I am a local in North America

Chapter 73 Record-Breaking Giant Bass! (4200 words, please subscribe)

The concept of "fish luck" is mysterious and unpredictable.

It's like the "quantum mechanics" of fishing – you can neither prove it exists nor prove it doesn't exist.

But there are always people who firmly believe it, just like believing that forwarding lucky koi fish images is effective.

Many participants, based on their past experience, believe that following those who have good luck with fishing makes it easier to catch a satisfying big fish.

Su Jierui chuckled inwardly, his gaze sweeping over the ships that were intentionally or unintentionally lingering nearby, a slight smile playing on his lips.

Only after most of the boats had disappeared from sight did he calmly start the B-17 boat, but he did not head towards the downstream lake inlet he had told Jose about.

Instead, it headed towards the junction of a section of the main river that was in a different direction from the tributary from yesterday, but also had a large area of ​​deep water and a slow-flowing zone.

Based on the clues he found, the "obese" giant bass that only gets sick under certain conditions is more likely to inhabit stable environments with abundant food, gentle currents, and sufficient depth, making them the "lying-down fatties" of the bass world, rather than the shallow lakes and inlets with dense aquatic plants that require agility to navigate.

"Want to be with me? Good luck..."

The roar of the engine drowned out his muttering.

Su Jerry already has three bass weighing over 11 pounds, plus one over 12 pounds. The key is to continue catching big fish to consolidate his advantage.

The bass fishing boat sped forward, its propellers leaving long white trails on the emerald green river surface. It traveled for more than 40 minutes, during which he used his special vision to look for suitable large fish, but unfortunately he didn't find any clues.

Upon reaching the desired waters, Su Jierui turned the engine to idle and slowly cruised along a long riverbank filled with underwater reefs and deep trenches, the air filled with the fragrance of plants.

He focused his attention, opened his field of vision to the maximum, and continued to scan for all the creatures underwater.

The water depth changes dramatically here, dropping abruptly from the shallows where sunlight can reach directly to a depth of over ten feet.

On the bank, there are also long-fallen, decaying giant trees, their twisted branches submerged in the water, forming a shadowy area. The underwater life signals are more concentrated than those in the tributary yesterday.

Several icons for "largemouth bass" appeared, but most of them were of average size and between 3 and 7 years old, which did not fit his target of finding a "giant" today.

He searched patiently, but didn't encounter any other players. Time slowly passed, and more than an hour had passed since the start of the competition, yet he hadn't cast a single line.

To avoid appearing too unusual in front of the official cameras, as time ticked by, Su Jerry only posed for the cameras on the fishing boat, casually catching a few largemouth bass to make up the numbers, and then casually putting them into the live water tank.

Finally, as noon approached, the sunlight became intense, and the water surface shimmered with golden light.

As Su Jierui maneuvered his fishing boat, carefully navigating around a thicket of reeds, he arrived at a deep bay partially surrounded by a large expanse of aquatic plants. At the edge of his field of vision, a distinctive icon suddenly caught his full attention.

It was an icon of a largemouth bass that had grown for 18 years, but it emitted a dull, unhealthy glow.

Su Jierui held his breath in nervousness and decisively activated the [Health Scan] on the fish. The scan revealed that the fish had "overnutrition," "abnormal metabolism," and "mild fatty liver." A series of information appeared that perfectly matched the characteristics he had been searching for, making his heart leap!
"found it!"

Su Jierui almost shouted out in excitement, but he swallowed the words back down.

He suppressed his excitement, squinted his eyes behind his sunglasses, and observed carefully. He found that the fish seemed to be dozing off, floating in the water near the center of the deep bay. Below it was a soft bottom, and there were scattered aquatic plants around it. The location was relatively open.

This body of water, affected by aquatic plants, forms a natural obstacle zone, which undoubtedly increases the difficulty of fishing, and provides ample space for fish to maneuver and escape.

"No wonder it can grow so big, it's safe and there's plenty of food..."

Su Jierui instantly understood the special nature of this body of water; it was like a luxurious underwater suite perfect for living.

He was worried about disturbing the big fish, so he didn't dare to get too close. He carefully maneuvered the bass fishing boat and stopped at a distance of about 30 meters from the fish.

Choosing the right lure becomes crucial.

When facing such a cautious giant in deep, open water, reactive lures may be too stimulating, while soft plastic rigs may be bitten by other smaller fish because they sink too slowly.

After a moment's thought, Su Jerry finally chose a slow-sinking minnow lure with a realistic fish-like design that shimmered enticingly in the light.

This type of lure has a moderate sinking speed and a realistic swimming action. It can be manipulated to mimic an injured small fish, which is very effective against wary large fish.

After carefully adjusting the drag of the fishing reel to ensure a smooth line release when the big fish exerts its force, the line knots were checked repeatedly to confirm that everything was in order.

Su Jierui stood up and swung his arm holding the fishing rod sharply!
The lure drew a graceful arc in the air and landed precisely about 10 meters in front of and to the side of the giant bass.

He let the lure pause for a moment, silently count to three, wait for it to sink to the predetermined depth, and then began to slowly retrieve the line at an extremely slow speed, with a slight twitching motion.

Minnow lures sway gracefully underwater, just like a truly bewildered little fish.

Once, twice... the lure passed through the giant bass's field of vision, and the big guy's icon only turned slightly, as if it had glanced at it without any interest.

"Oh no, could it be that they didn't speak at noon and have already eaten their fill..."

As Su Jierui thought to himself, his eyes twitched involuntarily, and he began to feel a little nervous.

He calmly retrieved the lure and changed direction again, this time aiming at the other side of the giant bass. He cast again, landing closer, almost within five or six meters of its mouth.

The big fish still did not attack.

the third time.

Su Jerry made some minor adjustments, slightly increasing the weight of the lead, trying to make the lure sink deeper, almost touching the bottom.

Just as his heart sank to the bottom and the lure was about to leave the giant bass's sensing range again, the icon that had been stationary suddenly moved!

No longer a probing attack, but a swift charge. The large bass underwater seemed to be enraged by the constant harassment, opening its huge mouth and swallowing the minnow lure and hook whole!

There weren't many waves on the surface, but Su Jierui felt a heavy drag through the fishing line, as if he had snagged on a huge underwater rock!
"Success again!"

Su Jierui shouted in his heart, used all his strength, flicked his wrist, and lifted the rod to set the hook!

This time, the fishing rod bent into an amazing arc in an instant, with the tip almost touching the water!

A terrifying force, far exceeding that of yesterday's 12-pound behemoth, surged through the fishing line. Su Jerry almost lost his footing, his body leaning back. The bass fishing boat swayed noticeably with his exertion, startling the water birds that were foraging on the shore.

"Wow! That's incredible strength! $20!!!"

He blurted it out, his voice hoarse with excitement. At that moment, Su Jierui's adrenaline surged, all his muscles tensed, and he braced his feet firmly against the hull, beginning his struggle against this unprecedented behemoth.

This largemouth bass, suffering from "nutritional fatty liver," may not have the explosive power of a healthy bass of similar size, but thanks to its weight and underwater inertia, each time it shakes its head, the force is astonishing.

It was skimming the bottom of the water, trying to struggle and escape. Its tail stirred up the silt at the bottom of the river, and soon a burst of bubbles appeared.

Su Jierui held the fishing rod firmly, constantly adjusting the angle to prevent it from getting tangled in weeds, driftwood, or other obstacles.

The fishing reel's drag system emitted a "squeaking" protest, sometimes loud, sometimes soft, and occasionally it would actively release pressure to loosen the fishing line. Su Jierui was completely focused, oblivious to the sweat sliding down his cheeks.

Fortunately, the icon of the big fish was clearly visible. Every direction it exerted was unmistakable to Su Jerry, who could always react a fraction of a second in advance and thwart the giant bass's struggles one by one.

This protracted battle lasted for nearly 12 minutes! That far exceeded the duration of any of yesterday's fishing matches.

Finally, the big fish underwater was exhausted and its resistance became weak. Su Jerry knew that his chance had come and began to reel in the line.

In no time, a giant dark green shadow emerged from the deep water. At first, it was just a blurry outline, but it became clearer and clearer. It was very long and had a big belly. Su Jierui was completely stunned. He estimated that it was more than 80 centimeters long!

"Wow, that's huge!"

This largemouth bass is so big that it's like a small wheel. Its body is unusually wide and round, creating an unparalleled visual impact!
Without taking the time to admire it, Su Jierui became even more careful, crouching down to guide the enormous creature to the side of the boat. Using the largest landing net on the fishing boat, he practically dragged and pulled it onto the boat.

When the giant bass landed on the deck, the entire bass fishing boat visibly rocked.

Su Jierui was so excited that his hands were trembling. He immediately used a thick, damp cloth to pad his hands, fastened the fish hook, and put it into the live water tank.

This fish took up almost half of the cabin, making the other bass, which were also quite large, look rather small and tiny next to it.

I couldn't wait to take out my portable electronic scale.

When Su Jerry struggled to lift the huge fish, the numbers on the scale fluctuated, finally settling on a number that made him gasp – 16.77 pounds!
Having participated in so many outdoor reality shows and having his own YouTube channel, Su Jerry is a "veteran actor."

He quickly released the large fish back into the live water tank, then, half-jokingly, raised his fists and shouted:
"It really is 16.77 pounds! I knew Lady Luck was on my side!!!"

His voice carried far across the empty river.

This was a statement that was uttered only after quick and careful consideration.

You know, the gold mine is still buried underground at the beaver ranch. If an ordinary person hits the jackpot one after another, it will easily arouse suspicion and doubt from others. But if someone is a famous lucky person, everything will make sense.

Some people fall from planes and are unharmed, some are struck by lightning and only suffer burns, and some win the lottery repeatedly. Compared to these, buying a ranch and unexpectedly discovering a gold mine seems much more normal.

This weight not only practically guarantees the "largest single fish prize" in this leg of the competition, but it may even surpass the historical record of the Bass Bass Fishing Championship!

Similar to the Olympics, if you break the organizer's record for the "largest single-tailed fish", you can also receive an additional bonus of $5.

However, these were the rules and regulations from a few years ago, and Su Jierui is not yet sure whether he can still receive this bonus after the acquisition by the Professional Fishing League of America.

After the initial excitement, Su Jerry realized that with this massive ballast, he was virtually invincible in the Florida round.

The competition has only been going on for two days, and he has already caught five large bass weighing over 11 pounds each.

After drinking some water to calm his nerves and chatting for a while with the action camera and the camera on the fishing boat, Su Jierui continued his journey after resting, wanting to look for other new targets nearby.

It seems unlikely that it will surpass the astonishing weight of 16.77 pounds, but it can still replace the fish that were just used to make up the numbers.

This involves a large sum of money, which will be the start-up capital for the beaver ranch, so Su Jerry dares not be careless.

In the history of the Bass Bass Fishing Championship, someone has caught nearly 120 pounds of bass in four days. Su Jerry hopes to break this record and secure a ticket to this year's finals.

If he wins the $100 million prize in the annual grand final, the financial pressure will be greatly reduced, whether he is developing a gold mine or a beaver ranch.

Many professional anglers at the competition have partnered with fishing tackle and bait manufacturers to develop their own branded products. Online sources say that those professional anglers can earn hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars, which makes Su Jerry a little envious.

Of all the NBA players, Michael Jordan is the richest, largely because he collaborated with brands and launched his own personal brand.

Seize the opportunity to show your face more often and make your image as a "legend in the fishing world" deeply rooted in people's hearts; this may be more profitable than winning prize money or recording videos.

……

That evening.

When Su Jierui returned to the dock to weigh his haul, his harvest for the day unsurprisingly caused another sensation.

When the 16.77-pound "wheel bass" was displayed, the crowd on the dock instantly erupted in cheers and shouts!

Even the seasoned tournament director stared wide-eyed, exclaiming repeatedly, "Incredible!"

"Jerry Sue, Day 1 score: 56.94 pounds, Day 2 score: ... 51.76 pounds!"

"The largest single tail weighed 16.77 pounds!"

"Total weight over two days... 108.7 pounds?!"

Good luck for a day is not unusual. In the past, other contestants have caught more than 50 pounds of fish on the first day, but failed to catch even 5 fish on the second day.

Such a bumper harvest for two consecutive days as Su Jierui seems particularly exaggerated.

This astonishing number far surpasses the second-place finisher's 67.91 pounds, making the outcome of the championship virtually a foregone conclusion.

It's safe to say that as long as Su Jerry doesn't encounter any unforeseen circumstances and continues to participate in the upcoming competitions, even if he only catches five small bass weighing six or seven pounds, it will be difficult for others to surpass his record.

Many participants at the scene sighed in bewilderment, feeling as if others had only run halfway while Su Jierui was already standing at the finish line. They probably wouldn't be able to get a good night's sleep when they got back to the hotel tonight.

Many gamblers, including rancher José Quentin, silently lamented the $6800 registration fee, already guessing that the money was completely wasted.

The media once again surrounded Su Jerry, all focused on this record-breaking behemoth.

He remained humble, attributing the credit solely to "luck" and "the blessing of the St. John River"...

(End of this chapter)