171: Puzzled

As the two were talking, one of the fishing rods hooked a fish. Yang Qi used his ability to check and saw it was a large wolf fish, weighing about 15 catties.

This fishing rod happened to be Wang Jinxi's. He stepped forward two paces and took out the rod from the fishing tube where it was stored.

With the butt of the rod braced against his stomach, he held the rod with one hand and reeled with the other. It didn't take long for him to pull the large wolf fish close, and his companion easily gaffed it onto the deck.

This type of fish has sharp teeth, so one must be very careful when removing the hook; a slip could result in a nasty cut.

Yang Qi offered everyone another round of cigarettes, then excused himself. After circling around, he found his fishing spot. He went back to get his tackle bag and mounted his newly purchased electric reel cannon stand onto the gunwale.

His other fishing gear was placed behind him, unassembled, as he wasn't planning to fish at the moment.

After some thought, he decided to go watch a movie in the lounge. By now, a few anglers were already coming in for breakfast.

Yang Qi had asked Wang Jinxi, and the fishing boat wouldn't reach its destination until around dusk.

At this point, he truly had nothing to do. Going back to the rest cabin to sleep was out of the question.

He chose Stephen Chow's 'A Chinese Odyssey Part Two: Cinderella' and watched, letting out 'giggle, giggle, giggle' laughter. He didn't know how many times he had watched it, but each time he found it captivating.

Classics are indeed classics!

When he returned after using the restroom, he found his seat taken, and even the movie had been changed. He didn't say anything, half-reclined on the sofa, and eventually fell asleep while watching.

He woke up again to the shouts for lunch. After eating, Zhang Jun and his companions continued playing cards to pass the time.

Yang Qi realized he had too few hobbies. Like today, he was idle and utterly bored.

"No, I'm going to learn to play cards too. Even if it's just to pass the time, it's better than nothing!"

He forced himself to sit at the card table, concentrating on watching them play, even imagining himself in their shoes, thinking about how he would play if it were him.

But in less than half an hour, his eyelids grew heavy again. He simply couldn't muster any interest. Without interest, how could there be a hobby?

Forget it, he'd let himself off the hook!

Yang Qi finally decided to just sleep. Going back to the rest cabin felt too cramped and uncomfortable for sleeping.

So he half-reclined on the sofa, acting like a lazy fish, watching the movie other anglers were watching with half-closed eyes.

It was so boring. Next time he went out to sea, he definitely needed to download movies and novels.

Finally, he drifted off to sleep again without realizing it. In his dream, Yang Qi felt someone gently pat him. He groggily opened his eyes and saw it was Wang Jinxi.

"Yang Qi, wake up quickly! We're almost at our destination. Eat your fill first, then get ready to fish."

Yang Qi instantly perked up, scrambled off the sofa, and hurried to queue for food.

Zhang Jun and his card game had also ended; they must have received notice that they were nearing their destination.

Yang Qi asked Liu Yao, who was standing behind him, "How's it going? What's the battle situation?"

Liu Yao replied with a bright smile, "Not bad!"

Yang Qi asked, "How much did you win?"

"Lost 2000 yuan," Liu Yao replied.

"Lost 2000 yuan, and you call that 'not bad'?" Yang Qi somewhat doubted if he had heard correctly.

"Well, usually I lose 8000 yuan or more," Liu Yao said matter-of-factly.

Yang Qi looked at this spendthrift and suddenly had the idea of learning to play cards again. Once he learned, he would play with him. It would probably be a way to make money too.

After everyone ate, they found their fishing spots. Yang Qi quickly assembled his tackle, baited his hook, and looked at the sea. This area was indeed much better than the inshore waters.

Not far away, there were several schools of Grouper swimming and foraging on the seabed.

Yang Qi forcefully cast his hook towards one of the fish schools.

Not long after, the tip of his fishing rod twitched. Yang Qi's heart pounded as he gripped the rod tightly. Suddenly, the fish pulled sharply, bending the rod into an arc.

Yang Qi exerted all his strength, fighting the fish, still adhering to his strategy of pausing every 10 meters, steady and unyielding. People around gathered to watch the excitement, cheering him on.

After a fierce struggle, Yang Qi finally landed the fish on deck. It was an eight-jin or so Sesame Grouper.

This was again the first fish among all the anglers, drawing exclamations of surprise and thumbs-up for Yang Qi.

Yang Qi was also very excited, a modest smile gracing his face. He said, "Luck, it's all luck!"

He skillfully removed the hook, and Wang Jinxi, standing beside him, tagged the Sesame Grouper with a black 'A' plastic tag, then placed the fish into the live fish tank.

Yang Qi then re-baited his hook and cast his rod into the sea again.

With Yang Qi's good start, the other anglers also became enthusiastic, all intently watching their fishing rods.

For a moment, the deck fell silent, with only the sound of waves hitting the hull.

Before long, Zhang Jun's rod also showed activity. He immediately stood up, gripped the rod tightly, set the hook, and began to tussle with the fish.

He was busy reeling in and letting out line, fully engrossed. People around gathered to cheer him on.

One must know that the water here is very deep, so the fish's pulling power is arguably multiplied. However, it was also clear that the variety and size of the fish were much better than in the inshore waters.

After a fierce tug-of-war, Zhang Jun also successfully landed a fish—a Grouper weighing about ten catties.

Wang Jinxi stood beside him, deftly scooped up the Tiger Grouper, tagged it with a yellow 'A' plastic tag, and quickly sent it to the live fish tank.

In the time that followed, anglers continuously caught fish, and the deck was bustling with activity.

Yang Qi wasn't idle either, successively catching several more Grouper, with a considerable harvest. Everyone fished and exchanged experiences, enjoying the fun of sea fishing.

Liu Yao, to his right, caught a Green Grouper weighing over ten catties, delighted beyond measure, constantly showing off and bragging to Lu Hua beside him.

The novice Lu Hua still hadn't gotten a bite on his rod, pacing anxiously.

This drew waves of laughter from Liu Yao, but he put down his own rod, walked over, and taught him hand-in-hand.

"Where's your beginner's luck? Where's your beginner's luck?"

Liu Yao asked Lu Hua.

"What beginner's luck? I'm not wearing it!" The novice Lu Hua was confused by the question, stroked his arm, but didn't see any wristband.

Fishing can sometimes be quite mystical. Some people, when they first start fishing, have incredibly good luck, often said to have 'beginner's luck.'

Others don't catch any fish even as beginners.

I clearly remember many years ago, going fishing with a neighbor at a local reservoir. Our spots were very close, less than three meters apart.

It was strange; my tackle was better than his, and my bait was better too. Yet, he kept catching fish, and I didn't get a single bite.

Later, I asked him for some bait, but still no bites. Even when I put it in his spot, no bites. In the end, I even used his bait and his rod to fish, and still no bites.

I was completely baffled!

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