Back to the Past to Become a Fishing King-Chapter 581 - 333: Off Track (2)

Zhang Yang looked up and recognized the champion fisherman greeting him.

"Teacher Liu! You're here too! Hello, hello!"

When it comes to pleasantries, Zhang Yang wasn't bad at it either, and he warmly exchanged greetings with Old Liu.

"How did you do in the first round? I heard from my little apprentice that your surface fishing was pretty good?" After a few courtesies, Liu Wenjun went straight to the point.

Although Old Liu was a bit pragmatic with some things, he was quite reliable when it came to mentoring. Getting a bit of information from Zhang Yang might provide important reference for his apprentice.

"I did try surface fishing, but it was so-so, not ideal. It took over twenty minutes before I even started. The fish situation was much slower than I expected!" Zhang Yang said half-truthfully.

"Oh? So, how many did you catch in the end? My apprentice's next round is focusing on the target fish, so I came to learn from you!" Old Liu continued to ask.

"Two hundred seventy or eighty fish! I made a burst in the end to grab some fish! Not too bad!" Zhang Yang replied with a smile.

"That's great! A bit more effort and you would've hit three hundred!"

Zhang Yang quickly shook his head. "I used all my strength, almost thought I was done for in the first twenty minutes!

Later, I managed to figure out the fish situation and grabbed a few! Teacher Liu, which pond were you at in the last round? I could learn a bit from you!"

"I was fishing at Pond 1! The bites were too slow; I think there's an issue with the water adjustment! I only caught forty-something fish in one round, probably under three or four points!" Old Liu replied.

"Were you fishing on the bottom, or was there another trick?"

"Mostly bottom fishing, with a few bites on the way! It seems the fishing conditions at this competition are not great. Be careful in the upcoming rounds!"

"Alright! Thanks for the reminder!"

"You guys continue to have fun, I just came over to say hi, I'm leaving now! Let's have a drink after the competition!"

"Sure!"

...

After Liu Wenjun left, Han Qiang next to him asked, "Wasn't that champion fisherman Liu Wenjun? You're quite impressive! He even came over to greet you!"

Zhang Yang pursed his lips, "Me impressive? It's for the sake of the fish situation! Old Liu came over to get some info out of me! His apprentice will likely choose surface fishing in the next round!"

"Huh? There are so many tricks? Was what he just said about bottom fishing and occasional travel bites true? Somehow, it doesn't feel right to me!"

Zhang Yang shook his head again, "Listening to him, you'd end up celebrating the New Year late! Fish in Pond 1 really like to rise to the surface, and insisting on bottom fishing is a sure way to fail! He's trying to set a trap for us!"

"Then why did you tell him the truth? If he was trying to deceive, we could do the same!" Wang Yan complained, couldn't hold back his criticism.

Zhang Yang's smile widened, "What I said is true, but that doesn't mean he'd fully believe it! He'll likely overthink it, and just as he overthinks, he'll fall into my trap!"

"Uh, alright then!"

...

Sure enough, when Liu Wenjun returned to his apprentices, he said to the skinny guy who had asked earlier, "I went to confirm it for you!

Zhang Yang said he indeed used surface fishing in the last match, but he almost didn't get any results in the first twenty minutes!

In the next half hour, when the fish started to gather, he caught up with about 280-290 fish."

"Uh, so I shouldn't go with surface fishing in the next match?"

The skinny guy felt a bit conflicted after hearing this. After all, nobody likes to frequently change their battle tactics significantly.

Liu Wenjun shook his head, "The more he says that, the more you should go with surface fishing! Almost hitting three hundred? With that speed, the situation is not fit for surface fishing? Nonsense!

Partial truth, this is testing our intelligence! Give it a try; there's a good chance!"

"Alright! I'll follow your advice!"

...

Soon, the break between the competitions was over, and the second round began with a phone draw.

According to the rules, the first round was at Pond 2, and the second round must also be at Pond 2! So Zhang Yang felt quite at ease.

Logged into the public account, clicked on the lottery, let's go!

Your next match is number target fish competition, Pond 2, A35.

Once again, it's a very ordinary fishing spot, neither at the edge nor the middle. The only advantage is on the south bank, where you fish with your back to the sun, so it doesn't glare at your eyes. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

After the draw ended, Zhang Yang started to gather near the entrance with his fishing box and rod bag.

Soon, the staff allowed them down to the next match, and the referee shouted loudly, "Entrance!!"

A group of people surged towards their assigned fishing spots.

After Zhang Yang found his spot, he started doing pre-competition preparations methodically,

at this time, an ordinary player wearing a T-shirt with the words Wenjun Fishing Club printed on it walked over from the side.

This person was a bit surprised when he saw he was next to Zhang Yang.

Is my luck that good?

"Hey, buddy! Do we know each other? Why do you keep staring at me!" Zhang Yang initiated the greeting.

"Hehe! Sorry about that! I really like you! I'm Hou Fei, my master is Liu Wenjun!"

"Oh, it's Brother Liu's top apprentice! Nice to meet you!"

"Haha, no need to be so polite!"

"Sure, sure!"

After a few pleasantries, the two sat down at their fishing spots.

However, at this time, the skinny guy who greeted Zhang Yang clearly felt his emotions rising.

What emotions? Of course, nervousness!

Zhang Yang, while preparing, was also paying attention to this guy next door.

From his bait preparation and details, Zhang Yang already knew what the other guy planned to do.

Using a light bran and pellet powder combination, with a very small water ratio, and a lot of light bran. A glance at the ready bait revealed a large, white pile.

This just confirmed Zhang Yang's earlier suspicion, that Old Liu's information must have been passed to his apprentice.

Haha, fishing next to me, and you still dare to go with surface fishing, that's quite bold! For a moment, Zhang Yang's own feelings were stirred up.

According to Zhang Yang's original competition plan, he wasn't going to surface fish in the second round; having fished the pond once, the catch rate would significantly drop if he continued with surface fishing.

However, after seeing Liu Wenjun's apprentice, Zhang Yang decided to play a little mind game!

With his mind made up, Zhang Yang took out his bait tray and, right in front of the guy next door, prepared some surface fishing bait again.

The bait contained a large amount of light bran, so at a glance, it was all white.

Liu Wenjun's apprentice felt reassured seeing this sight.

Zhang Yang dared to prepare surface fishing bait, so of course, Hou Fei dared to fish on the surface!

As for basics, Hou Fei had confidence, thanks to his rigorous training by his master.

Little did Hou Fei know, Zhang Yang was setting a trap for him.

The preparation time went by quickly, and with the referee's shot, the second round began!

In the first three minutes, Zhang Yang's actions were almost identical to the last round. Quick baiting, rapid casting.

Seeing Zhang Yang's fast casting rhythm, Hou Fei gritted his teeth and kept up.

In surface fishing, it's all about speed and bait discharge, and Hou Fei considered himself a master, not underestimating Zhang Yang.

Since he wasn't willing to yield, they decided to compete!

The two of them were determined, frantically casting to lure the fish, seemingly intent on going all-out.

However, Hou Fei didn't notice that Zhang Yang had gradually adjusted his casting rhythm.

In surface fishing, the bait should be reeled as soon as it hits the water, but Zhang Yang deliberately slowed down by a few seconds, controlling the bait to disperse at mid-level.

On one hand, it was surface fishing with immediate reeling, on the other hand, it was mid-level bait dispersion to gather fish, superficially appearing incompatible, even slightly advantageous for Hou Fei.

But in reality, the underwater fish conditions in the fishing area had markedly changed.

With fish having been caught in the first round, trying to surface fish was incredibly tricky. Most of the fish had been hooked before, significantly altering the overall density.

Meanwhile, Zhang Yang, under the guise of surface fishing, kept luring at the mid-lower level; with fewer fish, he simply went for a semi-sinking baiting strategy.