The fishing ban in the southeast coastal region generally begins at the start of March and continues until June or July. Lu Province starts a bit later, but the ban still commences from April onwards.
During these four months, large fishing vessels are not allowed to go out to sea, but some of the smaller boats can, and even some fishermen using drift gillnets are not regulated by the fisheries authorities.
Therefore, anglers coming to the coast to fish don’t generally have to worry about the fishing ban. However, if you want to be able to fish at any time, it’s best to apply for a fishing license just in case.
Getting a fishing license is quite straightforward. According to Master Chai, they could easily help Lin Yang with it, and through their conversation, Lin Yang also learned a lot about the seaside.
Three to four hours went by very quickly.
By now, Lin Yang had finally understood why those who liked to go to far-off fishing islands almost always returned after spending a day and a night, as the travel time was too long.
Like today, Lin Yang and his group started fishing around nine in the morning, then fished until after two o’clock, totaling just over five hours of fishing. However, the round-trip journey took seven to eight hours, which was longer than the actual fishing time. And the spot they went to was not even the farthest destination for ocean fishing; the furthest ones could take more than ten hours to reach.
And to be honest, sea fish are similar to predatory freshwater fish in that they are easier to catch at night because many fish are attracted to light. Once the lights on a fishing vessel are turned on, you are likely to haul in a good catch. Of course, to fish successfully, you also need to find the right spot.
The location Master Chai brought Lin Yang to today wasn’t suitable for night fishing, as it was too close to the territorial waters of the three neighboring countries. Everyone knows that relations with the Philippines and Japan aren’t the best, and there are still territorial disputes among the three nations. If you’re unlucky and encounter a fishing vessel from another country, there’s no telling if they might come over to loot.
Especially with the Philippines, you can’t expect these guys to understand international law, so as Master Chai mentioned, if you’re going offshore to fish, it’s better to head to the Southern Sea. You don’t need to go very far, just one third of the way into the Southern Sea and within our national boundary. The water is deep enough, the fish are plentiful, and safety is ensured with coast guard protection.
Listening to Master Chai, Lin Yang also took note of a coordinate in the Southern Sea.
Good grief, even the nearest South Sea coordinate from Peng City is over 700 nautical miles away, with one nautical mile approximately equal to 1.8 kilometers. Thus, 700 nautical miles is around one thousand two to three hundred kilometers, requiring a day and a night of sailing. A round trip would take two days and two nights.
This time in Peng City, Lin Yang reckoned he wouldn’t be able to go, but there would certainly be opportunities in the future. If all else fails, he could buy a large yacht with money later and sail directly from Hainan Island for deep-sea fishing.
While thinking about fishing in even more distant seas in the future, their yacht also gradually returned to the yacht club in the bay.
When their yacht docked, Lin Yang learned how to loop the rope around the shore. As the boat approached the dock, everyone grabbed their things and disembarked together.
They returned to the dock while the day was not yet fully dark, perhaps because Master Chai sailed back a bit faster, saving some time.
When word got out that Lin Yang and his group had returned from the sea, Boss Chen, the owner of the yacht whom Lin Yang had met yesterday, also came over.
Gazing at the fish caught and brought up by Lin Yang and his group, Boss Chen was somewhat stunned, "Wow, Master Lin, this is... a bountiful haul!"
He also took a look at the live fish well, where there were many Big Groupers, and almost all of them were alive, making him even more astounded.
For two people to bring back such an abundance of fish was a very rare occurrence. Normally, those who rent yachts from him could manage half of what Lin Yang and his group had caught at best.
"Not bad, we got lucky today," Lin Yang replied with a smile to Boss Chen.
Then, Boss Chen called over a couple of guys to help unload the fish from the yacht. As for the fish, Lin Yang didn’t need to concern himself with the destination.
Don’t forget what Master Chai does. Being an old fisherman at the seaside for decades, his network is extensive. Already on the way back, he had arranged for his nephew to call several people who collected seafood by the shore. If Lin Yang found it troublesome, he could also directly sell all the fish to Master Chai.
Nevertheless, to show he wasn’t exploiting him, Master Chai still arranged for a professional seafood business owner to come and buy the fish.
By this time, there was already a water truck parked at the dock, specifically there to collect the fish.
When selling the fish, Lin Yang and Li Xiaopeng’s catch was sold together, while Master Chai and his nephew’s catch were sold separately.
After selling those that were already dead or chilled, it was time for the live groupers, most of which were caught by Lin Yang.
"Master Lin, sell me a grouper. I have a gathering tonight and could take one with me," said Boss Chen.
"Sell? Pick any one you like, I have a favor to ask you," Lin Yang said with a smile.
Among these live fish, aside from the Red Spot and the two big Green Spots, the others weren’t particularly valuable, mostly under one thousand yuan.