How To Fish In Stardew Valley - Stardew Valley Wiki Guide - IGN

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In this Stardew Valley How-to guide, you'll learn everything you need to know about fishing, including how to start fishing in Stardew Valley and what you'll have to do during the fishing mini-game.

What is Fishing

Just like Farming or Mining, Fishing is another one of the skills you can level up in Stardew Valley. 

There are ten levels in total; reaching each level grants you a +1 in Fishing Rod Proficiency as well as some items. Once you get to level 5 of fishing, you'll get to decide your character's profession. For fishing, the options are Fisher or Trapper. 

How to Unlock Fishing

To fish in Stardew Valley, you'll need a fishing rod. But, unlike other tools like the hoe or the watering can, you won't start the game with a fishing rod. Instead, Willy will send you a letter on the second day of Spring asking you to see him at the beach. Once you get there, a cut scene will start, and he'll give you a Bamboo Pole. 

As you increase your fishing level, you'll be able to purchase better rods from Willy's shop. 

How to Fish

Once you have a rod, equip it and head to the nearest body of water to start fishing. Once there, you'll have to follow these steps:  

1. Use the tool button to cast the rod near the water. Remember that different fish will spawn in different locations.
2. A meter will appear, which you can use to decide how far you want the line to go
3. Release the button to cast the line
4. Wait for a little until you hear a distinct sound and an exclamation point appears above your character; this means a fish has bitten. 
5. Quickly click the "Use Tool" button.
6. The fishing mini-game will start. This one consists of a movable green rectangle that you control by repeatedly pressing the Use Tool button. To catch a fish, all you have to do is maintain the small fish icon inside the green rectangle until the progress bar is filled. 

Keep in mind that certain factors can make fishing easier. Things like the type of fish you're catching, using bait or a tackle, your fishing skill, or the rod you're using will affect the fishing mini-game.

Each body of water has a different fish available at any given time. The fish present changes based on season, weather, and the time of day. See when they're available and keep track of what you've caught with our fish guide and checklist.

How to Use Bait

Once you purchase a Fiberglass Rod or an Iridium one, you can start using bait when fishing by attaching the bait to the rod. To attach bait...

• PC: Drag and drop the bait into the empty slot on your rod. You can also right-click the fishing rod while holding bait to attach it.
• Switch: Hover over the bait and press Y.
• Xbox: Hover over the bait and press X.
• PlayStation: Hover over the bait and press Square.

There are a few different types of bait you can buy or craft in Stardew Valley, each of which has its own specific uses. Check the table below to see all the different types of bait you can make and how to craft them.

Bait	Purchase/Unlock Requirements	Benefits	Crafting Materials
Bait	Purchase from Fish Shop for 5g.	Catch fish faster.	1x Big Meat
Magnet	Purchase from Fish Shop for 1000g.	Find treasure.	1x Iron Bar
Wild Bait	Reach level 4 friendship with Linus.	Can catch two fish at the same time and fish bite faster.	5x Bug Meat 5x Slime 10x Fiber
Magic Bait	Purchase from Qi's Walnut Room for 5x Qi Gems.	Fish bite faster and can be caught outside of their usual spawn time/conditions.	3x Bug Meat 1x Radioactive Ore

Looking for even more on Stardew Valley? Why not check out our Beginner's Guide - Basics and Features, Things Stardew Valley Doesn't Tell You or jump back to our How To Guides hub.

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