As a Fisherman, My Fish Can Level Up

Chapter 58: Chapter 58 Jiang Luoluo’s Suggestion

“Hmm~ this place is really comfortable.” Jiang Luoluo surveyed the surroundings and nodded in satisfaction.

They had already arrived in the mountains of Stone Town, which was the spot where Chu Mingcheng and Yao Xin went to fish for stream rockfish.

“Luoluo, organize the stuff, and I’ll go make a trap.”

“Make a trap? I’ll help you.”

Compared to organizing, Jiang Luoluo was obviously more interested in making traps to catch fish.

Seeing this, Chu Mingcheng took her to a spot downstream of the water pond, having been here before, he was very familiar with the area.

About ten meters downstream of the water pond, there was a section of the stream with a nearly vertical slope about one meter high.

Chu Mingcheng used a rope to tie a small net and two bamboo poles together, creating something that looked like a pair of skimming nets for two hands.

He then placed this skimming net above the stream, with the net part hanging, and the bamboo poles on either side placed over the stream and weighed down with rocks.

Chu Mingcheng and Jiang Luoluo each took responsibility for one side, and in this way, the water from the stream would flow into the net first before flowing out through the holes, while the river shrimp, stream rockfish, and other aquatic creatures coming down with the water would be trapped inside the net.

They continued to use rocks to block off the sides of the stream, leaving only the outlet by the net.

After setting it all up, Jiang Luoluo waited and saw no fish coming down, and couldn’t help asking, “Are fish really going to swim down like this?”

“Actually, there’s one more step we need to do, come with me.”

Since they had agreed to camp in the afternoon, both of them had only eaten a little for lunch, and Chu Mingcheng was not planning to wait for the fish slowly.

He took Jiang Luoluo to the upper stream junction of the water pond and then picked up a stone estimated to be about ten kilograms and threw it forcefully into the water pond.

“Bang~”

The surface of the water exploded. The previously tranquil water pond was immediately disturbed by the stone.

“What are you doing?”

“Of course, I’m fish-bombing. We throw stones from above, all the way down. The startled fish will naturally be scared and scatter in all directions, and some will definitely escape downstream with the water flow!”

Jiang Luoluo immediately understood Chu Mingcheng’s intent, she strenuously lifted a large stone and threw it into the water with a bang. @@novelbin@@

However, she overestimated her own strength and underestimated the weight of the stone, throwing it too close, causing the splash to drench Chu Mingcheng, who was standing in front, leaving him no time to react.

“Pfft~”

Realizing her mistake, Jiang Luoluo hastily hid behind Chu Mingcheng, and seeing his speechless face wiping the creek water, she couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

“Big sis, pick a lighter one if it’s too heavy. Are you bombing the fish or bombing me?”

“Got it, got it. And who are you calling big sis? Do I look that old?”

Chu Mingcheng glanced at the “indignantly” upset someone and felt he hadn’t called the wrong name.

The two continued their merry fish-bombing, and indeed, some of the startled fish and river shrimp swam downstream and landed in the net.

“Wow, so many fish, and some river shrimp too!”

Chu Mingcheng picked out all the small fish and shrimp and threw them back into the water, also finding some stone bugs, then he carried the trap net back to cook.

This net full of fish and shrimp weighed about five or six kilograms, all of decent size, enough for the two of them.

Chu Mingcheng sorted the fish and shrimp, cleaning the fish by the water while handing the shrimp to Jiang Luoluo to skewer for grilling later.

While cleaning the fish, he glanced at the seafood guide and noticed the experience had increased a bit; the river shrimp caught today with the trap also counted.

Could it be because he made the trap himself?

However, today was for camping, so he wouldn’t think about this for now.

As they grilled the fish and shrimp over the charcoal, with Chu Mingcheng sprinkling seasoning, a very pleasant barbecue aroma filled the air.

River fish are indeed fresh. Though they don’t taste like the sea, you can still experience a different kind of freshness and sweetness.

Jiang Luoluo felt she hadn’t come in vain; it was another new experience, and it was very relaxing for her.

After finishing the meal and tidying up, it was only three in the afternoon.

Jiang Luoluo suggested taking a look up the mountain, and Chu Mingcheng saw no reason not to.

The two of them walked shoulder to shoulder, slowly climbing the steps as if on a stroll.

“Are you still planning to buy a boat?”

“Probably not, at least not for now, I guess?”

Chu Mingcheng hadn’t expected Jiang Luoluo to suddenly bring this up, and after hesitating, he gave an answer he wasn’t even sure of himself.

A ten-plus meter class-three fishing boat, equipped with all the necessary gear including fish-finding radar, would probably cost at least four to five hundred thousand.

One for just over one hundred thousand would be almost empty, practically just a shell.

A more comfortable boat would probably cost seven to eight hundred thousand.

And those were just the domestically made ones; imported ones wouldn’t even be worth considering unless they cost over one million.

Chu Mingcheng liked to buy good quality things when he did make a purchase, preferring to spend an extra two or three hundred thousand to get something better rather than settling for less with five hundred thousand.

In addition, the annual maintenance cost of a boat was estimated to be at least one hundred thousand, and the fuel expense for each trip to sea would be at least one thousand, and likely more than two thousand under normal circumstances.

Considered that way, Chu Mingcheng immediately felt uneasy.

How much fish would he need to catch each day just to recoup the fuel costs, let alone the initial cost of the boat?

He wasn’t confident he could make that much every time, which is why he abandoned the idea of buying a boat for now.

“Actually, I think you could try spearfishing, go for the boutique route,” she suggested.

Jiang Luoluo had found out today just how good Chu Mingcheng was at swimming, and it made her think of spearfishing, which she conveniently brought up.

If he were just fishing, she wouldn’t advise him to buy a boat.

Fishing is too unstable, but since Chu Mingcheng is such a strong swimmer, he could sign up to get a freediving certificate. Once he upgraded his certification, he could get a spearfishing license.

Then, he could pilot his boat to farther waters. If he couldn’t catch fish with a rod, he could use a speargun in designated areas to hunt fish.

Spearfishing usually targets mid-to-high-end markets, allowing you to specifically target expensive fish.

Combining the two methods, his daily income wouldn’t be low.

As for net fishing, Jiang Luoluo deeply wouldn’t recommend that. It’s too exhausting for one person, and spearfishing sounds more upscale, better suited for social media.

“Plus, after you buy the boat, you could also choose to rent it out. When wanting to fish, rent it to some fishermen. Just renting out the fishing spots could earn back the fuel costs! Find an employee to help you with odd jobs, and you could continue fishing to increase your income.”

“If you want to spearfish, gather a group with licenses. Plus, you can buy their catch at lower prices and sell it onshore at market rates, earning a profit margin.”

“I don’t need to say much about shooting videos. Not only could you earn from the platform, but you could also grow your following. A small portion of followers might convert into your regular customers.”

“In the early stages, if you don’t have enough customers, you could sell to restaurants even at a loss. Once you build your customer base, you’ll only worry about not having enough fish to meet demand.”

Jiang Luoluo’s suggestions, like a beam of light, suddenly opened up Chu Mingcheng’s mind.

He had originally planned to gradually upgrade Golden Finger, relying on the enhanced catch rate it provided to ensure income stability before buying a boat.

But after hearing Jiang Luoluo’s words, he realized that although the maintenance and running costs were high, renting out his boat could ensure a stable income.

With the upgraded abilities from the aquatic guide, he believed that his efficiency in underwater hunting would be significantly higher than others, perhaps several times higher. Wouldn’t he catch plenty of fish then?

Upon understanding this, Chu Mingcheng felt enlightened, “Thank you, Luoluo. If it weren’t for your suggestion, I probably would have wasted quite a while before deciding to buy a boat!”

“No need to thank me, we’re friends!”