Fishing Guide
Talk to Lightman at the Fishing Fort to get an Old Fishing Rod and start the fishing tutorial.
Refer to the Fish Directory for the list of all fishes and their acquisition methods.
Fish settings
Preparation Time: Gives you a short pause after hooking a fish, before the hold/release prompts start. Increase it if you need more time to get ready.
Rolling Speed: Controls how quickly the prompts scroll across the meter. Lower it for a longer look ahead; the hold/release timing and your rod's reeling speed stay the same.
Which rod should I use?
Aim for Bamboo to meet the rod requirement for every current catch. Fiberglass and Carbon Fiber make fishing easier, so they are useful upgrades if you fish often or struggle to land a catch.
The table compares rods when catching the same fish using the Old Fishing Rod as the baseline. Faster reeling fills the meter faster when you hold at the right time. Lower progress loss gives you more breathing room when you release or accidentally hold through a struggle.
| Difference | Basic | Old | Bamboo | Fiberglass | Carbon Fiber |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fish it can hook | Starter catches, including Carp and Sardine | Adds fish such as Catfish and Grass Carp | Every current rod-catchable fish | Same as Bamboo | Same as Bamboo |
| Meter filled at the start | 30% | 20% | 20% | 30% | 35% |
| Progress gained while reeling correctly | Same as Old | Baseline | 50% faster | Twice as fast | Twice as fast |
| Progress lost while released | Half as much | Baseline | Same as Old | Same as Old | 25% less |
| Progress lost while holding through a struggle | Half as much | Baseline | 25% less | 25% less | Half as much |
| Progress gained per bonus tap | Same as Old | Baseline | Same as Old | Same as Old | Twice as much |
| Where to get it | Fisherman's Shop: 350 G | Free from Lightman's tutorial; Fisherman's Shop: 100 G | Fisherman's Shop: 1,000 G | Kon-Tiki Trading Station: 3,000 G | Kon-Tiki Trading Station: 6,000 G |
Finding a particular fish
Fish have their own locations and conditions. Pay attention to the exact stretch of water: nearby fishing spots can have different fish, even within the same named location.
- Weather: Grass Carp, for example, need rain, a thunderstorm, or acid rain.
- Time: Catfish are a night catch.
- Season: Tuna appear during Light Rain and Heavy Rain seasons. Use the season at the fishing location, particularly when travelling between regions.
- Story progress: Some fish only appear after Environmental Modifier upgrades. Tuna need the Core Sample activated, while Koi need the Water Purification Core activated.
Meeting the conditions makes a fish available; you may still catch other things before finding it. For a particular species, the Fish Directory lists its conditions and links to its water areas on the map.
Fish breeding
Some species, such as Blackfin Sardine, are breeding-only. Keep exactly 1 adult Catfish and at least 5 adult Sardines together in a fed tank with enough room, and they can produce Blackfin Sardine roe. Hatch the roe in a Fish Hatchery, then return the fry to a tank to grow into adults. Breeding is chance-based, so the right combination may take several attempts.
Adult fish can also power a Fishy Generator, where power output depends on the species.