KanjiJLPT N1
Fishing

angling, fish, catch, allure, ensnare

Mnemonic

You go fishing and hook something impossibly heavy. You reel it in—it's a gold ladle someone dropped overboard! Forget catching fish; you struck it rich. Now every weekend you go fishing in the same spot, dragging your gold ladle as a lucky charm.
Additional thoughts
Picture yanking a gleaming golden ladle from the water instead of a fish. The surprise and greed lock the image in: gold + ladle = fishing.
Quick recall
While fishing, you snag a gold ladle from the lake.

Details

The keyword for 釣 is fishing. This kanji refers to the act of catching fish, typically with a hook and line. It can also extend metaphorically to mean luring or enticing someone, much like baiting a hook to attract a catch. The character broadly encompasses the concept of angling as both a practical activity and a figurative expression.
On'yomi
ちょう
Kun'yomi
つ.る、つ.り、つ.り-

Used in vocab