What are the common baits and fishing methods for catching mandarin fish?

Mandarin fish is also called gui yu (mandarin fish). “When peach blossoms flow in the stream, the mandarin fish is fat.” The peach blossom season in March and April is the peak foraging time for mandarin fish, making it a great time to catch them. Generally speaking, the best times to catch mandarin fish are from March to May and from September to October, and the time points should be chosen at 6 to 11 in the morning and 4 to 6 in the afternoon. Let us take a look below at what baits are usually used for catching mandarin fish? What are the fishing methods?

1. What baits are usually used for catching mandarin fish?

What mandarin fish like to eat most is live loach, followed by small fish and small shrimp. Small loach is the first-choice bait for catching mandarin fish. You can choose slender live loach 5 to 7 cm in length and hook it from the back, so that the loach can still swim in the water and strengthen the fish-attracting effect. Small loach also has the habit of burrowing into holes. After entering the water, because its body is pierced by the hook and hurts, it wants to dart into stone caves to hide, which just delivers it right into the mandarin fish's mouth. You can also split open the loach's belly; the bloody water has a fishy smell, which can increase the fish-attracting effect.

2. What fishing methods are there for mandarin fish?

1. Live bait lure fishing method

This method can do without a float or lead sinker, relying on the feel of the hand to tell whether the mandarin fish has taken the hook. However, this method requires the angler to search for fish: in spring and summer search the edges, and in autumn search the bottom.

(1) Fishing rod: use a 1.5 to 2.1 m sea rod or rock rod. The rod chosen should be light; when catching mandarin fish the hand never leaves the rod, so choosing a heavy one will be very tiring.

(2) Fishing line: size 2 or above. Searching for mandarin fish easily wears the line. You need to frequently check the section of line near the hook. If there is wear, change it.

(3) Hooks: use large ones. Mandarin fish have big mouths and bite very fiercely. Use hooks of Iseama size 9 or above. Catching mandarin fish easily loses hooks, so you do not need good hooks, but they must be sharp. Each time you can prepare about 10 tied hooks.

(4) Lead sinker: no lead sinker is needed; just tie a connector. If the current is too fast, you can also add a small lead sinker.

(5) Prepare a piece of cloth; it is useful both for baiting the hook and for removing the hook when a mandarin fish is caught.

When fishing, just hook a loach and throw it near stone caves and stone crevices along the edge. The loach will burrow into stone caves and stone crevices by itself. Fish each spot for 4 to 5 minutes; if there is no fish, change spots. After catching one, do not leave. Mandarin fish generally come in pairs, so it is very likely you will catch a second one. Generally, mandarin fish bite quickly, swallow the bait in one gulp and run, and at this time you should lift the rod accordingly.

2. Chumming fishing method

In waters where mandarin fish often appear. Use roasted fragrant wheat bran (that is, wheat husk) mixed with water into a semi-dry, semi-wet state and throw it near the shore to attract small fish to come and feed. After the sound of small fish fighting for food attracts mandarin fish, put a hook with a relatively light lead sinker, a float, and bait attached into the chummed area. If a fish bites the hook and the float sinks, you can lift the rod. If there is no fish signal, you can gently lift the fishing line up and down or move it left and right to lure the fish into biting.

If conditions permit, you can go to a slaughterhouse to buy some raw large bones, preferably bones of large animals such as cattle, horses, and sheep, chop them into pieces (under 20 cm), and the quantity must be large, at least over 20 jin, put them into the fishing spot, and wait for the chummed area to form, generally more than 2 hours.

You can use size 1.5 line to tie the hook directly, use a large sinker, at least 50 g (because the water is fast, only a large sinker can hold position), and Iseama size 6 to 7 hooks.