Fishing is a great way to make money in Stardew Valley, although it takes some time to master it

Stardew Valley Fishing Guide

Fishing is a great way to make money in Stardew Valley, although it takes some time to master it

While your first fishing rod can't have any attachments, at fishing level 2 and 6, new rods are for sale in Willy's Fish Shop, which can hold bait and tackle.

Bait makes fish bite faster, so you can catch more fish in a single day. Bait is made from bug meat or from a bait spawner, which will produce bait every day. There are a few specialty types of bait, like targeted bait, which helps you catch specific fish.

Tackles on the other hand impact the fishing minigame or the type of fish being caught in different ways. Below is a table of every tackle type, what it does, and how to obtain it.

How to use bait

The reason you can't use bait right away is that the Bamboo Pole Willy gives you doesn't have the ability to use bait. Instead, you will need to upgrade to the next tier of fishing pole, the Fiberglass Rod, which has a slot for bait. The Fiberglass Rod costs 1,800G and is unavailable until you reach Fishing Level 2, which will require you to do some fishing. Every fishing rod you unlock after this point will have a bait slot. Bait is also used in Crab Pots, which will only catch something if it has a piece of bait in it, and which you have to refill. Holding bait and interacting with the Crab Pot will place it inside.

The fishing rod itself can have the bait added directly to your inventory by moving it to the fishing rod. Fishing rods can hold a large amount of bait, so you don't have to reload in between fish.

How to get bait

Fishing bait can be obtained in multiple ways. There is the default bait, along with some specialized versions, which can be crafted using bug meat and other items after leveling up your Fishing skill. Bug Meat is acquired by defeating bug enemies in the mines. You can also craft a Worm Bin, which unlocks at Fishing Level 4, which will periodically produce bait. It can occasionally be found in treasure chests found while fishing and Willy sells it in his shop.

Ocean fish

There are three primary places to catch fish: the ocean, river, and mountain lake. Depending on which location you cast your line at, different fish will be available to catch. The Ocean can be found to the south of town.

River fish

The river is the water running through town and through the Cindersap Forest. The "lake" in Cindersap Forest counts as river fishing. If you choose the fishing farm layout, the water on the farm counts as a river as well. There is also a lot of crossovers between river fish and lake fish, so some of these fish will appear on both lists.

Mountain Lake fish including Sturgeon

The Mountain Lake refers exclusively to the lake outside the mine in the northeast section of Stardew Valley.

One of the rarer fish in this location is the Sturgeon. Sturgeon are found in the Mountain Lake from 6 AM to 7 PM, only during Summer and Winter. The Mountain Lake is the small lake found directly outside the Mine and to the east of the Carpenters. The sturgeon is somewhat rare, even during the correct time of year, but is slightly more common when it's raining and when casting as far as possible into the Mountain Lake.

Special fishing locations

There are a few special fishing locations in Stardew Valley. Each of these is typically only home to one type of fish that can only be found there. This includes small ponds inside the mines, the pond in the desert, and other special locations

Crab Pot

There are also a handful of fish that can be caught by Crab Pots overnight. These fish can be caught year-round and are only split by being either in the ocean or in freshwater (rivers and mountain lake.) Crab Pots can be crafted at fishing level 3 using 40 wood and 3 iron bars. Bait must be placed into the Crab Pot for it to catch anything.

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This story originally appeared on: GameSpot - Author:UK GAG