Reborn in the Millennium: Building a Fortune from Fishing

Chapter 615 The Secret Recipe for Bait
"You have another vacation?" Qin Dahe looked at her suspiciously.

"Yes, the grain won't be stored until April, and we'll be reassigning shifts soon. We'll get three days off a week," Yan Yan said proudly. "Luckily, Aunt Wang is going to switch shifts with me, so I'll get six days off."

Six days off! I can finally go out and make a trip, even to Shanghai would be fine.

He was both amused and exasperated, constantly trying to find ways to go out and play.

"It's very cold to go out to sea from the East China Sea right now, and there's not enough time to get to Shenzhen. Let's go for a trip in the summer."

Whether it's Wuwei or Shanghai, summers are hotter than in Shenzhen; the weather is unpredictable.

"alright."

"The bait has been delivered to the factory, and I'll be busy here soon."

The bait he mentioned was a secret recipe, specially collected, a mixture of one type of grass carp and three types of grass-woven carp.

These baits share a common characteristic: they are very difficult to catch empty-handed, and they perform well even in crowded areas.

When they got home, the roasted rabbit was still piping hot. Just then, Qin's father and the others returned, so they ate it while it was still hot.

At this point, the rabbit meat is dark red with a hint of char, but it smells really good. The meat comes off easily, and it's best eaten with the charred skin on.

The two old men couldn't resist opening a bottle of wine and grabbing some peanuts to start drinking.

"Dahe, would you like some?" The father-in-law ate the rabbit meat with great satisfaction. Who could find fault with their own son-in-law?

"I don't drink. I'm taking the kid out to play later." He waved his hand. "Dad, did I bring the bait back?"

"I brought it, it's in the car, go get it yourself." Qin's father didn't even lift his eyelids, and clinked glasses with his in-laws.

The father's attitude is worse than the father-in-law's.

Qin Dahe could only use an umbrella to get the bait, so he had to leave some rabbit meat for them to drink with.

Once I got the bait, I put everything else aside.

He went into the warehouse and began to tinker with the secret bait.

Two ears of corn, one grain, and one unidentified powder.

Each pack of bait has a preparation method and usage guide on the back. Qin Dahe first opened a yellowish-brown bait that looked similar to sweet potato and corn, and there was a bottle inside.

As soon as I opened the bag, a strong sour smell hit me.

It was as if an old cat had peed on his nose the previous year, almost making him vomit.

Looking at the recipe, it's indeed something used for the lower three channels (lower body, lower limbs, and lower abdomen).

Fresh cow dung, mountain beer, and rotten apples are mixed in a 0.5:1 ratio and fermented until a greenish-yellow juice seeps out.

Then, before each fishing trip, soak the corn in the juice for three days, take it out, mix it with the residue, drain the juice, and use half of it for groundbaiting and half for fishing.

The instruction manual also specifically states that it is best used in early summer.

I glanced at it with disgust and thought, "Forget it, I'll study this later. It's too disgusting."

Unexpectedly, the second corn product was the same, using human placenta extract.

Damn, even Qin Dahe couldn't take it anymore; these recipes were really ferocious.

He remembered joking with Erhu and the others that pulling out whole ears of corn would result in a huge catch. He had only heard it from a fellow angler, but could it really be true?

Seeing millet and wheat makes it more normal. After mixing millet and wheat, add water and cook until cooked but not mushy. Drain and mix in yeast powder while still warm, then seal and ferment for a week.

Honey, cloves, musk, and fruit peels are added during the fermentation process to enhance the sweetness and fermented aroma.

After that, it can be used normally. It is suitable for fishing in wild rivers and is also good for summer.

Generally, these grain-based secret-recipe baits are related to fermentation, and what's needed is that special aroma. Qin Dahe would have to spend a lot of effort to break down the useful raw materials, or he could just make some "fermentation liquid" and sell it as a wild fishing additive.

It's just a matter of adding another jar, but the smell is a bit strong, especially the first two types, which are quite disgusting.

But he could endure it all for the sake of fishing, and so could his fellow anglers; without catching fish, it was all for nothing.

Fishermen have a level of patience that most people can't match; some even fish at night while sitting on graves.

The last powdered bait was a little disappointing; one look at the recipe tells you why.

It contains a large amount of mole cricket and scarab beetle corpse powder, as well as some regular grain powder and stringy powder.

Qin Dahe also knew about these two things, but they were too difficult to obtain.

A dried mongrel is very light; when ground into powder, it doesn't contain much. The same goes for a ladybug.

Unless you find a professional breeding farm, it's impossible to have a stable supply.

These two were like grasshoppers. Qin Dahe used grasshoppers to catch a lot of grass carp and black carp, and he and his brothers caught a lot of them.

Most insects have always been considered top-tier fish bait, as they are rich in protein, have an enticing aroma, and are particularly effective in spring and autumn.

Ants are considered Hermes-level, but catching them can be deadly.

Qin Dahe scratched his head; this bait had to be put on hold for now, and he'd have to look for a fish farm later.

You can sell special bait by finding a professional insect farm. Now that the channels are open, you can sell it at a higher price if the cost is high.

What he wants to do is build a brand and reputation, and deeply instill the idea that Dahe bait is good in people's minds.

When people think about buying bait, their first choice is Dahe Fishing Tackle Company, and then they compare it with other brands.

Relatively speaking, bait is actually more profitable than fishing rods.

It consumes a lot of fish, and you'll see the effects immediately after a few fishing trips.

"Dahe, dinner's ready!" Qin's mother called out.

"Come on, let me wash my hands." I smell terrible, I'll definitely get scolded if I go now.

I simply washed my face with soap, and the stench finally disappeared.

We ate braised chicken for dinner. Because we usually eat a lot of oily food, we didn't eat many chickens this year for the New Year, and there were still quite a few left. Qin's mother started killing them after the New Year.

Besides the old hens laying eggs, the roosters get tougher and tougher, and a new batch has to be replaced every year after they're all eaten.

Once the two kids are a little older and can eat chicken, I doubt they'll even make it to Chinese New Year.

"Grandpa, how's work at the factory today?"

"It's great. It's just our group making the floats that's busy. The others help us with odd jobs when they're not working," the old carpenter said with a smile.

He's now the deputy director of the factory, and he's very powerful.

"Okay, you and Hanwa just need to keep an eye on the quality inspection. Have the floats been sorted into grades yet?"

"It's sorted out. I've made another batch of molds. Only reeds that meet the specified diameter will be used. If we follow the molds, the error won't exceed 0.5 grams."

"Then it's up to you. I'm about to start testing the bait and I need to go catch the fish. I'll be busy as soon as the weather gets warmer."

It's only been about twenty days since the New Year, and Grandpa and the others have been back at the factory for half a month. Everything is in order, otherwise Qin Dahe wouldn't have dared to abandon the factory so easily.

He only felt at ease with his father-in-law and the honest, simple-minded boy watching over him.

"We can speed up the production of floats. The first half of the year will definitely be the peak season. No matter how many we have, it won't be enough to sell. It's okay if we keep some in stock."

(End of this chapter)