Direct answer: Baits determine which fish or boss can bite your fishing rod. Regular lures cover groups of fish, boss lures target specific island bosses, and special quest items such as Carrot, Coconut, Empty Beer Can, Modified Leech, and Tuna trigger particular encounters.
All baits and how to get them
| Bait | How to get | Fish or creature caught |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner Boss Lure | Buy on Island 2, Island 3, or Island 5 | Sunfish; The Old Pike |
| Beginner Lure | Buy on Island 5 | Salmon; Perch; Triggerfish; Goldfish; Piranha; Cod; Goby |
| Carrot | Receive from the NPC near a coconut tree after feeding him an endangered fish | Pufferfish |
| Coconut | Purchase from coconut trees on Island 3 | Bing Bong |
| Empty Beer Can | Buy Beer on Island 1, 3, 4, or 5, then give it to the NPC so it becomes an Empty Beer Can | Spider Crab |
| Free Lure | Default lure on the Crab Fishing Rod | Brown Crab; Shrimp; Mackerel; Gar; Pike |
| Hotdog | Buy on Island 1 or Island 2 | Rock Crab; Lobster; Piranha |
| Modified Leech | Receive from the female NPC on Island 2 after giving her five leeches | Giant Piranha |
| Professional Boss Lure | Buy on Island 4 or Island 5 | Tuna |
| Professional Lure | Buy on Island 4 or Island 5 | Bass; Eel; Red Snapper; Sengarat; Halibut; Flying Fish; Voxelfish; Parrotfish; Dripper; Tigerfish |
| Standard Boss Lure | Buy on Island 3, Island 4, or Island 5 | Blue Shark |
| Standard Lure | Buy on Island 3, Island 4, or Island 5 | Catfish; Clownfish; Sea Urchin; Yellow Boxfish; Needlefish; Angelfish; Bluegill; Bowlfish; Seahorse |
| Tuna | Obtain after defeating the Tuna boss | Albatross |
The table combines acquisition routes with the catches each bait can attract. Some lure mappings can change or receive corrections after a patch, so use the visible item and catch behavior in your current game if it differs from this reviewed table.
How to equip bait
- Equip a fishing rod.
- Press B on the keyboard to cycle or change the currently equipped bait.
- Stop on the bait you want to use.
- Cast the lure into the water.
- Reel the catch in after it takes the bait.
Special boss bait is normally used for a specific encounter. Do not spend or discard a quest item until you know which creature it is intended to attract.