Every time I cast my net, I always manage to catch a few squid. I rarely miss a catch, it's really satisfying.
Because the ship is constantly moving, the resistance from the seawater is great, which is indeed very tiring and physically demanding.
After scooping a few nets, Ah-Can felt some soreness in his arms.
"This job is inhuman, it's too tiring."
He wiped the sweat from his forehead and handed the net to the boatman next to him who was holding a flashlight.
He took the flashlight, lay down on the gunwale, and shone it on them while taking a break.
However, after a few more attempts, he exclaimed that he couldn't take it anymore, threw down the net, and ran to the driver's seat.
It's okay to fish for fun while the fishing boat is moving; they did it this way when they went to the island in the sea.
Back then, ships were faster and the resistance from the seawater was greater, but we didn't feel as tired as we do now.
The reason for this was that they were just playing around at the time, and it didn't matter whether they caught anything or not, so they would take a break after a few tries.
At this moment, their goal was very clear: to catch as many squid as possible.
With a goal in mind, you have plenty of motivation, but you also burn through your energy much faster.
Rather than being bored and navigating the ship alone in the wheelhouse, Feng Ye preferred to stay on deck and work.
At least there are people to chat with, unlike in the driver's cab where you're only accompanied by the sound of waves and the roar of the engine.
He had just stepped out of the wheelhouse when he heard two boatmen talking.
"Unfortunately, the flashlight beam wasn't bright enough to attract many squid, and I could only catch one or two each time."
"Yes, if the light were bright enough, we could even go out and catch squid. They're quite a good price."
"Using a net by hand is too troublesome and exhausting. You have to use a rig to catch squid, with special hooks, and you can catch several at once."
Feng Ye smiled and continued, "The light from this flashlight is already pretty good, after all, we're not professional squid catchers here."
If it's specifically for catching squid, then you'll need a fishing boat with lights.
However, we're just having fun right now, catching a little bit to try, there's no need to take it too seriously.
"That's true, we're just doing small-scale stuff, we're not professionals."
A boatman chimed in.
The squid they caught had already piled up into a small heap.
Feng Ye glanced at them and estimated there must be dozens.
"We've already made quite a bit, let's keep up the good work and make some more while there's still some left."
As he spoke, he picked up the landing net and stretched it into the sea...
After eleven or twelve minutes, the squid gradually disappeared from the spotlight beam, replaced by a group of small, silvery-white fish.
They scooped around for a while and found that they were all flat anchovies and other fish, so they poured them all back into the sea, somewhat disappointed.
"There probably aren't any squid left; they're all just useless little fish."
"If there isn't any, then there isn't any. We're all tired anyway, let's have a smoke and take a break."
Feng Ye took out cigarettes, offered one to each of them, lit one for himself, and leaned against the ship's railing, puffing away.
"Ah, it's all gone so quickly, I didn't get enough!"
"The boat is moving, and the light isn't strong enough to attract squid from far away, or it's possible that there are no squid in the area we're in now."
"That's true. Fish are mobile; they can't be found in every place. They're always moving around."
"Besides, we've already caught at least fifty or sixty pounds today, which is a lot."
"Haha, what a pleasant surprise..."
Everyone was very happy to see the squid that had been hauled up in the net.
After finishing his cigarette, Feng Ye swung his arm and said, "You guys tidy up the deck. I'll go get a basin, put a few pieces in it, and cook them later."
"good."
Two boatmen picked up cigarette butts and flicked them into the sea, then pulled over a basket and gathered up the scattered squid.
There were quite a few; they filled an entire basket.
Feng Ye took out an enamel basin and picked up a few fish to put inside.
"We'll cook it with the other fish and shrimp later. We'll put it in the pot while it's still fresh, when it's just been caught, so it'll be the most delicious."
The freshest seafood is mostly only available to fishermen.
Unless they are live animals, the freshest goods sold in the market are usually from the previous day. They have all been stored in cold storage or preserved with ice.
Seafood is all about freshness; blanching it in plain water is the best way to preserve its original delicious flavor.
"I'll cook."
A boatman named Du Yulin volunteered to take over the enamel basin and hurriedly went to cook.
The other person who stayed up the night with them was Xiao Mingshi, Feng Ye's youngest uncle.
The two who went to sleep were named Han Qiwen and Luo Zhiping.
Feng Ye checked the time; it was already 1 a.m.
The trawl net has been in the water for three hours; it's time to haul it in.
He quickly shouted, "Don't rush to cook. We need to lift the net now. Let's wait for the others to get up before cooking, so they don't have to cook it again."
"Uh... okay, I'll put it in first."
"Um."
Feng Ye picked up a shovel and, together with his uncle, shoveled the remaining small fish and shrimp into the sea.
Naturally, this caused the fish that were looking for food to scramble for it.
Once the deck was cleared, the second net was brought in.
Under the pulling force of the winch, the taut traction cable is gradually wound onto the ship.
Then, a net-winding machine was used to tighten the net opening and slowly pull the trawl net out of the water.
As the portion of the net containing the fish emerged from the water, the net-reeling machine was ready to be used.
The fishing net was dragged to one side of the boat, and the lifting equipment installed on the foredeck slowly lifted the net bag.
"Why are there so many useless mackerel again?"
"Sigh, it seems we're really into mackerel. We've caught so many mackerel in two consecutive nets."
Feng Ye smiled and pointed, "You two shouldn't just focus on the worthless stuff, there's still a manta ray here, isn't there?"
"Huh? Where are the manta rays? I didn't see any, I only saw blue mackerel and a lot of red fish."
Xiao Mingshi came closer and examined the fish in the net carefully. Then his eyes lit up. "There really are stingrays, two of them."
"What great luck! I actually managed to catch two manta rays in the net, and they look pretty big too. They were buried under other fish, no wonder I didn't see them earlier."
"We'll see how big it is when we pour it out... Holy crap, that red fish is a bigeye carp!"
"What? Bigeye carp? I saw quite a few, that means the internet is flooded with them!"
"There are indeed many; this net has been emptied, the entire network has been emptied..."
"It's bright red, and it looks quite nice..."
Feng Ye only noticed the large red fish and didn't look at it closely.
Hearing their surprised voices, I looked over.
Upon seeing this, he couldn't help but show his delight.
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