Mariner or Luremaster: Which is More Helpful and Self-Sustaining?

Mariner or Luremaster – can’t decide which profession with more leverage to choose? Don’t worry. This complete and comprehensive guide will help you make the most of your crab potting business!

Many players go for crab pots when fishing alone isn’t enough in Stardew Valley. This alternative lets you catch not only crabs but all kinds of crustaceans and mollusks. Unfortunately, selling these water creatures won’t get you a hefty profit. However, trappers can still conquer the waters by choosing Mariner or Luremaster.

This guide will talk about the difference between the two professions, unveil the benefits, and reveal the better and more practical choice.

What is Crab Potting?

Crab potting unlocks after you reach Level 3 in Fishing. Forty pieces of wood and three bars of iron are all you need to craft a single pot. Once you have the trap, place it on any water (except for the well and fish pond), load baits, and wait until the next day. 

Trapper comes in First

Ask the community which activity they like and struggle with the most within Stardew Valley. Most players will likely vote for fishing because of the unique mini-game mechanics and adrenaline-rushing experience. Who would be chill catching a fish that floats and sinks aggressively in the waters?

Yet, spending time reeling in big catches on the docks benefits your skill level. That’s because the more you cast a hook, the more experience points you’ll get. Reaching Level 5 can be a game-changer because the Trapper profession makes a crab pot cost less (Wood (25) and Copper Bars (2)). 

Benefits Preview: Mariner or Luremaster?

After fishing for a long time, you may begin deciding between Mariner or Luremaster. Let’s take a quick peek at what you can get from the professions:

Drawbacks of Becoming a Luremaster or Mariner

A skillful angler in Stardew Valley must be resourceful. Somehow, the Luremaster profession infuses you with a spell of self-sustaining crab pots – and baits are not part of the game. But is it too underwhelming for a not-so lucrative business? 

Sure, cutting costs to have baits is a fantastic extra. However, automating should be officially possible – a non-mod feature that ConcernedApe will hopefully add to the game. That’s because most players like you won’t bother going every day to the ocean and catch a handful of fish, right?

If it’s someone who enjoys the sea breeze and monotonous routine, that’s great. Unfortunately, many casual players are mining, discovering new things, or even flirting with the townspeople. 

Mariner, on the other hand, seems promising with its “no-junk policy”. You’ve become a veteran fisherfolk that trash escapes from your crab pot (that’s a joke). If that’s the case, an auto-panning feature would be an excellent addition. It’s not necessarily huge riches, but a considerable amount of essential resources that may help players.

Mariner Will Cost You More

With the Mariner profession, you’ll no longer have to worry about getting junk items in the water. There’s a massive guarantee of getting a catch from crab pots, but you need baits.

You can get baits in Stardew Valley from the following source:

• Crafting with the Bug Meat (10 pieces)
• Crafting and placing a Worm Bin outside (2 to 5 pieces) – in crafting a worm bin, you’ll need 25 pieces of hardwood, one bar each of iron and gold, and 50 fibers.
• Buying from Willy for 5g each
• Reward from completing the River Fish bundle in the Community Center
• Fishing treasure chests
• Buying from the Traveling Cart (100g to 1000g)

Baits are one of the most common resources you’ll run across in Stardew Valley. For example, killing bugs in the Mines and fishing are the easiest ways to get baits. As always, being resourceful and smart can give you the upper hand.

If you’ve spent your money buying it from Willy or the Traveling Cart, you won’t feel the advantage of Mariner. Although being a full-time crab potter won’t get you rich quickly, it sure is a stable hobby. Here is everything you can catch with a crab pot and their market price for your guidance:

Luremaster is Annoying

Would it be better if you don’t need baits to catch fish from crab pots? Yes and no. 

Not needing bait gives not only provides convenience but also saves you money. The only thing you have to do is check the crap pots every sunrise, collect the loot, and you’re good to go. 

Although holding the right mouse button makes collecting faster, accidentally pulling the crab pot from the water is annoying. It’s been a problem ever since Luremaster was introduced in the game, and there have been no fixes yet.

In the end, creative modders took matters into their own hands and created the Automate mod for Stardew Valley. It helps in the quality of life, and you can try the mod to get the most out of the profession. If you like playing clean, though, it’s up to you.

Another minor drawback is that you’ll still get useless junks – or is it? Driftwood, soggy newspaper, broken glasses, and trash are things you won’t like in the game, but recycling them is an option. All you need is a Recycling Bin, load the junk, and you’ll get random resources within minutes.

Should I Choose Mariner or Luremaster?

Although most of our previous comparisons result in a tie, this one’s an exception! Mariner has the leverage over gameplay experience, cost-efficiency, and profitability. There’s no doubt this profession is the one you should pick if you don’t like any mods.

Sure, Luremaster might be self-sustainable, but it’s a hassle for most in the community. On a side note, making baits doesn’t need you hefty resources, so it’s safe to say you’ll profit more from its competitor with little investment.