Guide coverage: patches through 1.0.9

Rods & Bait

If nothing bites, you are usually using the wrong bait. Each story-boss bait (empty beer can, leech bait, carrot, or fish bucket) targets one specific creature and is always consumed after that catch is removed from the hook.

Each bait can catch several creatures. The Weight column is the value the game uses when deciding which creature bites, so a higher weight is caught more often. Share turns that weight into an approximate percentage of the bait’s total catches.

Fishing rods

Rod Compatible baits
Crab-Fishing Rod The first-island rod with no reel; accepts only crustacean baits like the Hot Dog and Empty Beer Can. Hot Dog Empty Beer Can
Fishing Rod Has a reel and is used from the Forest island onward; accepts every bait, including boss-specific baits. Fish Bucket Leech Bait Beginner Lure Standard Lure Beginner Boss Lure Professional Lure Carrot Standard Boss Lure Coconut Scientific Lure Professional Boss Lure Scientific Boss Lure

All baits

Reeling required
“Yes” means the catch timer only advances while you reel the bait through the water. “No” means the bait can remain still underwater while you wait for a creature to bite.
Bait-consumption rate
When you drop a caught creature from the hook, this is the chance that one bait is removed from your inventory. 40% means a 40% chance per catch; 100% means the bait is always consumed. It is not the creature’s chance to escape.
Bait Cost Consumed % Reeling required Catch time (s)
Fish Bucket 0 100% Yes 2–3
Hot Dog 1 40% No 1–3
Leech Bait 1 100% Yes 1–3
Beginner Lure 3 35% Yes 1–3
Empty Beer Can 8 100% No 2–4
Standard Lure 15 30% Yes 1–2.5
Beginner Boss Lure 40 100% Yes 1–3
Professional Lure 50 25% Yes 1–2
Carrot 100 100% Yes 1–2.5
Standard Boss Lure 280 100% Yes 1–2.5
Coconut 350 100% Yes 1–2.5
Scientific Lure 500 20% Yes 0.75–1.5
Professional Boss Lure 1200 100% Yes 1–2
Scientific Boss Lure 5800 100% Yes 0.75–1.5

Fish Bucket

Creature Weight Approx. share
Bowhead Whale 1 100%

Hot Dog

Creature Weight Approx. share
Rock Crab 10 76.9%
Lobster 3 23.1%

Leech Bait

Creature Weight Approx. share
Giant Piranha 1 100%

Beginner Lure

Creature Weight Approx. share
Cod 10 17.5%
Pike 10 17.5%
Piranha 10 17.5%
Triggerfish 5 8.8%
Goby 5 8.8%
Salmon 7 12.3%
Goldfish 4 7%
Perch 5 8.8%
Sunfish 1 1.8%

Empty Beer Can

Creature Weight Approx. share
Spider Crab 1 100%

Standard Lure

Creature Weight Approx. share
Catfish 12 17.4%
Bluegill 10 14.5%
Yellow Boxfish 8 11.6%
Angelfish 8 11.6%
Needlefish 8 11.6%
Sea Urchin 10 14.5%
Clownfish 6 8.7%
Seahorse 3 4.4%
Bowlfish 3 4.4%
Blue Shark 1 1.5%

Beginner Boss Lure

Creature Weight Approx. share
Sunfish 10 50%
The Old Pike 10 50%

Professional Lure

Creature Weight Approx. share
Sengarat 10 12.8%
Red Snapper 10 12.8%
Tigerfish 10 12.8%
Parrotfish 10 12.8%
Bass 10 12.8%
Halibut 10 12.8%
Flying Fish 5 6.4%
Eel 5 6.4%
Voxelfish 3 3.9%
Dripper 3 3.9%
Tuna 1 1.3%
Seahorse 1 1.3%

Carrot

Creature Weight Approx. share
Pufferfish 1 100%

Standard Boss Lure

Creature Weight Approx. share
Blue Shark 10 100%

Coconut

Creature Weight Approx. share
Bing Bong 1 100%

Scientific Lure

Creature Weight Approx. share
Stonefish 10 25%
Blobfish 10 25%
Anglerfish 10 25%
Oarfish 6 15%
Superdwarf Fish 4 10%

Professional Boss Lure

Creature Weight Approx. share
Tuna 10 100%

Scientific Boss Lure

Creature Weight Approx. share
Goblin Shark 10 100%