The Top Fishing
Chapter 523 - 237: Murderous Intent

Chapter 523: Chapter 237: Murderous Intent

At the moment the fishing started, Lin Yang entered battle mode, holding double hooks with large-size Scatter Bomb Bait, bombarding the spot directly in front of him in a frenzy.

The basic skills honed in domestic black pit Crucian Carp fishing were not wasted here when fishing for High-back Crucian Carp; the technique was utilised to its full extent.

In the early stages of baiting, the Scatter Bomb Bait had a slightly lower water content, starting to atomize as soon as it hit the water, forming a column-like mist from the surface down to the bottom.

If it were an ordinary angler, the accuracy of casting might be poorer, possibly causing the atomization area to scatter more widely, but Lin Yang, as a top domestic angler, had nearly perfect overlap of the baits’ landing points when doing targeted casting.

If there was a camera underwater, one could clearly see that at the very center of the baited area, every 20 seconds or so, two large triangular Scatter Bomb Bait balls would sink into the water, continuously falling and forming various detritus, creating an increasingly dense misty trail.

Having briefly explained the status of Lin Yang’s baited spot, let’s talk about the habits of these Japanese High-back Crucian Carps.

The High-back Crucian Carp is called "Heila" in Japanese, and the Heila fishing method is named after this fish species. Their habits are similar to those of the domestic High-back Crucian Carp, with slightly larger mouths, a preference for bait with heavy atomization, and a greater tendency to feed at the surface compared to domestic Silver Crucian Carp, Jiangsu Crucian Carp, or varieties like Zhongke No.3.

How to fish for such habituated fish doesn’t need much explanation; if they like to feed at the surface, then go for a strong attack, the more the fish gather, the easier it is to catch them.

In a strong atomization state, Lin Yang’s baited spot quickly showed activity, but he didn’t rush to change the bait to capture the fish’s attention; instead, he continued the previous baiting action.

Lin Yang’s idea was simple: half a basin of dry scatter and half a basin of wet scatter, enough for an hour’s competition time. He decided to get the half basin of dry scatter down first.

While he was throwing his line with his head down and hadn’t caught a single fish yet, it was different for Saito next door.

He indeed had a very deep understanding of the Heila fishing method, but this so-called expert was measured against the standard of local Japanese anglers; placed among domestic competitive anglers, he was just a novice.

Since Japanese High-back Crucian Carp like to feed at the surface, finding the correct depth for the fish layer is a technique that can effectively increase the catch in the Heila fishing method.

Saito’s confidence stemmed from his proficiency in locating the fish layer among Japanese anglers, which indeed was a technical advantage. However, facing competitive anglers from China, this slight edge was simply not sufficient.

In China, float fishing in competitive matches is a routine strategy, and locating the fish layer is basic practice; any third-rate competitive angler could handle it adeptly.

At that moment, Saito, too, was baiting with two large clumps of Marukyu Bait, luring fish on one hand while fishing on the other.

Saito, familiar with the local fish density, knew that it wasn’t necessary to use too much attractant, as it was easy for fish to enter the baited spot. Therefore, he only brought a small amount of bait and started his ’signature move’.

After a few test casts and exploratory depth adjustments, Saito quickly made a catch.

The float, which had been steadily rising, suddenly showed a powerful bite, and with a large swing to the side, Saito sent the rod forward to set the hook and hit the fish.

His rod, being much softer than the 5h rod Lin Yang was currently using, allowed Saito to quickly control the fish. After three rounds of pulling back and forth, he lifted the rod and slowly reeled the fish in.

A High-back Crucian Carp of around one jin.

Yoshino, acting as the referee, then said, "Mr. Saito is currently on his first catch!"

Having caught the first fish, Saito was inwardly very pleased and smug.

That Chinese guy next door seems to be casting frequently, but he hasn’t caught a single fish.

Thinking you can beat me? Dream on!

It was this cognitive difference that meant Saito was completely unaware of Lin Yang’s tactical intent, so he continued fishing based on his own ideas.

After a slight adjustment to the depth, Saito quickly caught his second fish.

The third one.

The fourth one.

In less than ten minutes, Saito had four fish in hand, while next door, Lin Yang hadn’t caught a single one yet.

Seeing Lin Yang’s performance, Yoshino started to get a little anxious. Could it be true, what Saito said about Lin Yang buying the title of International Fishing King?

Both Saito and Yoshino wore serious expressions, with tense faces.

But looking back at Yue’er and Xia Xiaoxue, as well as the tens of thousands of viewers in the live broadcast room, no one was worried at this moment.

The viewers knew clearly that the fish in Lin Yang’s baited spot were about to boil over, while the opponent was mistakenly gleeful, thinking he had a secure win.

The biggest difference in the level of fishing skills isn’t the outcome of one or a few fish, but rather, you’ve lost without even realizing it yourself.

Just then, Saito successfully hit his fifth fish with another lift of the rod.

After unhooking and securing the fish, he turned around with great satisfaction to glance at Lin Yang, "Mr. Lin Yang, I have caught five fish now, and you haven’t caught any. Is this the ability of China’s top anglers? If you admit defeat now, I can save you some face. Let’s end this contest here!"

Confronted with the challenge, Lin Yang’s lips slightly curled into a smile, "Admit defeat? When have you ever seen a Chinese person who gives up? The hour-long match has only just passed 10 minutes; it’s too early to think you’ve got a secure win!"

"Do you think you can catch up with these five fish?" Saito continued to question.

Lin Yang just smiled, not responding.

Seeing that he wasn’t engaging, Saito became even more arrogant.

"Yoshino-kun, for this match, the higher-ups in your company aren’t even aware of it yet, right?