Chapter 770: Chapter 441: Difficult Fishing Conditions

Over here, Zhang Yang was still pleased about arriving early, thinking he’d benefited from many potential advantages, when he suddenly saw a familiar figure. The person was carrying a 26-liter imported Daiwa fishing box, casually strolling towards Zhang Yang.

Zhang Yang instinctively glanced at the person a few times, and their eyes happened to meet.

The person wasn’t someone else; it was Liu Xiaotao, Huang Zheng’s follower.

Liu Xiaotao appeared to be around twenty years old, had a bowl cut hairstyle, and was very skinny, standing at about 175 cm, looking like he weighed no more than 100 pounds. He wore the Hua Clan-sponsored sun-protection outfit, which made him look like a scarecrow in the field wearing old clothes.

Liu Xiaotao also realized that he was seated next to Zhang Yang in this round, so he couldn’t help but look at Zhang Yang a few more times.

Zhang Yang squinted slightly as he smiled at him, then turned back to continue his preparations.

Liu Xiaotao looked at Zhang Yang and then at his own fishing spot, feeling a mix of emotions in an instant.

Zhang Yang was at fishing spot 03, Liu Xiaotao at 02. They were right next to each other, Liu Xiaotao on Zhang Yang’s right side. According to the competition’s rules on rotating fishing spots, after each round, Liu Xiaotao would take over Zhang Yang’s spot.

Speaking of Liu Xiaotao, despite his young age, he wasn’t a novice in the competitive fishing scene. He had followed Huang Zheng for two to three years and participated in numerous competitions, although he hadn’t achieved any major success, he certainly had gained plenty of experience.

Seeing Zhang Yang smile at him, Liu Xiaotao felt a bit awkward; it was an instinctual respect towards an opponent with great prowess.

"Hey, young fellow, what’s your name? If I’m not mistaken, you’re hanging out with Master Huang Zheng, right?"

Just when Liu Xiaotao was feeling conflicted and uncertain about how to handle the situation, Zhang Yang unexpectedly greeted him.

"Hello, my name is Liu Xiaotao!" Liu Xiaotao nodded.

"By the way, did Huang Zheng lose some fish yesterday and go back cursing me behind the scenes?" Zhang Yang continued chatting, mumbling nonsense to fill the silence, while his hands didn’t stop working, mixing a batch of stinky bait using several classic carp recipes.

"Oh, it’s just a few cigarettes, no big deal!" Liu Xiaotao habitually defended his big brother.

"Anyway, meeting here is fate. It’s rare for us to be side by side, how about making a little side bet?" Zhang Yang subtly laid the groundwork with several sentences and finally stated his request.

To Zhang Yang’s surprise, Liu Xiaotao decisively shook his head in refusal: "My master doesn’t allow me to bet fish with strangers!"

"Uh..." Zhang Yang was instantly at a loss for words.

With different stances, naturally, they couldn’t be friends. Initially, Zhang Yang thought he might gain some perks, but this young guy, despite his age, had considerable social experience and wouldn’t fall for tricks. If it were Liu Zi instead, a few provocative words could make his head hot, and he’d eagerly jump into the action regardless of winning or losing.

’Even if a trap is set perfectly, if the person doesn’t take the bait, Zhang Yang is helpless,’ Zhang Yang thought to himself, giving up on stirring things up.

Due to his pessimistic forecast of this morning’s fish situation, Zhang Yang chose to prepare conservatively before the competition.

He prepared around one pound of wet scattered bait, plus a fist-sized ball of lightweight soft sticky bait. Additionally, he mixed one portion of stinky bait using classic four-six numbers together with steel egg and state bait.

Having finished all his preparations and checked everything was in order, Zhang Yang focused his attention on Liu Xiaotao next to him.

At Zhang Yang’s level, one could typically assess someone’s skills not only by competing directly but also by watching their preparations and habitual movements, evaluating various small details to judge an angler’s capability.

Liu Xiaotao was about the same age as Liu Zi, so while observing him, Zhang Yang consciously began comparing Liu Xiaotao with Liu Zi.

Upon comparing the observations, Zhang Yang felt quite satisfied; from the details observed before the competition, Liu Zi’s technical level seemed to be superior to Liu Xiaotao’s.

Not to mention other aspects, although Liu Xiaotao had been fishing all over the place with Huang Zheng, he appeared to lack systematic training like Liu Zi.

There are simple reasons for this judgment, such as the height of the water basin before fishing, the placement of the leader box behind him, and the refinements made when Liu Xiaotao trimmed the lead strip.

Even though Liu Zi didn’t have many practical competition experiences, his pre-competition preparations were already methodical with no unnecessary actions. In contrast, this Liu Xiaotao next to him clearly showed signs of having no guidance, resembling wild self-taught behaviors; possibly since he started learning fishing, nobody had guided him through the detailed aspects of fishing techniques.

The preparation time after entering the venue quickly concluded; the loudspeaker announced the command from the referee, and all participating anglers simultaneously raised their rods and cast into the water.

Unlike others, from the very first cast, Zhang Yang had no intention of making a nest to gather fish. He returned to the fishing strategy he used in the first match yesterday.

Double-hooked small bait, pinching a small wet scattered bomb at the hook’s shank position. After casting into the water, he didn’t rush to retrieve and cast again but instead quietly observed the bobber and the actions of other anglers around.

More than half an hour ago, the fish in the pond were still surfacing; now, although they had moved to the bottom, they were difficult to tempt with food. Under such fish conditions, relying on bait quantity and bait atomization to create a nest and lure fish was pointless.