Different species of fish have significant differences in their habits, which also leads to different fishing methods. It is precisely the late spring and early summer period, when the temperature is neither too high nor too low, making it a good time for fishing. From a behavioral perspective, large fish tend to eat more and for longer periods during this stage, as various large fish are about to enter their breeding season. Therefore, there is a saying in the folk that during the Grain Rain, fish are lively, and one should be careful with the fishing line and rod. The time for catching crucian carp has passed, and it is now time to start fishing for larger fish. Understanding the habits of fish can lead to more effective fishing.

1. Carp

Carp are widely distributed, large in size, and are a favorite target for anglers. The characteristic of carp is that they prefer turbid water and uneven bottoms, so when choosing a fishing spot, one can look for murky water or underwater ledges. Carp like to move in soft-bottom areas, using their developed lips to root through the mud for food. Therefore, murky water indicates a soft bottom, and the murkiness may also be caused by carp. Based on the foraging characteristics of carp, when baiting, one can add some soil to the bait, which will help retain more food for the carp. Additionally, there is a 'dedicated' fishing spot for carp, which is near the water outlet. The presence of more mud and sand will bury food in the water, making it a place where only carp can forage.

2. Grass Carp

The characteristic of grass carp is that they can eat a lot, as their food source mainly consists of various plants, which have low nutritional value. This is very similar to many herbivorous animals, where the quantity of food is key. Grass carp are characterized by their fear of low dissolved oxygen but can tolerate high temperatures; these two characteristics complement each other. When the water temperature is high, the deeper layers become oxygen-depleted, causing grass carp to move to shallower areas where the oxygen is rich but the temperature is higher. Therefore, their preference for high temperatures is essentially a response to the need for higher dissolved oxygen. Thus, when fishing for grass carp, surface fishing is the way to go. When using grass bait to float fish for grass carp, it is important to note that grass carp will first bite the lower end of the bait when they come up from the deeper water to find food, so the hook should be hidden under the bait to ensure that the grass carp will directly bite the hook. (Solder the hook shank, wrap it with fuse wire, making it easier for the hook to be at the lower end of the bait.)

3. Bream

Bream is a 'composite' of carp and grass carp. Why do I say this? Bream eats what carp eat and also what grass carp eat, and bream is also commonly known as grass bream. Personally, I believe that bream is one of the most greedy freshwater fish. When fishing in natural waters, the first effective target fish caught is often bream, which also feeds in schools, allowing for multiple catches. Bream are characterized by their relatively wide body and upward-facing mouth, making it easier to fish off the bottom, as they need to adjust their bodies to an inverted position to eat food on the bottom. Therefore, fishing 20 centimeters off the bottom is more suitable for bream. Typically, reverse fishing off the bottom is used, with the sinker lying on the bottom and the hook floating up, using popcorn or beads as bait.

4. Silver Carp

From the perspective of feeding behavior, silver carp are the most unique among freshwater fish. Common freshwater fish primarily feed by sucking, swallowing, or biting, and are caught because they swallow the bait along with the hook. Silver carp are filter-feeding fish that filter algae from the water by gulping water, so there is no concept of 'biting the hook.' Catching silver carp can be considered a 'bycatch.' Silver carp are mid to upper layer fish, and their feeding behavior is also quite unique, making surface fishing much easier than bottom fishing. When using a rod to fish for silver carp, a longer leader line and larger hook spacing are usually employed. When bait is attached to the hook and the bait dissolves, fine particles sink to the water layer where the lower hook is located. When silver carp filter the suspended particles in the water, they will inadvertently swallow the lower hook.

Therefore, one of the key points for surface fishing for silver carp is how to make it easier for them to swallow the lower hook, which requires larger hook spacing, a soft leader line, and not too heavy hooks. Thus, long leader lines, PE lines, and new Kanto techniques are the secret tricks for catching large silver carp.