against some Groupers. Slow-pitch jigs, being shorter and wider, have a better posture underwater compared to fast-pitch jigs. Proper manipulation could lead to a much higher chance of getting bites—a detail many veteran anglers with decades of fishing experience might overlook. Yet, this novice sea angler had taken note of it.

Ah Bin knew Lin Yang quite well. He was aware that Lin Yang was excellent at freshwater fishing and knew he’d only recently taken up sea fishing. Therefore, Lin Yang’s savvy display still took him by surprise.

"I’m ready. Shall we start?" Lin Yang asked casually after giving his equipment one last check.

"No problem, let’s begin!" Ah Bin nodded, and the competition started.

Lin Yang, with calm composure, flicked his wrist and swung the jig into the water beside the boat, then deftly adjusted the drag during the line-off moment.

Yes, you saw it right—he was already fine-tuning the drag as the lure hit the water. It didn’t do much to improve his catch rate, but it allowed him to get a feel for the reel he was using, and ensured the line was as straight as possible for rapid feedback on any bite.

He had already checked the underwater conditions from the cockpit when they stopped the boats earlier, noting an average depth of about 50 meters over a fairly flat coral reef area.

In the blink of an eye, the jig hit the bottom, and the line spool’s release of line stopped.

Lin Yang wound the line back slightly to tighten the spool and casually flicked the rod tip.

Grouper usually stay at the bottom; to catch them well, the art of teasing with the bait is key. Lin Yang’s seemingly casual flick adjusted the force and angle just right. Underwater, the jig moved from its still state with a slight acceleration and then briefly hovered a few centimeters above the bottom.

After that flick, Lin Yang waited at least five seconds without further action, letting the lure drop freely to the bottom.

At that moment, if one could see underwater, they’d notice the lure had already caught the attention of a nearby Grouper. However, this cautious fish didn’t recklessly attack the lure upon sight, as one might expect.

Predatory fish in the sea hunt with certain patterns, especially aggressive toward prey with health issues, because attacks on them are more likely to succeed.