176: Night squid fishing

Those who could afford the 20,000 yuan boat fee to go fishing, with the exception of a few individuals, were generally not short on money.

By around 2 AM, as no big fish had bitten, many had already lost their enthusiasm and confidence in fishing.

Laziness is contagious; just like in the middle of the night, when a group of people are together, if one person yawns incessantly, those nearby will gradually be infected, and soon everyone will feel tired and want to rest.

When the call for a late-night snack came over the loudspeaker, Wang Jinxi specifically brought him a plate of well-cooked dishes, which were the heart, liver, and kidneys of his Bluefin Tuna.

Yang Qi invited everyone to try it, and he himself tasted a little of each; the flavor was excellent. He planned to ask the chef how it was prepared so he could learn to make it himself later.

Most of the fishing enthusiasts went back to sleep in twos and threes after eating their late-night snack.

Because Yang Qi had slept all afternoon, he felt no sleepiness at all now; perhaps his ability had somewhat transformed his body. In any case, he felt that his strength and energy had greatly improved.

"Yang Qi, are you coming back to the rest cabin to sleep with us, or are you going to fish a bit longer?"

Zhang Jun and the others asked.

"I slept all afternoon, so I'm not sleepy now. I'll fish for a bit longer," Yang Qi explained.

Yang Qi ambled over to his fishing spot and checked the sea, confirming there were still no big fish.

There were no other fishing enthusiasts near him. Only two serious fishing enthusiasts were still battling it out in the distance, closer to the aft deck.

Just as he was about to bait his boat rod with a Balang Fish, he saw Wang Jinxi and a few crewmen coming over, rods in hand, chatting and laughing, ready to fish.

That's right, most of the fishing enthusiasts had gone to sleep, so now was the time for these crewmen to earn some extra money.

These crewmen could fish freely when they weren't serving guests, and whatever they caught was theirs.

"Hey, A Xi, are you guys going fishing now?"

"Yes, Yang Qi, I thought you had gone to sleep."

"No, I slept all afternoon, so I'm not sleepy now. I'll play for a bit longer."

Yang Qi offered cigarettes to the approaching group and chatted idly for a few moments.

Finally, Wang Jinxi stayed and cast his line to Yang Qi's right, in Liu Yao's original spot. The others said goodbye to them and walked to the other side.

Yang Qi and Wang Jinxi chatted on and off, occasionally catching a few fish. After about half an hour, Yang Qi suddenly noticed that the small fish schools on the surface had significantly thinned out.

While he was wondering about this, he heard Wang Jinxi say, "Yang Qi, change your hook, squid are here."

Squid, also known as Chinese spear squid, are marine cephalopod mollusks belonging to the genus Uroteuthis, family Loliginidae, order Myopsida.

Squid have slender bodies and are named "spear squid" because their shape somewhat resembles cuttlefish (i.e., sepia), but their bodies are longer than cuttlefish. Their abdomen is cylindrical and pale white.

They have light brown spots on their bodies, a diamond-shaped tail, eight soft arms on their head, two long tentacles, and suckers.

There are 30 species in the entire squid family, with 10 species found in China.

All squid are attracted to light at night; fishermen often use lights to lure them and then cast nets from behind them.

Squid have various benefits, such as nourishing qi, invigorating yin, and beautifying the skin. They can regulate blood pressure, protect nerve fibers, and activate cells. They also have certain therapeutic effects in preventing senile dementia.

They have dietary therapeutic effects in preventing arteriosclerosis, the formation of gallstones, relieving fatigue, restoring vision, and improving liver function. They can also treat iron-deficiency anemia.

Squid meat is fresh, tender, soft, and delicate, with excellent flavor. It can be processed into dried squid and is listed as a "first-class food" in the international seafood market.

Large squid, whose texture and flavor are similar to abalone, are also known as "poor man's abalone."

Market prices are relatively cheap, with fresh frozen squid in coastal areas averaging around 30 to 70 yuan per jin.

Generally, adult female squid can weigh about 1 jin, while male squid can reach about 2 jin.

Records show that in 2013, fishermen in Busan, South Korea, caught a "giant squid" measuring 4.5 meters long and weighing 100 kilograms.

This "giant squid" was extremely rare, with one of its eyes being as large as a human head.

Soon, countless squid gathered densely in the illuminated area projected by the searchlights.

The first squid to arrive gathered at the very top, while subsequent squid layered themselves below.

At this point, simply scooping a net into the concentrated squid would undoubtedly yield a net full of them.

But that would be no fun; the night is long, we can't just keep doing the same thing, can we?

That would be too tiring!

It's better to find some fun!

If scooping with a net isn't fun, then using a fishing rod is much more interesting, and it extends the playtime.

Squid are relatively small, but they feed quite aggressively. The size of the fishing line doesn't matter much, and for bait, a type of lure called a "wooden shrimp" is used.

A wooden shrimp lure is a shrimp-shaped lure, differing from other lures with their treble or single hooks.

The hooks attached to the bottom of a "wooden shrimp" are two densely distributed circles of barbless hooks.

Squid bodies are soft, and when they chase the wooden shrimp lure, it's easy for the fishing rod to detect the touch signal.

At this point, a gentle lift of the rod will cause the hooks on the wooden shrimp to pierce the squid's body.

Then, there's no need for extraordinary force; simply reel in the line at a not-too-fast, constant speed. This will pull the hooked squid out of the water.

Yang Qi tied on the "wooden shrimp" that Wang Jinxi gave him. He gently cast the wooden shrimp lure into the sea, landing it right in the cluster of squid.

The nearby squid were immediately attracted and their bodies made intimate contact with the wooden shrimp lure. These movements were transmitted to his hand via the fishing line and rod.

At this moment, Yang Qi lifted his rod, and the squid's soft body was pierced by the hooks of the "wooden shrimp" lure. Then he reeled in the line, quickly pulling the squid out of the sea.

"Oh, two birds with one stone!"

He brought two squid, hanging on the "wooden shrimp," onto the deck.

While flying through the air, the two squid probably realized what was happening.

"Pfft" "Pfft"

Two streams of ink flew through the air, and with inertia, as the squid were flung onto the fishing boat, the ink they ejected also flew towards the boat.

Yang Qi, unable to dodge in time, was splattered all over.

"Damn it, what the hell!"

Fortunately, squid ink, apart from being a bit salty and fishy, had no other unpleasant qualities.

"Damn it, I reeled in too fast, I forgot these things spray ink."

Yang Qi felt a bit awkward.

"Hehehe, you should have dragged it in the water for a bit, waited for it to finish spraying ink, and then pulled it out of the sea," Wang Jinxi, who was not far away, must have seen the whole process, and said to Yang Qi with a smile... PS: Thank you to all friends for your support and encouragement for this book! Please: like, comment, urge updates, and give free 'power with love'.