Chapter 547: Chapter 545: Filefish—Three Ways to Enjoy One Fish

The night at sea was very cold, but having professional-grade equipment made it much better.

The two were already fully armed when they boarded the boat, wearing fishermen’s hats, sunglasses, sunscreen scarves, and jackets, practically armed to the teeth.

The captain and owner of this fishing boat was Captain Wu, who was forty years old this year, and his skin was dark from years of exposure to sun and wind at sea, but he looked very energetic.

Every captain at sea usually has their own fishing marks, and when big clients come, they always take them to their treasure spots.

After all, this industry is quite competitive. If you keep having your clients catch nothing, who would still want to charter your boat?

Fishermen can skimp on what they eat, live in, or wear, but the catch must not be compromised, even if all they’re catching are worthless razor clams.

It was Wang Fan’s first time on a deep-sea boat, and luckily he didn’t get seasick. As soon as the captain anchored, he and Shen Teng prepared their gear to start fishing.

The captain had already scattered Antarctic krill around the boat, quickly attracting nearby fish to come and feed. The bait was also provided by the captain, mostly small fish favored by kingfish tuna.

Wang Fan and Shen Teng each used a deep-sea electric reel and a lure rod. The electric reel was baited and cast aside, while Wang Fan was more interested in the lure rod.

With his top-notch body control skills, it was easy for him to learn lure casting, and after a couple of tries, he was casting skillfully.

However, Wang Fan was puzzled as to why Shen Teng insisted on him using a metal lure when there were real fish available.

"Isn’t this metal lure just for practice? No fish would be foolish enough to eat metal, right?"

Shen Teng chuckled, "Some fish really like this. If you give them real fish, they’re not even interested."

Wang Fan was very confused but still cast the fake lure with force, and it quickly flew far away under the elasticity of the rod.

The casting wheel made a pleasant whirring sound as the line went out, and even Wang Fan, who wasn’t very interested in fishing, felt a surge of excitement.

But that crisp sound of mechanical rotation and friction, no man can really resist it.

After the metal jig hit the water, Wang Fan waited for a while and then started reeling in steadily like Shen Teng. As he reeled, he suddenly felt something "Duang" bite the lure, and the huge force made his arm tighten.

"Set the hook!"

Shen Teng shouted excitedly, then made a quick motion to lift the rod, and Wang Fan followed suit, feeling the force on his hand growing stronger.

Wang Fan’s physique wasn’t just for show. Even though his strength couldn’t compare to Gang Ge, it was still far better than most people.

He held the rod steadily despite the fish’s struggle, gradually reeling it closer to him.

The captain was already standing by with an oversized net, waiting patiently. Seeing the struggling figure in the distance, he said happily, "Great start! We’ve got a kingfish tuna on the line, and I reckon it’s at least 50 pounds."

Shen Teng laughed heartily, "This beginner’s luck is no joke. Whether we break even today depends entirely on you, Brother Wang."

Most fish in the deep-sea zone are very valuable. A kingfish tuna weighing 50 pounds or more fetches 80 yuan per pound once ashore, so if it’s truly over 50 pounds, it’ll easily bring in over 4,000 yuan.

Though Wang Fan was mature and had lived two lifetimes, at the end of the day, he was still young. Beyond the fish’s monetary value, the sheer thrill of tugging with a kingfish tuna made him tremble with excitement.

Enjoying the feeling of gradually subduing the prey, the thrill of it just grew stronger.

The captain then swapped gear, tossing the net aside for a large hook. As Wang Fan pulled the fish closer, the captain swiftly hooked the fish with precision, then took Wang Fan’s rod while handing him a device attached to the hook.

The first fish must be hauled in by the angler themselves, such is the creed of fishermen. Helping them might just annoy them.

Wang Fan didn’t expect his first fishing trip at sea to be this exhilarating. The big kingfish tuna kept struggling and was still flapping its tail fiercely when it landed on the deck.

Captain Wu took a towel to cover the kingfish tuna’s eyes, calming it down after a while.

Wang Fan took a few deep breaths to steady himself. The captain had already weighed the fish; at 57 pounds, it proved Captain Wu’s keen eye and ensured Wang Fan pocketed a solid 4,560 yuan.

Unfortunately, the little creature couldn’t be eaten immediately, and faced with such fresh ingredients, Wang Fan’s hands were itching to cook.

Fortunately, the electric reel was also at work by then, soon hauling up a filefish.

These fish go for about 30 yuan per pound, with tender meat, clearly recorded in Wang Fan’s comprehensive seafood guide.

The filefish’s most notable trait is its tendency to die suddenly, leading to many being frozen or chilled while fresh ones are rare. Seeing a fresh one out of the water, Wang Fan’s culinary instincts couldn’t be suppressed any longer.

This filefish weighed 5 pounds, more than enough to be dinner for the two who hadn’t eaten yet.

The filefish, known as the greenfin horseface filefish, has big eyes and a small cherry-like mouth, looking adorably silly.

The fish’s skin is quite rough and needs to be peeled off when eating, and the feeling of peeling the skin is delightfully stress-relieving, earning its nickname as the "filefish." This fish really does die easily, having already perished on the deck, so Wang Fan didn’t even need to kill it.