Because Jiang Hai was familiar with this type of shrimp, Arctic sweet shrimp, which is considered a very high-quality variety, he couldn't help but think how expensive it would be if sold in China. Authentic wild deep-sea shrimp like this would cost at least dozens of yuan per catty. While the price of seafood in Bingcheng is relatively low compared to coastal areas, it is still much cheaper than inland regions, with ordinary green shrimp costing more than 20 yuan per catty. These are live shrimp, too.
Frozen shrimp, typically sold for dozens of yuan per catty in Bingcheng, are not common, especially considering that Arctic sweet shrimp is small in size. Here, however, this shrimp is used as bait, and Jiang Hai couldn't help but scold them for being wasteful.
Edward had explained to him that these shrimp are plentiful here, typically living at depths of around 150 meters. On cloudy days or when a storm approaches, or when oxygen levels decrease on the seabed, these shrimp float to the surface. During these times, fishermen can harvest dozens of kilograms of them with ease, simply by taking a net and circling the shoreline. For fishermen, these shrimp and shellfish are just bait.
In the United States and Europe, shellfish, sea cucumbers, sea urchins, and similar seafood are not commonly eaten. Even abalone, if not particularly large, is rarely consumed. For them, the concept of "wasting natural resources" is practically foreign.
However, Jiang Hai adapted to local customs. Since the Arctic sweet shrimp was easy to obtain, there was no harm in using it as bait.
After the three of them prepared the bait, Robbins cast his line first. Since Edward wasn't fishing from a boat, his rod was shorter, around 2.7 meters, with a reel that had about 100 meters of line. Robbins threw it about 50 meters, farther than most enthusiasts. As he tightened the line, he looked at Edward and Jiang Hai, a smile on his face. He knew that a person's fishing skill could be judged by how far they could cast.
Edward chuckled and swung his rod, sending the line nearly 60 meters out. It was visibly farther than Robbins'. Robbins nodded in admiration—this old man knew his stuff. Finally, it was Jiang Hai's turn. Though neither Robbins nor Edward had high expectations for Jiang Hai, who was fishing at sea for the first time, they still watched him closely.
Jiang Hai grabbed the fishing rod with both hands, swung it, and with surprising force, the lead block flew into the sea like a meteor. The reel spun rapidly, and the line shot out. The lead weight landed 70 meters away. Edward and Robbins were taken aback, stunned by the power behind the throw. They knew Jiang Hai had unusual strength, but they hadn't anticipated it to be this formidable.
Noticing their astonished expressions, Jiang Hai chuckled. Despite it being his first time fishing at sea, his strength was not lacking compared to anyone else's.
"Boss, you're really strong… But, uh, you're stuck on the bottom," Edward said, after regaining his composure. He was pointing out that Jiang Hai's hook or lead weight was probably caught on a reef below.
"Stuck on the bottom? What does that mean?" Jiang Hai asked, confused.
"It means your hook or lead weight is stuck on the seabed," Edward explained. "Try reeling it in and see if you can pull it back."
Jiang Hai tried to reel in the line, but it wouldn't budge. After pulling with all his strength, he realized the lead weight and hook were gone.
"Uh… this…" Jiang Hai muttered, staring at the empty line in front of him.
"It's okay, this happens a lot," Edward reassured him. "Lead weights are cheap, and you can buy a hundred for ten dollars. Don't worry about it."
Jiang Hai, though a little embarrassed, grabbed a new hook and lead weight from his bag, attached them to the line, and cast again. This time, the line flew 80 meters, but within a minute, he faced the same problem—it was stuck again.
"Damn, is this so difficult?" Jiang Hai muttered, having to try multiple times. His frustration grew as he was unable to retrieve the hook or lead weight.
"Fishing is not that easy, young boss," Edward chuckled. "You threw it very far, but the line extended too much. When the hook sinks, it sinks too quickly and gets stuck on nearby rocks. You need to find the right balance."
As Edward finished speaking, he reeled in his line, pulling up a cod nearly half a meter long. Despite the usual difficulty of landing such a large fish, Edward made it look effortless, using his powerful arms to bring the fish to shore.
Robbins, impressed, ran over and placed the fish into a prepared water tank.
"That's enough for us tonight," he said with a smile.
When marine fish are out of water, they don't survive long, so fresh cod like this was rare in the inland areas of the United States. Such large cod usually cost about 30 dollars, but it was still considered affordable.
"You should fish for fun," Edward said with a chuckle. "If you catch small ones, use them as bait. If you catch bigger ones, release them. The important thing is to see what fish species are here."
Jiang Hai nodded and agreed, mentioning that there were many fish and other sea creatures in the waters.
"The fish resources here are rich. There are probably dozens of fish species, as well as a coral reef with many fish, crabs, and lobsters."
Edward's eyes widened in surprise. "Are the fishery resources really that abundant?"
Jiang Hai shrugged, "Before I came here, I hired some divers to survey the area." He realized he had said too much but would have to reveal more amazing things in the future.
Edward, eager to test the waters, threw his hook back in, hoping to catch an even bigger fish.
Meanwhile, Jiang Hai cast his 14th line into the sea.
"Uncle Edward, you mentioned that the fishery resources here are abundant. While I'm not planning to breed for now, can I just fish?" Jiang Hai asked.
Edward's eyes sparkled with excitement. "If it's as you say, then this place is a treasure. Fishing here could be very profitable."
Jiang Hai grinned, explaining that while there were no plans for breeding yet, fishing once a month and having a boat to patrol was all he needed. He also didn't think he would need extra help for now.
He was already considering what he needed for the business. A near-shore fishing boat would cost around 600,000 USD, but with oil being the main cost, the total investment for boats and equipment would be under a million USD, something Jiang Hai could afford.
It seemed like he had made a wise decision in hiring Edward.