Fishing Mechanics

In: Game Mechanics

Fishing allows you to catch a variety of fish, treasures, and recyclable items.

There are over 30 species of fish in Grand Bazaar, along with 8 total fishing zones that offer a different pool of possible catches.

Below we’ll explain how the fishing minigame works and how you can buff your rod to reel things in quicker.

Unlocking the Rod

Fishing becomes available through the request “Practice Fishing“, which triggers automatically on Spring 7 of Year 1. Upon waking up, Wilbur will visit your home and gift you a Fishing Rod, while also asking you to catch 3 small fish to complete his request.

After this event, the Fishing Rod will be added to your tool bar and can be used immediately.

Fishing Screen HUD Guide

Label	Element	Description
a	Prompt / Input	Button input required to reel in the fish. Match the prompts quickly to reduce the fish’s stamina.
b	Rod Durability	The rod’s condition. Drains over time and drops sharply on missed inputs. If it reaches zero, the fish escapes.
c	Fish Stamina	The fish’s remaining stamina. Fully deplete it to land the catch; values vary by size of fish.
d	Fishing Rod	The type of fishing rod currently equipped
e	Fish Bait	The bait currently in use

How to Fish

Equip the Fishing Rod and face a body of water, then press the action button to cast your line.

When a fish bites, a hit mark will appear above your head. You can then press the action button again to begin reeling it in.

Tip: Each reeling attempt consumes 40 Stamina, regardless of whether you successfully catch the fish.

Hit Marks

Hit Mark Icon	Possible Catch
Normal Hit Marker	Small, Medium, or Large fish Fish Bones Empty Can Large Empty Can Empty Bottle Large Empty Bottle Old Left Boot
Rare Hit Marker	Medal Bronze Medal Silver Medal Gold Medal Colored Bottles Rare Empty Can Old Right Boot Other treasures
Guardian Hit Marker	Guardian Fish

Fish Bait

Using bait greatly increases your chances of hooking your desired fish size.

Fish bait can be crafted at the Blue Windmill using Fish Bait Stock and Weeds, or you can get it from Treasureland by exchanging recyclables like empty cans and bottles.

To equip a fish bait just place it in your bag, locate it in the item bar, then select and right-click it to “Set Bait”.

Fish Bait	Required Materials for Crafting
Small Fish Bait	Fish Bait Stock x1 Weeds x4
Medium Fish Bait	Fish Bait Stock x1 Weeds x4 Rice x1
Large Fish Bait	Fish Bait Stock x1 Weeds x4 Corn x1
Guardian Bait	Fish Bait Stock x1 Weeds x4 Fish Bones x1

Note: Crafting Guardian Bait requires the Purple Wonderstone to be active in the windmill for the crafting recipe to unlock.

Reel Power

Reel Power is a technique you can purchase from Felix’s Fixings for 30,000 G, available from the start of the game.

Once purchased, it has a random chance to activate while you’re reeling in a fish. When it triggers just quickly press the action button to reduce the fish’s stamina at 5× the normal rate.

Rod Durability Buff

Certain cooked dishes grant the Rod Durability Up buff, which temporarily increases your rod’s maximum durability gauge.

This bonus stacks with the rod’s base durability and it can make the difference between landing or losing a tough Guardian Fish.

Below is a table of all recipes with this exact effect, listed by Level (Lv. 1 – Lv. 4) and detailing how much extra durability you gain with the buff.

Rod Durability Up Recipes
Level	Buff Amount	Recipes
Lv. 1	+500	Fish Cake Simmered Seaweed Miso Soup
Lv. 2	+1,000	Radish Soup Shumai Dumplings
Lv. 3	+1,200	Onion Soup
Lv. 4	+4,000	Asparagus Soup

Back to: Game Mechanics