We were blessed with good weather.
The next day was the fishing trip I’d been looking forward to! At first, I planned to catch Osaka’s famous pufferfish, but the captain said the fishing hadn’t been great lately. So, we switched to mixed-species fishing. We usually set out first thing in the morning, but this time we took it easy and boarded the afternoon boat. Although bad weather had been forecast, it was sunny and the waves were calm. We set out from the harbor under pleasant weather conditions. Our targets were gashira and akou. Apparently, in Osaka, scorpionfish are called gashira, and black seabass are called akou.
Saikawa: My first fishing trip of the year. And to think I can do it right here in Osaka—I’ve been really looking forward to it. I want to catch the biggest fish!
Mi-hime: Even though I’m in a big city like Osaka, it feels great to be out on the open sea and connect with nature. I hope I catch a fish I’ve never caught before.
Ishii: I heard the conditions weren’t great, but I’m glad the weather turned out nice. Since we’re starting in the afternoon, I’m planning to take it easy and just chill while I fish.
Ikemoto: I think I'll give jigging a try. I've been going jigging a lot lately, and the results have been great. I've got high hopes for this.
Komatsu: There's nothing quite like the thrill of not knowing what you'll catch when you go mixed-species fishing. I haven't had a proper fishing trip this year, so I'm hoping to land a decent catch.
We arrived at the first spot in about 30 minutes. Mr. Saikawa, Ms. Miki, and Komatsu fished with bait using bottom rigs and sabiki rigs. Ishii and Ikemoto decided to try jigging.
It’s about 10 degrees, but I’m all bundled up, and with no wind and the sun shining down, it’s quite comfortable. The laid-back atmosphere is pleasant, and I can hold my rod without a care in the world.
It was Ishii who got a bite in less than 20 minutes. Switching from jigging to bait fishing early on seems to have paid off. He caught a rockfish!
Ishii: I didn't really feel like I was going to catch anything with jigging, so I switched to bait fishing and immediately got a bite. Even after setting the hook, it didn't run; I could tell right away it was a rockfish because of that heavy, unyielding feel. I'm happy to have caught it, but it's a bit small...
Anyway, one fish is one fish. The other members started getting bites one after another. The next one to catch a fish was Komatsu. It was a rockfish, too!
Komatsu: I felt a slight tug, and the sensation of the rod being pulled in was really satisfying. It wasn’t as big as I’d hoped, though… Still, I’m off to a good start.
Mr. Saikawa and Ms. Miki, who fish regularly, handle their tackle with practiced ease.
Saikawa: Things aren't going quite as planned. I haven't had any bites yet, but I have a feeling I'll catch something.
Mi-hime: I’m getting some bites. Maybe it’s a matter of bait size. I’m hopeful from here on out.
Since Ikemoto is both filming and fishing, he can’t use bait fishing—which would get his hands dirty from handling the bait—so he sticks to jigging.
Ikemoto: I can really tell that jigging won’t work here. But since I’m fishing differently from everyone else, it’d be great if I could catch some bluefish or other species.
