Fishing Rods
General#
Every profile gets one Fishing Rod that grows with you all season. It comes in the starter kit, and if you ever lose it, the Toolsmith tab at the Forge hands it back with every tier and relic it had. The rod is bound to you: only you can pick it up, and it can't be listed on the auction house.
Shift-Right-Click the rod to open its menu. From there you upgrade it to the next tier, toggle its relic powers on and off, and open the Fish Codex.
Every tier improves your chance of hooking a boss. Bosses only bite inside the fishing areas, and each area has its own day and night boss pool.
Tiers#
Upgrades are paid in fragments and must be done in order. The rod keeps its relics and enchants through every upgrade.
| Tier | Upgrade Cost | Boss Catch Chance |
|---|---|---|
| Starter Rod | Starter kit | 1 in 200 (0.5%) |
| Novice Rod | 25x River Fragment | 1 in 180 (0.56%) |
| Intermediate Rod | 35x Evergreen Fragment | 1 in 165 (0.61%) |
| Advanced Rod | 40x Spirit Fragment | 1 in 145 (0.69%) |
| Master Rod | 80x Amber Fragment | 1 in 130 (0.77%) |
| Poseidon's Rod | 120x Glacial Fragment | 1 in 120 (0.83%) |
| Mystic Rod | Complete Mystic Angler (can't be bought) | 1 in 110 (0.91%) |
Two quests raise your rod for free, and islands that finished them before the rod existed get the tier too:
- Fishing Legend (catch 2,500 fish, a quest milestone) raises it to Poseidon's Rod and unlocks the Any Boss relic.
- Mystic Angler (a fishing quest) raises it to the Mystic Rod, which also carries Lure V and Luck of the Sea V.
A quest never lowers your rod: if it's already at or above that tier, nothing changes.
Relics#
Relics give the rod extra powers. Use the relic item from the rod's menu to unlock a power (the relic is used up), then switch unlocked powers on and off whenever you like. How many can be on at once depends on your Fishing skill level: the first slot opens at level 10, then more at 30, 50, 80 and 120.
| Power | Level I | Level II | Level III |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tide | Luck, Dolphin's Grace | Luck II, Dolphin's Grace, Water Breathing | Luck III, Dolphin's Grace, Water Breathing, Conduit Power |
| Lantern | Night Vision | Night Vision, Fire Resistance | Night Vision, Fire Resistance, Resistance |
| Swiftness | Speed | Speed II | Speed II, Jump Boost |
| Grapple | Cast to pull yourself to the hook, 4s cooldown | Stronger pull, 3s cooldown | Strongest pull, 2s cooldown |
| Momentum | +15% Fishing XP | +35% Fishing XP | +60% Fishing XP |
| Any Boss | Every boss of the area can bite, day or night, at 1 in 80 when that beats your tier |
Potion powers only work while the rod is in your hand.
Where Relics Come From#
| Relic | Unlocks | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Brinescale | Tide I, Lantern I, Swiftness I | Bosses in Fishing Valley, Sunny Meadows, Pine Peaks and Cozy Cabin (20% day, 30% night) |
| Drowned Captain's Coin | Tide II, Lantern II, Swiftness II | Bosses in Tropical Grove, Sacred Pass, Scorched Oasis and Forbidden Temple (8% day, 15% night) |
| Echo of the Abyss | Tide III, Lantern III, Swiftness III | Bosses in Snowy Summit and Frostbit Lake (3% day, 6% night) |
| Grappling Hook | Grapple I, II and III | Tropical Grove Fish Merchant, 20x Spirit Fragment |
| Steady Hand | Momentum I | Found while fishing, 1 in 5,000 catches |
| Second Wind | Momentum II | Found while fishing, 1 in 15,000 catches |
| Momentum Core | Momentum III | Found while fishing, 1 in 50,000 catches |
| Any Boss | Complete the Fishing Legend milestone |
Enchants#
Vanilla enchants work on the rod, and added enchants stay through every upgrade.
Lure#
Lure acts just like the Vanilla enchant, decreasing the time waiting to catch a fish.
Luck of the Sea#
Luck of the Sea increases your chances of catching higher-rarity fish by performing multiple catch rolls and selecting the best result.
At Luck of the Sea I, the game rolls the fish table twice and keeps the highest-rarity outcome. Each additional level adds another roll. For example, Luck of the Sea V rolls the fish table six times and awards you the best fish from those rolls.
The pickaxe, axe and hoe work the same way: see Season Tools. Every relic and its source is listed on Tool Relics.
Other Rods#
- Dilapidated Rod: crafting a fishing rod makes one of these. It catches no bosses.
- Omni Rod: retired. Its power lives on as the Any Boss relic.