200: What the hell did I catch this time?!

Gao Xiaofan kneaded Li Yuer's little Bait balls. Truth be told, Bait-kneading is a skill every man should learn.

He attached Li Yuer's Bait to the rod, gave it a gentle swing, and cast it into the water.

Ten minutes later, Qiu Gu fiercely kneaded together the two Bait balls, one large and one small, on his Bait Tray.

"Is there something wrong with your Bait today~"

Watching Qiu Gu's flustered and exasperated look, Gao Xiaofan clutched his stomach, laughing uncontrollably.

"See? Someone's getting upset because they can't catch fish~ Who was it that said earlier? 'Little Yuer, Xiaofan's form isn't right~'"

Hearing Gao Xiaofan's taunt, the corner of Qiu Gu's mouth twitched involuntarily, but he couldn't help asking curiously.

"Xiaofan, what's going on?"

Seeing Qiu Gu get serious, Gao Xiaofan couldn't help but start pondering.

"Logically speaking, we're not far from Little Yuer, we're all using 4.5-meter rods, so there should be fish here. Even if there's a difference in Bait quality, it shouldn't lead to this."

Gao Xiaofan glanced at Li Yuer beside him—she had hooked another fish—then looked down at the Bait she had tossed over earlier, picking it up to give it a sniff.

"This Bait is also fishy-scented. Using fishy Bait in cold weather is fine; the Bait I mixed is fishy too."

"So, where's the problem?" Qiu Gu asked, his face full of curiosity.

"The problem is probably with the butt position," Gao Xiaofan said thoughtfully, then lifted his rod.

Qiu Gu beside him looked utterly bewildered. Butt? What does the butt have to do with anything? Do male butts just not catch fish today? Only female butts can?

Gao Xiaofan attached two more clumps of Bait and cast the line into the water. This time, however, he didn't cast to the original fishing spot but pulled the cast a bit closer to the bank.

The Float slowly sank into the water, finally settling at three marks.

Gao Xiaofan frowned, then relaxed his expression again. He lifted the rod and attached two more clumps of Bait.

"What does the butt have to do with anything~" Qiu Gu's face was a picture of question marks. Unable to figure it out, he asked anyway.

But Gao Xiaofan didn't pay him any mind this time. After attaching the Bait, he cast again, this time half a meter shorter than the last cast.

This time, the entire Float was exposed, even its belly showing above the water surface, slanted as it pierced the water.

"See, that's the butt problem. If we're being honest, it's actually your fault~"

Gao Xiaofan gestured with his chin towards the Float on the water's surface, then shot a sidelong glance at Qiu Gu.

Qiu Gu was still confused. Gao Xiaofan continued.

"This spot, the area ahead is probably a small Slope. Although the incline isn't steep, the adjusted position likely didn't reach the true bottom."

Qiu Gu scratched his head, still not quite getting it.

"Think about it. Suppose our fishing spot is on a Slope, and we're casting our hooks into that spot, right?"

Gao Xiaofan watched Qiu Gu's expression and patiently explained. Seeing Qiu Gu nod, he continued.

"But if that location is a Slope, wouldn't all the Bait we scattered and the loose feed we've been throwing just roll down?"

After Gao Xiaofan finished speaking, Qiu Gu had a sudden realization.

"So it's not that there are no fish here, nor a Bait problem, but a terrain issue? Then let's change spots!"

Having understood, Qiu Gu stood up, ready to help Gao Xiaofan pack up.

"No, no, no. Just switching rods will do," Gao Xiaofan waved his hand.

Qiu Gu seemed to understand but not fully. Still, he ran to the car to fetch the 6.3-meter rod and started threading the line and adjusting the Float. Gao Xiaofan stood up, smiling as he said.

"Brother Gu, when we go Wild Fishing, you must check the water depth several times while adjusting the Float. That gives you a rough idea of the underwater terrain."

"Check the four directions around your fishing spot—front, back, left, right. A small margin of error is fine. But if the water gets progressively deeper, or even a Full Cast doesn't change it, then it's a Slope, and you need to change spots~"

"But for this spot, I reckon it's just uneven. There just happens to be a small Slope right where we are. Switching rods should let us fish right at the true bottom."

Under Gao Xiaofan's patient guidance, Qiu Gu finally understood. He scratched his head, looking rather embarrassed.

"Xiaofan, sorry about that. My bad~"

Gao Xiaofan smiled nonchalantly and gave Qiu Gu a playful punch.

"It's nothing. But I remember you saying my Bait mix was no good. Don't use my Bait anymore~"

"Don't be like that, Xiaofan. I was wrong~" Qiu Gu grinned, showing his teeth.

"Hmph ╭(╯^╰)╮"

After horsing around for a while, they finally got the Float adjusted. Gao Xiaofan took the rod and, with one hand, performed a swinging cast. The Bait plopped crookedly into the water.

Earlier, Gao Xiaofan hadn't let Qiu Gu make a Full Cast; he just checked the depth one meter forward from their previous fishing spot, precisely to make the current fishing easier.

Firstly, making a Full Cast one-handed would force Gao Xiaofan to use a big, sweeping throw, which is tiring. Secondly, the Bait he mixed today really wasn't in great condition; a big throw would easily make it fall off.

This way was just right. Although the posture was ugly, using the 6.3-meter rod, he could basically control the Bait's landing area to be within the zone where Qiu Gu had just checked the depth.

As for the 4.5-meter rod, even one-handed, Gao Xiaofan could hit his target spot precisely.

Watching the Float slowly sink into the water, Gao Xiaofan didn't praise Qiu Gu this time. Over all these days, he had only praised Qiu Gu's Float adjustment once, and that resulted in over an hour of getting skunked.

"You don't need to change rods. Just readjust your Float and check the water depth closer to shore," Gao Xiaofan glanced at Qiu Gu beside him and couldn't help reminding him.

Qiu Gu nodded and scurried back to his fishing spot to start re-checking the depth and adjusting his Float.

As time passed slowly, Gao Xiaofan had cast seven or eight times when his Float finally showed signs of movement again.

Gao Xiaofan felt a wave of relief. Finally, a bite.

He had been prepared to get skunked here and planned to just borrow Li Yuer's rod for a bit, catch one fish to get ashore and boost his yun jian value.

His eyes fixed intently on the Float, he saw a sudden dip. Gao Xiaofan joyfully lifted the rod.

"Swish~" The sound of the rod cutting through the air, the force transmitted through the rod—it intoxicated Gao Xiaofan. Wonderful, absolutely wonderful~

Hearing the commotion, Qiu Gu grabbed the Landing Net from Li Yuer's side and swiftly scooped up a Large Crucian Carp flopping on the water's surface.

Hearing the notification sound in his mind, Gao Xiaofan's face broke into a wide, happy smile.

Mission accomplished at Wanfo Lake reservoir today~

After Qiu Gu removed the hook, Gao Xiaofan attached more Bait and performed another swinging cast, sending the Bait plopping into the water.

Oh no, the cast went off-target.

Looking at the Float about two meters off its intended mark, Gao Xiaofan's face darkened. One-handed casting really isn't reliable. Luckily, the livestream room was focused on Li Yuer and couldn't see his side, or he'd be utterly embarrassed.

But when he turned his head, he discovered Qiu Gu had already swung the camera lens back towards him.

Gao Xiaofan sighed, then picked up the rod, ready to recast. As for the bullet screen, he didn't even want to look—they were definitely all mocking him~

But the force transmitted through the rod, the Han Ding Zhan model slowly bending into an arc, made Gao Xiaofan freeze.

What the hell did I catch this time!!!