We looked at the very basics in my last Fishing Planet post and its important that I stress that this game can seem very basic until you’ve moved on a few levels up the progression ladder. Even then it can seem one dimensional. With that in mind, lets see what it has to offer as we move forward.
The first thing you will be looking to do as you earn the in-game money is to upgrade your equipment. You will need to buy other types of rod, and a means to carry them – a rod bag is essential to open up extra slots for you to do this. Rods you can’t carry can be stored at home – just remember to make sure that you take the ones you need with you before you travel! And don’t forget your Keepnet and your tackle box – They’re something else that will have to grow with you 😅 More on buying kit later.
Lets talk about travel – There are many fishing locations in the game but you have to reach certain levels to unlock them. Here’s the map view you’ll see…
…There are global locations, but you start in Texas at Lone Star Lake – Going fishing here is free. The first new venue to open up is Rocky Lake – up to the left of the highlighted point. Getting to each venue will cost money. Important note here: Travelling might cost 2000 but staying another day will only add perhaps 400 to the bill. So always stay more than one day as the additional days give you the opportunity to make a big profit from the fish you catch and thus provide the means to replenish used bait and repair/upgrade equipment. I think the optimum is 3 days – enough to make good money but not too long to induce boredom.
For every place you go to fish you will need a fishing license. These are not cheap and you will need to decide whether you want to visit a lot or just go occasionally. You’ll also need to decide between basic and advanced – normally the advanced is what you need wherever you fish….
…because the basic has limitations on what you can keep and that affects what you can earn on a fishing trip. Fishing without the right license or breaking the conditions of the license will result in a punitive fine – 10000 in-game cash… Ouch! – Don’t risk it. You can also be fined for taking forbidden species – European Eel in The Netherlands is an example because it’s an endangered species. Ultimately, for places you will visit a lot, I think you should buy the unlimited advanced license but these will cost you ‘Baitcoin’ – that other in-game currency (The one available in small quantities unless tied to real cash!). For other places just buy for as long as you think you will need using the normal in-game currency and go local to refill your bank balance.
By the time you go to Rocky Lake you will need a spinning rod and lures because you’ll be hunting Trout – The Value-Spin rod range is a good option. For light-weight spinning I personally enjoy the MagFin Featherlight 7’…
…It gives a good range of possible line and tackle options. Remember that you can usually find a use for light tackle on most maps though you will also need some big kit in the future! Choose your rods wisely because a good rod will stay with you as you progress. You will often return to the early maps to refresh your funds.
How do you get new rods, etc? You go to the shop. Important information here – Only go to the shop when you are not at a fishing site! The shop at home has a better selection of equipment and the ones at the fishing venues also charge more. Here’s a view of the rod selection in the home shop…
…You also get your reels, lines, baits etc here. Like the fishing venues, equipment unlocks according to your level so not all things, including baits, will be available.
When buying a new rod and reel it’s important to match the limits of the rod, reel and line correctly. If you flick back to my Featherlight set-up above, you’ll see that the rod has a maximum weight of 9lbs while the maximum drag the reel can apply is 8.8lb. If I were to be silly and use a 10lb line on this set-up and hook a large fish that was too strong, the reel would fail before the rod. In reality, you wouldn’t do that. In my Featherlight set-up I’m using .009 mono – that’s 6lb max weight and if anything’s going to break it will be the line – something that is cheap to replace. Always apply this hierarchy when setting up a new rod, reel and tackle combination. ps – my Featherlight set-up is good to reel in any Trout you can hook at Rocky Lake though you might prefer to use 8lb line and accept a slight reduction in your XP gain.
A final note on rods, reels and other equipment – If they’re no longer of use, you can sell them and get back some money.
I realise I’ve left out some important info for the non-anglers. You thought fishing was about hanging something edible below a float? Yes, it can be – But if you’re hunting predators, presenting an image of a small fish swimming in front of them is a good way of luring them into attacking and getting hooked. So a spinning rod and a lure are a good way of catching predators like Pike and Perch, also Bass, Trout and Salmon. Now here’s a thing… Almost all fish are predators in one sense or another – Big fish eat little fish and bigger fish eat them… You get the picture. Some fish will eat the worm you dangle but another fish will be looking to have that fish for dinner. And some will eat worms and other fish as well – Crappie are a good example of this! As for Catfish – they’ll eat just about anything! The game gives useful information about favourite foods and lures for each species but you often will get a surprise catch on the end the line so it’s not written in stone!
Back to in-game mechanics. There are many missions available and also some Steam Achievements associated with the game. Most give in-game rewards which vary between the useful and the ridiculous, along with some cash and baitcoins. Here’s an example for Rocky Lake…
…As you can see it rewards you with a Baitcoin, 1500 cash and a pack of spinning lures. The requirements are on the right. Note the ‘catch’ at the bottom – you will need to use a Barbless spoon or spinner. Guess what, they can only be bought with your precious Baitcoin, so you may not be able to take on this challenge or the Careful Angler one below it on the left during your first visit – it depends on whether you earnt some baitcoin back on Lone Star Lake! Don’t worry, there are several easy early achievements designed to give you a start 👍
Since starting playing this game I’ve learnt that a lot of anglers turn to fishing planet when they can’t go angling IRL and they comment on its realism in terms of the fish behaviour. You get into a shoal and hook 4 or 5 fish then the bites stop coming because the shoal has moved. The fish get bored with your maggots so you have to offer them crickets instead. The place you’re fishing isn’t right for the type of fish you’re trying to catch (You have to find the right spot). The water’s too cold, so they’re just not interested. You can always consult the weather to check the best time to fish…
This is my second intro post. I hope I’ve given more of an insight into Fishing Planet. Until I started writing this I don’t think I actually realised how multifaceted a game it actually is – so much to think about when planning your progression. I guess I was just doing it on autopilot until I started trying to describe it. There’s so much more that I haven’t touched upon like the contests and special events. Perhaps I don’t need to talk about those, because if this has hooked you, you’ll find your own way to wade into them! I’ll leave you with a shot from Emerald Lake, the second venue you unlock and the first where you can fish ‘on the water’…
…It doesn’t help when it’s raining – makes me want to pee… Now that’s realism for you 🤣
I still need to tell you a bit more about the mechanics of ‘rooms’ but that will have to wait for another post.
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