Departure progresses to Akagi-Onuma for a big catch!

One day in March, when the cold winter air was beginning to show signs of spring, three men and women gathered at a certain location in Tokyo. They were Daisuke Ide, who is a radio personality on several radio programs, Yuki Naito, who is in charge of women's PR at the select store "Journal Standard," and Shohei Murata, who works as a buyer in the men's section of the same store.

This time, they will drive a "Jeep Renegade" to the Akagi-Onuma swamp in Gunma Prefecture. There they will try their hand at wakasagi (Japanese pond smelt) fishing. This activity requires endurance and concentration, making a hole in the frozen lake and silently confronting the fish.

Mr. Naito, Mr. Murata, how do you do today? Have you two ever fished before?" (Ide)

I don't have one. So I'm really looking forward to today!" (Naito)

I am also a first timer. Please give me all kinds of guidance! (Murata)

Mr. Ide, who will be our guide this time, has long been known as a fishing enthusiast. On the ride to Akagi-Onuma, Mr. Ide's fishing talk was lively.

I got into fishing when I was in my 20s. I was in a band once upon a time, and there were some guys in the band who liked fishing. They taught me how to fish, and that's how I got into it. They showed me their reels, which they were very proud of! I remember thinking, "Wow! I remember thinking, "Wow!

Mr. Ide's lively tone is alive and well not only on the radio but also in his everyday life. It was as if we were listening to a live radio broadcast. When asked, "What do you enjoy about fishing? He answers the question, "What do you enjoy about fishing?

Have you two ever gambled? Fishing is a lot like that. You drop a line into the water and wait for a fish to hook it. You wait for a fish to hook it. And when you are thinking, "It's not coming, it's not coming, it's not coming, it's not coming...," suddenly, you feel a "jerk" in your hand. At that moment, I reel in the reel and move my hand as hard as I can, feeling the resistance of the fish. And when the fish appears on the surface of the sea, I can feel the joy of "Here it comes! I can feel the joy of the fish. It is just like the feeling you get when you win at gambling. I'm sure the ingredients secreted in my brain are the same (laughs). It's a rush of adrenaline.

Heh! I see! I hope we can experience the same feeling this time.

This time, he will try his hand at wakasagi fishing, but according to the story, Ide is an all-rounder fisherman who fishes in a variety of places, including oceans, lakes, and rivers.

I think the charm of fishing lies in the fact that the enjoyment changes with the seasons. In winter, I fish for wakasagi, and in spring, I fish for sea bream. I once did the challenge of fishing 100 different kinds of fish in a year for two consecutive years. It was a challenge to catch 100 different kinds of fish in one year, and I met all kinds of people during the challenge. You meet a lot of people during the challenge, and you ask for advice from the experts, and that creates communication, right? Of course fishing itself is fun, but there is also a lot to be gained outside of that. That's why I can't stop.

Renegade's performance and charm in a snowy landscape.

The group approaches the Akagi-Onuma marsh smoothly while talking about fishing. The topic of conversation turns to the "Jeep Renegade" that the three of them are driving this time.

The Jeep Renegade is a great car. This size is convenient for getting around in the city, and despite its compact size, it has a powerful performance. It is very comfortable to drive. I was able to put my fishing gear in it, and the storage capacity was fine. I think this is the best car to connect the city and the outdoors.

I can feel the smooth acceleration just by riding in it. The design is also good. It has a moderately urban arrangement while retaining the Jeep character.

I like this design, too. Jeep" has an image of being a bit angular, but this "Jeep Renegade" has a rounded, friendly image that I find appealing. I'd like to drive one too. It's not too big, and I think even women can drive it with confidence.

As we talked, the scenery gradually became covered with snow. The closer we got to our destination, the whiter and whiter it became, and before we knew it, the whole area was a silver world. This is when the Jeep's performance as a four-wheel drive vehicle comes into play.

Jeep is amazing," he said. Even on snowy roads like this, they are very stable. Four-wheel drive vehicles are very reliable. I can go anywhere on snowy, mountainous, or muddy roads without any worries. Jeep vehicles are now reliable partners for outdoor activities.

The Jeep Renegade comes standard with the Selecterrain™ System, which allows the driver to select the four-wheel drive performance best suited to the road conditions. By switching between the five modes of "AUTO," "SNOW," "SAND," "MUD," and "ROCK," the driver can enjoy driving more safely. This time, Mr. Ide was driving with the car set to "SNOW" mode. That is why he was able to drive safely on snowy and slippery roads.

The fascination of wakasagi fishing has a profound world of depth.

There is no end to the topics of conversation in the car, but while the talk is in full bloom, the "Jeep Renegade" safely arrives at its destination, Akagi-Onuma! First, we unload our luggage and purchase a recreational fishing ticket at "Bandi Shiobara" on the lakeside.

We then loaded our gear onto the "snail" fishing gear rented at the store and walked across the frozen lake to our fishing spot.

I've never walked on a frozen lake before! I've never walked on a frozen lake before!" (Naito)

I heard that it is now about 70 centimeters thick. So it is safe and secure from cracking. Don't worry, just walk around without hesitation (laughs).

How do you drill the holes?" (Murata)

We have a special drill. When you attach it to the tip of an electric drill, it digs deeper and deeper into the surface of the lake, and that's how the holes are made. There are cases where we do it manually, but it takes a lot of physical strength to dig through 70 centimeters of thick ice with just our hands. Today, let's rely on electric power (laughs)" (Ide).

After walking nearly 500 meters from the lakeside, the members arrived at the fishing point. There were veteran fishermen nearby, all silently concentrating on their fishing.

Everyone has a covered space, like a tent," says Naito.

Yes, this is what we call a snail. Everyone has fishfinders and fishing gear inside of them, and they face the smelt in the snail while braving the cold. The veterans all have their own custom-made snails. They design their own space to make themselves comfortable. That's how they fish from morning till evening. When you walk on the lake, do you see some snails in the distance? They are called "villages," and they are like a community. Anglers enjoy fishing while exchanging information with each other.

That's great! I had an image of wakasagi fishing as being kind of plain, but now I see that there is a very deep culture, and I'm suddenly very interested in it! (Murata)

The snail we rented was used to carry our gear, as we were going to be fishing with Mr. Ide teaching us how to fish for wakasagi.

When fishing for wakasagi, use the rhythm of "Yosaku"!

Once everything is ready, we immediately start drilling holes! Using an electric drill, we dig out the ice.

Wow! That's amazing! I can feel the texture of the digging in my hands, and the moment a hole is made, I feel a sense of accomplishment. It's a bit of a pleasant sensation, isn't it (laughs)?

What should we do now?" (Naito)

"Sit down in the chair and set up your fishing rod. But all we have to do is put a hook on the end of the rod (laughs). The bait is an insect called a "sashi. Hook it on the hook and cut the end of its body with scissors. When you do this, juice comes out from the inside, and that attracts the wakasagi.

Naito-san and Murata-san setting up their fishing rods as instructed by Ide-san. With everything set up, the wakasagi fishing finally began!

Wakasagi fishing gives you an image of great fishing, doesn't it? But this Akagi-Onuma is not an easy lake to fish. Wakasagi live by eating plankton, and there is very little plankton in the lakes where they can be caught. That's why they bite on bait. But here, the amount of plankton is too large for the number of wakasagi, so it's hard to catch them on the hook.

I'm sorry," he said! Is that so! We really want to fish, please give us some tips!" (Naito)

You can't catch fish just by waiting. You have to move the rod in a way that attracts wakasagi! First, you let the line drop to the bottom of the lake, right? Then you shake the line and wait a little bit. The rhythm of "Yosaku" is an analogy! You shake the string to the rhythm of "Hey Hey Hey Ho~♩" and wait. Repeat this and you are sure to get a hit! When you get a jerking reaction in your hand, lift the rod upward without pulling it and let the hook bite. That's how you finally catch a fish.

'So you're saying I need technique too! Now I'm motivated!" (Murata)

It is also important to change the bait frequently. As I mentioned earlier, wakasagi are attracted to the juices from the bait, but if you use the same bait for a long time, the juices will stop coming out and the fish will not be attracted. That's why the frequency of bait changes is also important.

Half an hour has passed since we started fishing. How did it turn out?

Relying on Mr. Ide's advice, the three of us check the hole and the fish finder monitor with our hands. A school of fish is definitely swimming near the fishing line, but after 30 minutes, no one seems to be getting any response from a hit.

I feel like I'm playing a game when I watch the fish finder screen and move my hands in time with the schools of fish. It feels as if you are in a back-and-forth battle with the wakasagi.

Fishing for wakasagi is a mindless experience. Whenever I notice it, wakasagi dominate every part of my brain. I was so focused on catching wakasagi that I didn't think about work at all (laughs). I can see why Mr. Ide is so addicted to it.

Even as he talked, Naito-san's nerves seemed to be focused on his fishing rod.

Ki, ki, ki!" (Naito)

A little more than 30 minutes after we started fishing for wakasagi. Mr. Naito caught a wakasagi!

I felt a jerking response and lifted my rod to catch it! I caught it! I'm so happy! (Naito)

It is a small fish, less than 10 cm in length, but from a wahoo's point of view, it is a big fish! Finally, after a breakthrough, the three of us moved into the shelter and concentrated on fishing.

Then, as soon as he moved, Ide-san's rod reacted as well?

Oh, oh, oh! Yessssss! Here it comes!" (Ide)

Well done! Mr. Ide also caught a wakasagi, and the members are riding high on the momentum. At this rate, we hope to catch a big one.

The three of us continued fishing, and Mr. Ide caught another wakasagi, for a total of three fish. One of the villagers saw the three of us and offered us a large quantity of wakasagi, saying, "You should try fried wakasagi. Thank you very much! We returned to the lakeside and prepared to deep-fry the wakasagi we had caught.

Tantalize your taste buds with fried wakasagi!

The group returned to the "Jeep Renegade" parked at the lakeside parking lot and immediately began preparations for making fried fish. After removing the water from the surface of the wakasagi we had received, we dusted them with karaage powder and dived them into the oil at once.

It smells so good! I can't wait to try it!

The fragrant smell wafts from the crispy fried wakasagi as well as during the frying process. After adjusting the seasoning with salt, eat it as it is.

Mmmm! It's delicious! The sweetness and flavor of the wakasagi spreads in the mouth in good balance.

It's true! There is no fishiness at all. It's fluffy and very easy to eat.

It's delicious! It was my first time eating wakasagi, but I didn't expect it to taste this good" (Naito)

The fact that the fins stay straight even after frying is proof that the fish is fresh and natural. Everyone's hands never stop eating, devouring the wakasagi with the same mindless devotion as when fishing.

How was your wakasagi fishing today? Wasn't it fun?" (Ide)

It was a lot of fun! I want to do it again.

I was disappointed that I couldn't catch anything today, so I want to make up for it! I was disappointed that I didn't catch anything today, so I want to get revenge for that! And I want to eat fried wakasagi again (laughs). Thank you for today, Mr. Ide! (Murata)

I'm happy that I was able to share the joy of fishing with you two, but I'm even happier today because I got to enjoy such delicious wakasagi! Thank you very much! （Thank you so much!)

This concludes our four-part series on winter activities, including fat bike riding, snowboarding, skiing, and wakasagi fishing! From April onward, "My Jeep®, My Life." will be written in a different style. Please look forward to the next installments.