Chapter 799: Chapter 545: The Second Function of Flicking the Rod Tip (2)

"Hehe, same here!"

The two exchanged a few polite words, and then Wang Chao’s phone rang. He waved, said goodbye for the moment, and left Zhang Yang standing there.

There was a five-minute break to adjust after switching fishing spots. Zhang Yang had nothing to do, so after stretching, he went back to sit on his fishing box and wait for the second half of the competition.

At this time, Zhang Yang’s WeChat notification also sounded. Meng Fan, who was also competing, sent Zhang Yang a message.

Meng Fan: "29 to 28, I temporarily lead by one fish in the first half!"

Zhang Yang glanced at the message and replied: "The fish are biting quickly, so the bait condition doesn’t need to be too strict. By skipping the time spent adjusting the bait in the normal baiting process and casting more frequently, you should have an advantage if the opponent insists on following your rhythm."

"Got it!" Meng Fan replied with one word, fully understanding Zhang Yang’s advice.

The bait-adjustment detail Zhang Yang mentioned is actually a typical fishing technique used when dealing with old, elusive fish. When using the pull-bait method, the bait balls on the double hook aren’t always perfect; there may be leftover parts or uneven areas.

If the fish aren’t biting well and are picky about the bait, manually adjusting the bait balls can greatly affect the success rate.

But in the current situation, where the fish are biting readily due to high density and compete for food, and the bait behavior resembles that of aggressive fish less likely to nibble at bait, taking the extra second or two to adjust the bait is unnecessary.

By saving a second or two with each cast, over a fifteen-minute competition, you can squeeze in about two more opportunities. With equal skill, the chance of winning increases.

This kind of situation is typical for Zhang Yang’s team. Zhang Yang actively reminds Meng Fan, but in most professional teams, even between mentor and student, such crucial details affecting performance aren’t often shared with teammates.

The five-minute break ended quickly. After Wang Chao and Zhang Yang switched fishing spots, the second half resumed.

Sun Yi: "The second half has started, and the current score is tied at 33. The technical statistics provided by the staff are also very close! It seems that Wang Chao is performing very well on the spot! Zhang Yang’s performance hasn’t overshadowed him!"

Yu Wensheng nodded: "The fish are biting quicker than in previous rounds, so the difficulty of catching double fish tails has decreased significantly. Wang Chao is also a very experienced veteran angler and will seize any opportunity! As it stands, the two remain neck and neck, and it’s unclear who will come out on top after the second half."

"Hmm, your tone doesn’t sound as optimistic about Teacher Zhang Yang as it did before the fishing started," Sun Yi remarked, looking at old Yu intentionally.

"No, from my personal standpoint, even though the first half ended in a tie, I still favor Zhang Yang!" Yu Wensheng continued.

"Oh? Why’s that?"

"Because of Zhang Yang’s overall performance in earlier rounds!

There’s an inconspicuous detail in the anglers’ technical statistics; I wonder if you’ve noticed it.

The statistics for the same angler in the first and second halves show significant differences!

This means that their performance fluctuates to some extent! This issue also exists with Wang Chao, whose error rate is noticeably higher in the second half than in the first.

But looking at Zhang Yang, the fluctuation in his overall and single-period data is very small, indicating that his performance is more stable!"

"Alright, you certainly make a valid point. Let’s see if Wang Chao can break Zhang Yang’s undefeated streak in the upcoming second half!"

Even though the five-minute break and the oxygen machines had disturbed and dispersed the fish in both spots, the fish condition remained stable, so both continued with the first half’s strategy after switching spots.

They started fishing by casting quickly a few times to lure fish and establish a spot, then tried to adjust the rhythm according to the fish’s behavior and bait signs.

This time, Wang Chao didn’t splash around to create a spot. Instead, he obediently cast two slightly larger bait balls to a water level near the bottom, just like Zhang Yang.

At this point, Zhang Yang’s breakthrough trick appeared.

You could see that the first six casts to establish a spot were accompanied by a teasing movement of the rod tip when the bobber reached the level of six indicators, causing the residue on the hooks to fall off during the brief teasing, followed by normal re-baiting.

This rod tip teasing was not to make the fish attack the bait but to use the movement to enhance the bait’s dispersion.

If there was an underwater camera comparing their bait establishment, you would see that both had similar bait amounts, but Wang Chao extended the rod at the preset water level, and the bait residue slowly descended to the bottom.

As for Zhang Yang, who added this teasing movement, the result was a more disseminated and dislodged bait residue due to the acceleration during the underwater phase.

Don’t underestimate this inconspicuous difference. If the fish weren’t cooperating, it would barely matter, but given the now-active fish, Zhang Yang’s small technique amounts to a deadly detail.

More comprehensive dispersion enhances the lure’s appeal to the surrounding fish. The balance, previously evenly matched, was disrupted, beginning to shift due to this subtle detail.

In the first six casts, both didn’t catch fish, and the bobbers didn’t show appropriate biting signs, but by the seventh cast, Zhang Yang got a bite first.

The bobber went down with a slight nudge during the flip, followed by a forceful half-dip, and Zhang Yang decisively set the hook, catching a fish!

The first fish emerged, and Zhang Yang took the lead, 34:33!

Seeing this, Wang Chao’s expression remained unchanged, but he felt a stirring in his heart.

Something was off. Using public bait, their flavors are similar, and the bait amounts and casting frequency are identical, so why did he get a bite, and I didn’t? Wang Chao pondered as he prepared new bait.

Next, Wang Chao cast another two bait balls, but once again, no bite signs emerged.

Meanwhile, beside him, Zhang Yang replaced his bait and cast it, and at six markers, he once again teasingly raised the rod tip.

In that instant of teasing, the bobber showed a clear one-dip bite! Zhang Yang set the hook again and caught another fish!

Sun Yi: "Hmm, something’s wrong, Teacher Yu. Both began identically, so why is Zhang Yang catching fish continuously while Wang Chao hasn’t gotten a bite?"

Yu Wensheng also noticed Zhang Yang catching his second fish, raising his total to 35 fish.

"This problem, I can’t quite explain for now. It might be luck, or subtle differences in bait formulation affecting the attractivity! It’s just the start of the second half; it shouldn’t be!"

Yu Wensheng hadn’t noticed Zhang Yang’s teasing detail, and for the first time, was stumped by Sun Yi’s question.

Meanwhile, Sun Yi observed Zhang Yang’s technique of slightly teasing the rod tip after casting.

"Teacher Yu, look at Zhang Yang. Every time he casts, he deliberately raises the rod tip near the targeted depth! Isn’t this what you described as the teasing method before? Could this be the key detail?"

Sun Yi’s question seemed to enlighten Yu Wensheng.

"Haha, I figured it out! It’s indeed the impact of the teasing movement! Zhang Yang, Zhang Yang, your meticulous control over details surprises me! Truly unexpected!!" Yu Wensheng laughed heartily, praising once again.

"Isn’t it just teasing to catch fish? Why do I feel like your reaction is a bit exaggerated?"

"The same teasing move can play different roles. When there are fish in the spot, teasing aims to make the bait sway a second time, attracting fish to attack! Yet the initial teasing is for enhancing bait dispersion, quickening fish attraction!!

I suspect Wang Chao is also wondering what’s wrong. If no one tells him, he might mistakenly think it’s about the bait formula if he analyses it himself! Zhang Yang has such a profound understanding of fish behavior!!"