I Can Fish Up Everything!

Chapter 260: Chapter 161: A Good Fish, Just Really Rough On The...

”It’s that big? You can’t even handle it with that speargun?” Wang Junhe glanced at the speargun in Gu Nan’s hand. ’That thing can take down a Meter Level fish, no problem. So just how big is this one...?’

”It couldn’t be a Giant Grouper, could it?”

Wang Junhe and Guo Xiao asked in unison. There are only a few species of giant grouper, and in these shallow waters, the Giant Grouper was pretty much the only possibility.

”I didn’t get a clear look, but it should be!” Gu Nan neither confirmed nor denied it. He was determined to make them go down for a look.

’The misery of seeing something you can’t have... I can’t be the only one to experience it.’

”Hurry, hurry! Let’s go down and see before the fish gets away!” Now that they were basically certain it was a Giant Grouper, Wang Junhe and Guo Xiao didn’t hesitate for a second. They immediately jumped into the water and swam toward the bottom.

But Gu Nan didn’t go with them. A Giant Grouper this big reminded him of some recreational fishing styles he’d seen from other countries.

The spearfishing was just for fun, and what was fishing for a huge Giant Grouper if not the same?

They were heading back after today, and a busy schedule awaited them. At least fishing for a Giant Grouper would be an experience to check off the list.

So, he climbed onto the dinghy and had the boatman take him back.

As Gu Nan picked up his fishing rod, a video he’d seen once flashed through his mind, and a wicked grin spread across his face.

He went to the tackle room and pulled out a 4.2-meter heavy-duty rock fishing rod, a spool of steel cable with a six-hundred-pound test strength, and an extra-wide, heavy-duty drum reel.

The reel’s drag topped out at one hundred pounds—that is, its braking force.

He had originally planned to use his own rock fishing rod, since it could handle any fish under a thousand pounds.

But the video he remembered looked like more fun, and the ridiculously oversized rod from the tackle room seemed more appropriate, so he chose that one instead.

He grabbed hooks, a few bait fish, and returned to where they had spotted the huge Giant Grouper.

Wang Junhe and Guo Xiao were already floating on the surface. One looked regretful, while the other seemed conflicted.

It was agonizing not being able to go after such a huge Giant Grouper. But when they saw him return with a fishing rod, their eyes immediately lit up.

”You’re the one who knows how to have fun, kid. There’s a massive Giant Grouper down there, at least three or four hundred pounds!”

”It’s a shame it’s a protected species now. If this were just two years ago, we could’ve gone for it!”

Guo Xiao sighed. He could probably pull some strings and pay a price to get a wild Giant Grouper for the club, but it would be a huge hassle. He was debating whether it was worth it.

”No problem. We can just fish for sport!” Wang Junhe climbed onto the boat, looking somewhat excited.

’Gu Nan couldn’t wait to see the looks on their faces after he pulled his prank. His inner troll was burning bright.’

In some ways, Giant Groupers are quite smart. They know how to seek out benefits and avoid danger, so fishermen rarely catch them in nets.

There aren’t many big ones, but the population of smaller ones is still healthy.

But in other ways, they’re truly dumb. They’re incredibly greedy, so if you put bait on a hook, the chances of getting a bite are extremely high.

You can hook one, and it’ll come right back for more a moment later.

Gu Nan had brought over some bonito he’d caught. He hadn’t caught many, but it was enough. Each one weighed over ten pounds, making them perfect bait.

Remembering the stance from the video, he asked them with a mischievous glint in his eye, ”So, who wants to go first?”

Guo Xiao thought for a moment. ”Let Old Wang go first. I’ll rest for a bit.”

Wang Junhe didn’t mind. He felt he had plenty of stamina, and with others around to help while he fought the Giant Grouper, he wasn’t worried about being pulled into the water.

So he took the rod from Gu Nan and looked around, but he couldn’t find a fighting belt.

”Ah Nan, where’s the belt?”

”What do you need a belt for? We’re challenging ourselves here. You have to stick the butt of the rod right here.” While saying this, Gu Nan casually dropped the baited hook over the gunwale.

Then he had him grip the rod further up with both hands and passed the butt of the rod up between his legs.

”This fish is going to pull like crazy. If you feel like you can’t lift the rod, just squat down hard. You can get way more leverage like this than bracing it on your stomach, right?”

”Besides, I’ve seen videos of people fishing like this, with the rod between their legs.”

That last sentence reminded Wang Junhe. He’d seen similar videos, so he knew exactly what kind of suffering this fishing style entailed.

His scalp prickled. He immediately tried to lift the rod away.

But in the next instant, a massive force yanked him forward, nearly pulling him into the water.

”Fish on, fish on, fish on! Set the hook!” Gu Nan and Guo Xiao grabbed him at the same time to keep him steady.

”Damn it, when did the bait go in... HISS—Ow, ow, ow, ow...”

Wang Junhe’s face instantly flushed red. He hadn’t even had a chance to squat and put his weight into it, but the rod tip dove down and the butt shot up, nearly smashing his family jewels.

”Reel down, quick!” Seeing that Guo Xiao had a firm hold on him, Gu Nan quickly grabbed the rod with both hands to help lift. Without his help, Wang Junhe stood no chance against the massive grouper on the line, and he had to prevent a real ”family jewels” incident.

”AARGH!” Wang Junhe instinctively put his strength into it, which only made the pain in his nether regions worse. A low, pained roar escaped through his gritted teeth. ’I’ve been had!’

But he couldn’t bring himself to give up the fight. This was the angler’s pride—he wouldn’t let go even if it meant sacrificing his balls!

”Hahaha, his balls!” Guo Xiao was laughing so hard he lost his grip, and Wang Junhe was almost yanked overboard again. Fortunately, Gu Nan quickly lifted the rod to stabilize him.

”Get serious, Brother Guo! You’re next!” Gu Nan said, trying to suppress his own laughter. ’That ”his balls!” line was pure genius.’

”No, no, no! I don’t have balls of steel!” Guo Xiao shook his head vigorously. In that instant, all desire to catch a big fish vanished.

”AARGH! You guys... HUFF... stop talking and help me... AARGH... my balls!”

Wang Junhe was about to explode. This was, without a doubt, the most painful fishing experience of his life.

Hearing his plea, Guo Xiao and Gu Nan finally got a little more serious and helped him land the fish as quickly as possible.

It took only about twenty minutes before a beautiful, giant Giant Grouper appeared at the surface. It was a stunning golden-yellow color, covered in mottled spots.

The exhausted Giant Grouper lay on its side at the surface. Its gaping maw looked big enough to swallow a calf.

Wang Junhe showed none of his usual excitement. He handed the rod to Gu Nan and immediately reached down to check on himself. He only breathed a sigh of relief when he confirmed that everything was still intact.

After more than twenty minutes, the pain had turned to numbness. Thank God everything was still there.

’Still, it’s a beautiful fish. A great fish. It’s just a real ball-buster!’

Guo Xiao had seen the fish underwater, but seeing it at the surface now, he suddenly felt reluctant to let it go. ’This fish is gorgeous!’

”Old Wang, what if we pull some strings and get this fish to the club to keep? It could be a companion for the leopard coral grouper.”

Killing it to eat was out of the question. If it were just them, they could have done it secretly, but they had hired help on the boat, not to mention the boatman. It would be impossible to get away with.

But keeping it in an aquarium-like setup was a much more manageable option for them.

Wang Junhe was tempted by the idea. ”We’d have to make some calls first, get a large tank or pool brought over. Otherwise, there’s no way to transport the fish back!”

The fishing boat didn’t have a container large enough to hold the grouper, so getting it back would be a major hassle.

Gu Nan listened quietly from the side, not offering an opinion. ’This is the world of big shots. A small fry like me should just watch.’

Whatever they decided, they had to release the fish for now.

”Heh heh. I’ve had my turn. Now it’s yours.” After releasing the fish, Wang Junhe shot a malicious look at Gu Nan and Guo Xiao.

’Those two bastards were laughing their heads off when my balls were on the line!’

”Brother Wang, the fish is exhausted; we should let it rest. Besides, you’re planning to take it back as a show fish, so it’s not a good idea to stress it out again.”

”You’ll have to catch it again when you’re ready to transport it. You can let Brother Guo do it then!” Gu Nan said with a completely straight face.

The idea to fish for the Giant Grouper had been a whim, and so was the prank. He’d have plenty of other chances to catch big fish; it didn’t have to be this one.

’If I don’t get out of this now, I’ll be the one getting my balls busted later.’

’Even if I suggest a different fishing method, Wang Junhe won’t let me off the hook. So I’d better shift the target.’

At this, Wang Junhe glanced toward Guo Xiao. He had no intention of letting either of them off. He couldn’t be the only one to suffer. It made no difference to him which of them went first.

Guo Xiao hadn’t expected Gu Nan to redirect all the aggro onto him. He refused without a second thought.

”You little punk! This whole fishing idea was yours, shouldn’t you be the one to go first?”

”It was my idea, so I’ll take the punishment. I’ll swim back!” Without another word, Gu Nan leaped into the water with a SPLASH and started swimming toward the nearby beach.

’He could see there was no getting out of it. His best bet was to bolt and go ask the wives for help.’

Guo Xiao was dumbfounded. He couldn’t believe Gu Nan had so little honor. He really just jumped ship!

Panicked, he was about to jump into the sea to escape too.

But just as his heels left the deck, a hand shot out, grabbed his arm, and yanked him back.

”Get over here, you! Now you’re gonna fish for me!” Wang Junhe sneered. ’One escaped. I can’t let them both get away.’

Gu Nan, who had almost reached the small beach, suddenly heard a blood-curdling scream. He couldn’t help but feel relieved he’d made a quick getaway. ’I can’t believe my little prank almost backfired on me.’

「The days of fun at sea passed in the blink of an eye.」 The trip, from setting out to returning home, took four days.

Although Wang Junhe and Guo Xiao intended to bring the Giant Grouper back to the club as a show fish, they had to grease some wheels first.

It wasn’t a sure thing. They would only head back out after confirming they had permission.

The Giant Grouper wouldn’t leave the uninhabited archipelago. A fish that large would starve to death without an abundant food source, and it wasn’t stupid enough to leave.

They arrived back at the dock at exactly 8:30 on the morning of the fifth day. The captain had sailed through the night to get them back.

Gu Nan loaded all the fish from the trip into his vehicle. It was a good thing he’d bought a pickup truck; if he still had his three-wheeler, the tuna alone wouldn’t have fit.

He gave the GT to Wang Junhe and Guo Xiao. The fish wasn’t particularly valuable, so it was no great loss.

Yi Chen headed home first, taking all of his dirty clothes with her.

’Gu Nan felt a warm fuzzy feeling inside. ’Twenty-five years, and I finally have a woman other than my mom doing my laundry.’

When he got back to the shop, An Jun was busy at work.

He’d had a signal at sea for the past few days, so Gu Nan had been in contact with him daily to check on inventory. As a result, the stock levels weren’t much different from when he’d left.

However, the stock in the live and chilled seafood sections was running low. A lot of seafood had been sold over the four days, mostly to restaurants and hotels. Walk-in customers only accounted for a small portion of the sales.

”Hey, Boss Gu is back! You’ve got quite a load in your truck. Looks like you had a great trip!” two regular customers in the shop exclaimed. They had been debating what to buy, but their faces lit up when they saw Gu Nan and they rushed over to greet him.