How exactly do you get the fishing pole in this game? Google only gave me one link really and it just said to go to the itemshop at night and she gives you a fishing hook, I've gone there several times now and haven't got anything. Also did they change fishing in this game? I realized recently that the vibrations on the controller were the easiest way to tell what fish you were gonna get, made getting the guardian a lot easier. Or is it just luck now?

I have the same question. I'm 50 hours in and I have no idea how to get the fishing pole and everything I've found online says to go to the Shiroku Store at night with a bug, but that didn't do anything.

In the opening few months of the game you can trade food items with the boy at the shrine for tat... something bugs. Once per day. Keep taking them to the Shiroku pub at night and talk to the lady. She'll ask to feed it to her fish. Keep doing it and the fish will sick up a hook. Take the hook to the old man at the river bank and give it to him and he'll give you a fishing rod. You can also get a fishing rod weapon by trading the Anglais with a student on the second floor of the practice building.

Got to the shiroku store at night, talk to her and give her a bug to feed the fish. The fish will cough up a hook which you can give to the fisherman who will make you a fishing rode.

And I caught 2 guardians in one fishing session when it was storming out (lightning) and I think I used huge fish bait (whichever one says it will attract a lot of huge fish). And it was relatively easy to reel in. So yeah, I think they made the guardian easier to catch, at least on storming days,

@kerse: also, yes the fishing game is now based on keeping a marker that moves left and right within a shrinking meter. More skill based, much easier to fail by breaking the line. You just have to let go of circle when it isn't in the zone.

@AlisterCat said:

In the opening few months of the game you can trade food items with the boy at the shrine for tat... something bugs. Once per day. Keep taking them to the Shiroku pub at night and talk to the lady. She'll ask to feed it to her fish. Keep doing it and the fish will sick up a hook. Take the hook to the old man at the river bank and give it to him and he'll give you a fishing rod. You can also get a fishing rod weapon by trading the Anglais with a student on the second floor of the practice building.

Yup - the bug is called Tatsuhime Ladybug, which you can get by trading with the kid at the shrine or just catching it yourself.

Remember that catching bugs takes no time, and you can also save/reload to get optimal results (this becomes useful when you need the Genji Beetle and Inaba Jewel Beetle for Hermit rank 10, for which you'll have little time on the clock left to complete it).

@selfconfessedcynic: It doesn't take time!? I've been avoiding it for the entire game! Damn.

@AlisterCat: Yup

Catching bugs takes no time but can only be done once per day.

Also, you can catch bugs very easily (with good chances for special bugs eg. Genji Beetle) without the bug net or reading any books after it starts snowing (January+, from the garden instead of being able to harvest vegies).

Wait, there is no kid wanting to trade at the shrine for me, did I miss out on getting the fishing pole then? Also how do I catch bugs, do I need to read the beginner book first?

@kerse said:

Wait, there is no kid wanting to trade at the shrine for me, did I miss out on getting the fishing pole then? Also how do I catch bugs, do I need to read the beginner book first?

There isn't a kid who asks for soda or steak skewers every day? Depending on how far you are in the game, he will then ask if you saw his bug catching net. Then visit the shrine at night and you'll encounter the lady who asks for fish all the time. She will then give you the net. Take it back to the kid and he will let you have it. Then you can just catch bugs around the trees at the shrine. Otherwise, just bring him soda in exchange for bugs. Remember, no one will be there when it is raining.

Fun fact: fishing is fucking bullshit as a mini-game. Tedious as fuck.

@MiniPato said:

@kerse said:

Wait, there is no kid wanting to trade at the shrine for me, did I miss out on getting the fishing pole then? Also how do I catch bugs, do I need to read the beginner book first?

There isn't a kid who asks for soda or steak skewers every day? Depending on how far you are in the game, he will then ask if you saw his bug catching net. Then visit the shrine at night and you'll encounter the lady who asks for fish all the time. She will then give you the net. Take it back to the kid and he will let you have it. Then you can just catch bugs around the trees at the shrine. Otherwise, just bring him soda in exchange for bugs. Remember, no one will be there when it is raining.

I just started September and yeah he is asking for the net now, and the lady wants a fish, which I can't get because I can't fish lol, I guess I might be fucked this playthrough. Maybe Tanaka will be selling fish at some point still.

@kerse: Once the kid starts saying his thing is lost, the lady immediately gives you the net - if she's asking for fish then you probably now have the net in your inventory (it's the first thing she says before asking for fish again). You can check by talking to the kid again the next day or so and he'll say something like "oh, I already have a new one - you can keep that one".

You don't need the net for anything except for the fishing rod (which you can also get by trading for a ladybug with the kid or waiting till winter and getting a ladybug that way). You only need the fishing rod for Hermit X (8 I think? you're asked for a goldfish at some point) and 10.

It's all optional in the end.

Tanaka no longer sells you fish you want - except the "feed the cat" quest, since you can feed it w/e. The "huge fish" or whatever no longer counts for the quests, and I don't believe he sells a goldfish either.

@MiniPato said:

Got to the shiroku store at night, talk to her and give her a bug to feed the fish. The fish will cough up a hook which you can give to the fisherman who will make you a fishing rode.

And after that run against the wall where there is a little stream flowing into the pond to get the sinking lure. It also helps if you have the blue tunic.

@selfconfessedcynic: He does sell a goldfish, late September or early October.

@FluxWaveZ: You can go to the shopping district at nighi now?

@Nux: Yes.