With lots of bodies of water in Stardew Valley, more money flows into your pocket! But how do you fish in the game? We’re covering all the basics, from the mechanics to different add-ons to spice up your gameplay!
Stardew Valley invites players to drop farming equipment and head to the Ocean on Spring 2. Welcome to the basics! Willy is behind the cutscene as he hands over a Bamboo Pole. It’s not the best in-game, but it’s perfect for starters.
Fishing is a hobby worth spending time on because you can catch something profitable in the water. However, how do you fish in Stardew Valley? We’ll teach all the basics you’ll need to know.
What is Fishing?
Fishing is similar to Farming and Foraging, where you can level up skills. You throw your Rod or Pole into a body of water to catch fish, reel them in, and gain profit. Most of the time, you can equip Tackles or Baits to make the mini-game easier!
Dedicating yourself to the hobby is a guarantee to unlock related craftables. It’s also a massive help in leveling up and unlocking different professions such as Fisher and Trapper. Getting XP points helps improve proficiency, giving you the edge for personal convenience.
How to Fish?
After Willy hands you the Bamboo Pole, you can now cast the tool. Different types of water surround Stardew Valley so you can get all the types anytime!
From your Hotbar, select your available Rod and click the left mouse button. A meter will charge depending on how long you hold it, but you must time it correctly to reach the maximum distance. Releasing the mouse button will cast the hook into the water.
Please patiently wait until you hear a shaking sound and see an exclamation point. Note that you can always customize the sound, but the current one is the default. If you timed it correctly, the fishing mini-game would start.
Click the left mouse button to make the bar go up and release it to sink. However, you’ll need to target the fish icon in the mini-game as that’s the one you’ll catch. Congratulations on your new catch if you manage to fill the progress bar!
Even though the basics seem easy, not all fish are equal. Some are chill, while the majority prove a challenging enemy against your Rod. Want to collect them all? Then master the following behavior any of them might show:
- Mixed – Has the most predictable movement pattern.
- Smooth – Has the most steady style of swimming.
- Sinker – Tends to go down in the minigame.
- Floater – Likes to move upward faster.
- Dart – Random movement speed with 2x or more difficulty.
The higher a fish’s catching difficulty indicates its multiplier from their existing behavior. It’s a struggle for every angler, but Tackle can help!
How to Equip a Bait?
Once you acquire Baits, you should start attaching them to your Rod. You can buy them from Willy’s Shop for 5g, find them from Worm Bins, or craft them using a Bug Meat.
To attach a Bait, you must buy the Fiberglass Rod from Willy for 1,800g. It’s a great upgrade to your arsenal if you want to profit more! However, you’ll need to reach Fishing Level 2 before unlocking the tool.
Fiberglass Rod is the same as Iridium Rod, although you can also include Tackles for your advantage. Left-click on the Bait and hover it on top of the Fishing Rod. Proceed by clicking the right mouse button, and you’re all set!
