The Top Fishing
Chapter 444 - 211: Someone Provoking

Chapter 444: Chapter 211: Someone Provoking

Determined, Lin Yang checked the treble hooks on the lure and cast it out again.

If the intersection of deep and shallow waters belonged to a naturally formed fish gathering area, then the sunken ship was an excellent fishing point created by human influence.

Once there were fish in this area, it was very likely there were not just one. A small sunken ship could likely have a miniature ecosystem around it, capable of sustaining more than one big fish.

Lin Yang’s lure landing point continued to skirt the edge of the deep-water area, incrementally searching the vicinity.

After just four casts, he hooked another fish.

A dogfish, weighing about three pounds, was pulled up not far from the spot where he’d just had a bite.

The dogfish wasn’t the target species, but it put up a strong fight. It took several rounds to subdue it.

The dogfish, covered in spots and capable of opening its mouth quite wide, similar to China’s black fish, swallowed the bait ferociously, its entire body engulfing the lure.

Lin Yang showed it off to the viewers in the live stream before using a fish controller and lure pliers with some effort to unhook the fish and release it back into the water.

Seeing him catch another fish, the frequency of casting from the competitors in the opposite boat became more frantic. Their previous lure landings had been somewhat restrained, but their following casts were almost undisguised, as if they were trying to overlap with Lin Yang’s spot.

Soon, the one who wasn’t playing by the rules got punished. Their second cast after changing spots got stuck at the bottom. No matter how hard he pulled, he couldn’t retrieve the lure. After several attempts, he ultimately had to cut the leader line and tie on a new bait.

Watching their misfortune, Lin Yang and his partner were in high spirits. They chose another edge of the area to continue their search.

After changing spots, Wang Feng’s first cast also struck fish.

The depth of the bite was nearly identical to the spot where Lin Yang had caught the first Big Mouth Bass, and the force below the water seemed considerable. Lin Yang patiently guided him to control the fish, leading it out of the danger zone. After several rounds, the fish was successfully pulled up, and indeed it was another Big Mouth Bass.

This Big Mouth Bass wasn’t as large as the one Lin Yang had caught before, but it was still larger than the previous ones, estimated to weigh at least two or three pounds.

Having witnessed Lin Yang and his partner capturing two sizable Big Mouth Bass at this spot, the referee was a bit confused.

The fish were indeed caught with lures; there was no indication of any illegal behavior such as hiding fish. The previously worst assumptions about the unfamiliar duo based on their appearance were shattered by reality.

One spot had yielded two target fish totaling at least over eight pounds in weight. The captain, who had been observing silently, could not hold back any longer and asked, "Mr. Lin Yang, if I may be so bold to ask, how did you discover the underwater hiding spots of the Big Mouth Bass? Having watched you fish, I find it utterly amazing...."

To describe it as amazing was enough to convey the captain’s sentiment. To impress an old man who had fished his entire life was quite a statement.

Lin Yang couldn’t answer that question truthfully, as he obviously couldn’t tell him that he could roughly see the fish underwater.

However, since the captain had approached him for advice, it wouldn’t be appropriate to say nothing. After thinking for a moment and organizing his thoughts, Lin Yang replied, "Actually, it’s not as complicated as you imagine, just some small observation details."

"Details? Can you be more specific? I still don’t understand," the captain pressed.

Lin Yang gestured towards the surface of the water, which was slightly rippled, and fabricated, "For example, various structures on the seabed can slightly affect the surface ripples. If you look closely at this area, you can notice the pattern of the waves is slightly different from the surroundings. It requires very careful observation to notice this difference. Additionally, when fish are underwater, they exhale small bubbles as they breathe. We Chinese anglers call these bubbles ’fish stars,’ which are signs of fish movements underwater. Variations in water color, the surrounding environment, surface vegetation, among other details, can serve as references to gauge whether there could be fish nearby. By paying attention to such details and making comprehensive judgments, it is possible to discover fishing spots not recorded by you...."

The theories Lin Yang rattled off were not purely made up but were a sophisticated form of deception, consisting of half-truths and half-falsehoods.

For instance, the ’fish stars’ and water color variations he mentioned could indeed be used by experienced anglers with good eyesight to make certain judgments.

But saying that underwater structures cause subtle differences in the water’s ripples was a bit of a stretch, for even if such nuances existed, they couldn’t be observed with the naked eye alone, which is unscientific.

Yet at that moment, Lin Yang had demonstrated these things in action while fishing, significantly boosting the credibility of his explanation. The captain, at least, believed more than half of it after hearing the response.

He stared at the spot Lin Yang had described for a long time based on the answer but couldn’t discern any difference in the ripples. Eventually, he just shrugged in resignation and gave up trying.

The audience in the live stream was also taken aback by Lin Yang’s speech, almost believing his words to be true.

After all, during the live stream, he had demonstrated too many fishing techniques that seemed incredible to the average person. Even if some were skeptical, they didn’t dare to question him openly. Just because they couldn’t do it didn’t mean others couldn’t.