It's time to go to Lake Biwa! HOUYHNHNM FISHING CLUB catches a black bass in spite of the rain!

All of us were overjoyed when the Lake Biwa tour was decided! Last year was the second time we visited the lake for our activities and some of us were exposed to black bass for the first time , and we caught a lot of them. The scenery we saw floating on Lake Biwa was great, and the fishing trip was impeccable and memorable. We thought we would be very satisfied this time as well, but the weather forecast was for umbrellas. The weather forecast is calling for a rather heavy downpour. ...... We kept an eye on the weather and considered rescheduling the trip, but the day before we finally arrived, it was still raining. However, we were told that the weather was not so bad that we couldn't launch the boat, so we decided to go ahead with the trip even though it was raining!

. Take the Shinkansen from Shinagawa Station , and arrive at Kyoto Station . A little over an hour's drive later, we arrived at the marina. The members of the group and the professional staff from DAIWA who welcomed us were the same as last year. We were happy to see each other again in a friendly atmosphere and prepared for our departure!

Yosuke Ishii (right)
Deputy Editor, HOUYHNHNM
Director of HOUYHNHNM FISHING CLUB . I'm here again - Lake Biwa! This is where I caught my first bass. And I caught five of them. This time, my goal was not the number of bass, but the size, and I was aiming for over 50 cm. I hope to show the results of my activities over the past year.

Kenichi Hiramoto (center right)
stylist
. He has worked on everything from fashion media to brand lookbooks. Last year, I caught a 53 cm fish on my first cast. This year, my goal is to catch a fish up to 60! . I've prepared myself for all kinds of situations.

Junpei Ichikawa (middle left)
o.r Representative / Editor
. marketing and media production for all kinds of brands. . He will soon launch "BEFORE YOU WAKE UP," a new type of fishing media. . "Lake Biwa is great after all. . I was excited. I'm going to enjoy it anyway!"

Shogo Komatsu (left)
writer
. He writes mainly for magazines and webzines. I feel like I'm going to catch a fish, not just a 50, but a 60-plus, maybe even a 73.5 cm, 10.12 kg world record caught in Lake Biwa! My hands are already shaking!" .

Fumihiko Ikemoto 
photographer
He has worked for magazines, web, and advertising, and also does outdoor photography. I am happy to be here again! Last year, I caught my first bass on Lake Biwa, so I haven't caught any recently, but it's been a while since I've fished there. . I'm looking forward to having fun even if it rains.

And here are the three professional staff members from Daiwa who will be guiding us by bass boat, just as they did last year.

At 6:00 a.m., the weather seemed to be holding. Ishii and Hiramoto boarded with Mr. Miyake, Ichikawa and Komatsu with Mr. Hasegawa, and Ikemoto with Mr. Shimago! Last year, they were guided to the North Lake, but this time they are heading to the South Lake.

Miyake:The water temperature in Lake Biwa differs between the northern and southern lakes, and the southern lake is warmer, so it is relatively easy to fish at the right time of the year.

Impressed as ever by the vastness of Lake Biwa, we blasted off the bass boat and headed for a spot where the bottom of the lake is undulating. The lake bottom was dug up to mine soil to be used for land reclamation, etc. . The bass are in a mix of different conditions at this time of year, so they can be fished in a variety of ways. It is a morning of hope , when the fish are very active. Start casting!

. Everyone decided to try using the lure they wanted to catch first. They can try using small lures to be solid, or throw large lures for size. They tried to catch the fish they wanted to catch with the advice of the guides. After a while, we got a hit! A staff member who accompanied us caught it!

Wow, 58 cm ! I have never seen such a big black bass before. Even if it wasn't me who caught it, I am so happy! I used a spinnerbait, which seemed to be chased by an active black bass, and I was worried that it might be slack after GW, but it started out very well. It has been a while since then, how is everyone doing?

Hiramoto:I was just using magnum cranks and got a great bite! . It was so heavy, I thought it was a carp or a catfish. . But when Mr. Miyake and I saw it come to the surface, it was a bass over 60 cm. As soon as I saw the fish, I was so nervous that I didn't know how to reel it in. I came to my senses and finally started to reel it in, but I lost it. ...... It was really bigger than anything I had ever experienced!

Ishii:After discussing it with Mr. Miyake, I decided that it might be better to create my own rhythm rather than throwing a variety of lures, so I used a straight worm. About an hour after we started, I got a bite but couldn't hook it. But I'm getting a reaction, so I'm not in a hurry!

Ichikawa:At first, I used a Daiwa Steeze Minnow. . I had caught a 58 cm fish earlier, so I have nothing but high hopes. . Above all, it's fun talking with Zico.

Komatsu:. I'm just throwing all the lures I want to throw. The lures swimming in Lake Biwa seem to be happy.

Ikemoto:I got one hit. I was so happy that I called Bob-san (Ishii) to show it to him , but he found out. You can never let your guard down. You should be happy only after you catch a fish. I am sorry for that.