[][][][] [] [] [] [][][] [][][] [][][] [][] [][][] [][][] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [][][][] [][][] [] [] [][] [][][] [][][] [][] Fishing Guide Version Final November 7, 2006 by "darklao" =============================================================================== 123456789d123456789a123456789r123456789k123456789l123456789a123456789o123456789 =============================================================================== 1. Introduction 2. Outfit Acquisition/Controls 3. Skills and Training 4. Rods 5. Fish by Location 6. Location by Fish 7. Frequently Asked Questions 8. Contact/Copyright ============ Introduction ============ This guide may contain information that could be considered spoilers. I will try to avoid giving any information that is related to the plot (and really, that should be possible), but, you know, caveat emptor. =========================== Outfit Acquisition/Controls =========================== During the Aegis portion of the quest, you can find the Worm (Special Item) in one of the diggable spots (using Mole Knuckle/Monk outfit) in the east pyramid. Take the worm back to the guy fishing in Ft. Eagle. He's in the fourth forest screen with a couple of cows, out the top left exit of the third forest screen (the one with all the slimes and snakes). Talk to him once you have the worm, and after a short event, you'll be able to pick up the Fisher King outfit. When you have the Fisher King outfit, if you have a rod equipped, you can hit A when facing a body of water (or tap the screen) to begin fishing. When the bobber submerges completely, hit A again (or tap the screen) to reel in the fish. You don't have to mash the button. Once is enough. How fast the bar fills depends on your Fishing skill level and the difficulty of the fish. If it says, "It got away..." that just means your skill wasn't high enough. If it says, "It was too much for him..." that means the fish level was too high, and it was impossible to catch. =================== Skills and Training =================== "Fish" in the game fall, generally, into three categories: Junk/Items, Level 1 Fish, and Level 2 Fish. In order to catch Level 1 Fish, you need to get a few levels in fishing before the skill will show up (don't worry, it's early). That will let you catch most of the fish in the game. The last four fish require you to grind your way to level 71 in order to open the skill that allows you to catch them. Don't ask me why. It's really quite insane. You earn skill in Fishing by fishing. Higher difficulty fish will fill more of your experience bar. You will receive some experience even when you get a failure message. You can also earn experience by striking enemies while equipped with a fishing pole. A rod with +x% to fishing will increase the experience you earn by striking enemies somewhat. The higher the level of the enemy struck, the more experience you earn. Finally, you can earn fishing experience by using the special combat techs (Lure, Fishin') that you will open as you level your skill. They require you to be wearing the Fisher King outfit and have a rod equipped. Training up your fishing skill by actually fishing is fairly easy until level 45 or 50, when you will start receiving very little experience for any fish you can catch, and very little experience from clearing areas in the Fisher King outfit. At this point, and until you hit level 71 and get the ability to catch level 2 fish, you have three options: 1. Fish in the Dragon & Dragon game in Habara for Mauls and Viking Swords. This is somewhat slow, and requires constant attention, and in my experience will become insufficiently rewarding around level 55 or 60. 2. Strike tons of reasonably high level enemies. You can do this either in the F1 Racer game in Habara, where there is an endless stream of racecars, or at the beginning of Dragon & Dragon, where you can pop in and out of the house, rapidly killing the three ghosts inside and the knight outside--or wherever you're comfortable popping in and out of somewhere, racking up kills. It's best to find a place you can one-hit them, to speed up the process and take healing out of the equation. In my experience, this is workable up through about level 65, after which you'll need to be striking in excess of twenty enemies (level dependant) per pixel of experience bar. 3. Striking the supercow extra boss that shows up in Caldoaxa after you beat the game. This is about twice as fast, time wise, as any other method. In the area just past the outside bathtub, there is an empty room behind some locked doors. After you beat the game, a brown cow will load in that room. Because you gain experience by striking (not killing), and because the level of the enemy plays a role, you can get tons of experience striking the cow, because of its high level and huge amount of HP and DEF. When your striking skill is low and fishing skill is in the 40s, you can expect to gain between half and a full level of fishing skill. As your STR, Striking skill, and fishing level increase, you'll be getting fewer strikes in, so you'll gain a smaller portion of your experience bar per kill (at max STR, Striking, and level 70 fishing you'll be getting 4-6 pixels of bar per kill), but it's still about twice as fast, time-wise, as any other method. Because the cow is an extra boss, straight-forward combat isn't going to be possible (at 90+ DEF and 40+ Anti-Earth with maxed Stamina, you'll be able to survive one of its non-critical hits, but it will take 2/3rds of your HP). You have two options. You can either leave the last door locked, use Lure to draw it close to strike through the door (it won't be able to hit you, but you can hit it), or you can unlock the door, clear the other enemies from the area, and lead it around to the stairs by the north exit of the zone. Once there, you can stand on the stairs and strike it without it being able to hit you. It's important to clear the other enemies in the area as they can wander up there and "push" the cow onto the stairs, where it will be able to hit you. Clearing the other enemies will also charge your EP, allowing you to pop off four Lure skills per kill, adding about a pixel worth of growth to your bar each kill. Even with the cow, it's still a huge pain in the ass to grind your way to level 71, where you receive the ability to catch level 2 fish. This is where I'm supposed to say, "But it's worth it!" But honestly, it isn't. You can beat the game with level 35-40 stats generally, and all you ever need to heal are potions (the food is basically pointless), cheap and widely available, so. But, you know, some of us are freaks and must climb the mountain because it's there. After 71, it's all about catching Pirahna off the balcony in the west pyramid in Aegis. Even at 95+, you'll only need to be catching about 30 per level, and since that's all you can catch there, it goes pretty fast. If you take a break to advance your cooking to the level 2 skill, you can also convert the Pirahna to BBQ Pirahna for good middling cooking experience, and sell those for 200 a pop (great for fueling the high cost ingredient purchases you'll need for maxing your cooking). Fishing Skills by slot on the Y page of the menu: Lure ---- Uses 1 EP Cast a lure. Hooked foes take steady damage. Uses fishing pole. Comments: Useful for luring enemies to you from a distance, but only hits for piddling amounts of damage, four times. Meh. Sadly, the most useful skill in the set. Fishin' ------- Uses 2 EP Hook a foe and slam them to the ground. 100% success rate. Uses fishing pole. Comments: 100% success rate is a dirty, dirty lie. If you're very careful to only attempt this on enemies at point blank range, and very careful not to get interrupted, then it might hit about half the time. It does about half the damage of a normal attack, so you just wasted 2 EP. Yayz. Total crap. Schooling --------- Uses 5 EP Summon a tuna. (Water) Comments: The final (level 100) skill. Hits every enemy on the screen for pretty huge damage (at Fishing 100, Water 40, it hits Aegis pyramid birds for about 1000). Usefulness... well, considering that you'll never get it in the main game... I mean it's pretty cool, but. And the EP cost is pretty high to be much use in boss battles, so. Whatever. Fly Fishing ----------- Always active. Allows level 1 fish to be caught. Comments: Thankfully, this comes so early you'll never notice you were only catching trash, gems, and failing for the first five minutes you spent fishing. Aqua Stalk ---------- Always active. +10% damage to enemies of the water element. Comments: You'll never notice this. Ever. But hey, free damage. >_> Dexterity Up ------------ Always active. Dexterity +10% Comments: Not bad. Basically a 10% boost to your hit rate. Fly Fishing+1 ------------- Always active. Allows level 2 fish to be caught. Comments: It's hard not be grateful for something you work so hard to get, but seriously, they should have either dropped the level requirement by 20 or so (to 51), or put in some more middling difficulty level 1 fish so you could get better at fishing by actually fishing, rather than beating up a cow with your fishing rod. Comes sixth at level 71. Bait & Switch ------------- Always active. Damage the target and other enemies nearby. Comments: Seventh skill at level 85. Sort of useful for crowd control. Makes charging EP a little faster... but the level requirement is too high to be useful in the main game, and vs. bosses it's useless. Might have been useful for training if it came before level 71... but. Meh. ==== Rods ==== Bamboo Rod ---------- Offense: 12 Fishermen only. A simple bamboo fishing rod. Location: Sold in Aegis. Glass Rod --------- Offense: 16 Fishermen only. Fishing +5% A sturdy fiberglass rod for sportsmen. Location: Sold in Habara. Carbon Rod ---------- Offense: 20 Fishermen only. Fishing + 10% This expensive carbon rod brings in fish. Location: Treasure chest, Rizo Island. Famous Rod ---------- Offense: 15 Fishermen only. Fishing + 20% Endorsed by pro anglers. Fish can't resist. Location: Treasure chest, Akumojo Castle. (Level 2 lockpicking required.) Battle Rod ---------- Offense: 32 Fishermen only. For anyone who wants to fight AND fish. Location: Take all four Map Pieces to the treasure hunter located on Deserted Island in the room where you found the crystal at the end of the cave system. ================ Fish by Location ================ Rooms are generally numbered in the order you'd progress through them as you go through the game, and where possible I've given short-hand identifying characteristics. For Aegis east pyramid, just count rooms as you go. The secret room is out the left wall of room 15, very near the end. The Ft. Eagle Airport Building is a half-seen pool at the corner of the building in the southwest corner. For huge areas like Ft. Eagle or Aegis, you tend to get higher rates of level 2 fish in deeper locations (but not always). Aegis Top is the boss room, you fish by casting at the boat symbol in the middle of the floor. ** Denotes a one-time catch. Thereafter in that location you may get bites that seem impossible to hit on by tapping A. This seems to just be how the game prevents you from catching multiple copies of those one-time items. * Denotes level 2 fish, requires level 71 fishing skill or to be in the "The King" sidequest to be able to catch. --------------- Deserted Island --------------- Docked Ship - Bottle, Empty Can, Sardines, Bass Island Outside Main (1) - Clam Shell, Sardines Island Outside West (2) - Spiral Shell, Sardines, Bass Island Outside Top (3) - Coral, Sardines, Red Snapper Island Outside Cove (4) - Spiral Shell, Sardines, Bass ----- Ocean ----- Side of Ship - Bag, Gold, Letter, Sardines, Bass, Red Snapper, Tuna*, Swordfish* ------------- La Chef Beach ------------- Docked Ship - Bottle, Empty Can, Sardines, Bass Beach - Coral, Bass, Red Snapper Red Worm Room - Map Piece 1**, Catfish -------------- Caldoaxa Ruins -------------- Docked Ship - Bottle, Empty Can, Sardines, Bass Weapon Shop Bathtub - Killifish, Carp Kids' Bathtub - Empty Can, ? Decal --------- Ft. Eagle --------- Docked Ship - Bottle, Empty Can, Sardines, Bass River East (1) - Topaz, Emerald, Sapphire, Ruby, Diamond, Killifish, Carp River West (2) - Topaz, Emerald, Sapphire, Ruby, Diamond, Killifish, Carp Forest Goats (1) East - Topaz, Emerald, Sapphire, Ruby, Diamond, Killifish, Carp Forest Goats (1) West - Topaz, Emerald, Sapphire, Ruby, Diamond, Carp, Salmon*, Pirahna* Forest Goats (1) North - Topaz, Emerald, Sapphire, Ruby, Diamond, Carp, Salmon*, Pirahna* Forest Sheep (2) East - Topaz, Emerald, Sapphire, Ruby, Diamond, Carp, Salmon*, Pirahna* Forest Sheep (2) Center - Topaz, Emerald, Sapphire, Ruby, Diamond, Carp, Salmon*, Pirahna* Forest Sheep (2) NW - Topaz, Emerald, Sapphire, Ruby, Diamond, Catfish, Salmon*, Pirahna* Forest Slime (3) NE - Topaz, Emerald, Sapphire, Ruby, Diamond, Catfish, Salmon*, Pirahna* Forest Slime (3) Center - Topaz, Emerald, Sapphire, Ruby, Diamond, Carp, Salmon*, Pirahna* Forest Slime (3) SW - Topaz, Emerald, Sapphire, Ruby, Diamond, Carp, Salmon*, Pirahna* Forest Cow/King (4) - Topaz, Emerald, Sapphire, Ruby, Diamond, Catfish, Salmon*, Pirahna*, The King** Forest Snake (5) All - Topaz, Emerald, Sapphire, Ruby, Diamond, Carp, Salmon*, Pirahna* Forest Base (6) All - Topaz, Emerald, Sapphire, Ruby, Diamond, Carp, Salmon*, Pirahna* Forest Airport East - Topaz, Emerald, Sapphire, Ruby, Diamond, Carp, Salmon*, Pirahna* Forest Airport North - Topaz, Emerald, Sapphire, Ruby, Diamond, Catfish, Salmon*, Pirahna* Forest Airport Building - Boots, Bottle, Empty Can, Rusty Knife Base Save Point Sink - Map Piece 2**, Catfish ----------- WiFisland ----------- Docked Ship - Bottle, Empty Can, Sardines, Bass Beach - Clam Shell, Sardines, Bass Friend's House - Map Piece 3**, Catfish ----- Aegis ----- Docked Ship - Bottle, Empty Can, Sardines, Bass Small Ponds Outside - Bag, Gold, Letter, Killifish, Carp Deed Pyramid - Empty Can, ? Decal West Pyramid, Room 1 - Guard Dagger, Salmon*, Pirahna* West Pyramid, Balcony - Pirahna* East Pyramid, Room 2 - Bag, Gold, Letter, Carp, Salmon* East Pyramid, Room 4 - Bag, Gold, Letter, Carp, Salmon* East Pyramid, Room 6 - Bag, Gold, Letter, Salmon* East Pyramid, Room 8 - Bag, Gold, Letter, Carp, Salmon* East Pyramid, Room 14 - Bag, Gold, Letter, Carp, Salmon* East Pyramid, Secret - Map Piece 4**, Catfish Easy Pyramid Top (Boat) - Empty Can, ? Decal ------------- Bamboo Island ------------- Docked Ship - Bottle, Empty Can, Sardines, Bass Beach - Shiny Shell, Sardines, Bass Gravesite - Guard Dagger, Killifish, Carp ------ Habara ------ Docked Ship - Bottle, Empty Can, Sardines, Bass Beach - Boots, Bottle, Empty Can, Sardines Bathtub - Dragon & Dragon, F1 Racer, Jumping Man, Plumb Siblings, Terry the Kid Dragon & Dragon - Rusty Knife, Maul, Viking Sword ----------- Rizo Island ----------- Docked Ship - Bottle, Empty Can, Sardines, Bass Beach - Spiral Shell, Bass, Red Snapper -------------- Akumojo Castle -------------- Side of Ship - Bottle, Empty Can, Sardines, Bass River (1) - Holy Water*, Killifish, Salmon*, Pirahna* River (2) - Killifish, Salmon*, Pirahna* ================ Location by Fish ================ For the sake of brevity, I've only included specific details for special cases. See the "Fish by Location" list above for details on the exact screen or body of water. Fish (cooking inventory order) ---- Killifish - Caldoaxa, Aegis, Bamboo Island, Akumojo River Carp - Caldoaxa, Ft. Eagle, Aegis, Bamboo Island Catfish - La Chef Beach, Ft. Eagle Salmon - Ft. Eagle, Aegis East Pyramid, Akumojo River Pirahna - Ft. Eagle, Aegis West Pyramid, Akumojo River Sardines - Docked Ship, Deserted Island, Ocean, Bamboo Island, Habara Beach, WiFisland Beach Bass - Docked Ship, Deserted Island, Ocean, La Chef Beach, Bamboo Island, Rizo Island, WiFisland Beach Red Snapper - Deserted Island, Ocean, La Chef Beach, Rizo Island Tuna - Ocean Swordfish - Ocean Trash/Items (alpha order) ----------- Bag - Ocean, Aegis Boots - Ft. Eagle Airport, Habara Beach Bottle - Docked Ship, Ft. Eagle Airport, Habara Beach Clam Shell - Deserted Island, Wifisland Beach Coral - Deserted Island, La Chef Beach Diamond - Ft. Eagle Dragon & Dragon - Habara Bathtub Emerald - Ft. Eagle Empty Can - Docked Ship, Caldoaxa, Ft. Eagle Airport Building, Aegis, Habara Beach F1 Racer - Habara Bathtub Gold - Ocean, Aegis Jumping Man - Habara Bathtub Letter - Ocean, Aegis Plumb Siblings - Habara Bathtub Ruby - Ft. Eagle Sapphire - Ft. Eagle Shiny Shell - Bamboo Island Spiral Shell - Deserted Island, Rizo Island Terry the Kid - Habara Bathtub Topaz - Ft. Eagle Quest Items ------------- Map Piece 1 - La Chef Beach Red Worm Room Map Piece 2 - Ft. Eagle Save Point Sink Map Piece 3 - WiFisland Friend's House Map Piece 4 - Aegis East Pyramid Secret Room (west of 15) The King - Ft. Eagle Forest (4) Cows Weapons ------- Guard Dagger - Aegis West Pyramid, Bamboo Island Gravesite Holy Water - Akumojo River (1) Maul - Habara Dragon & Dragon Rusty Knife - Ft. Eagle Airport Building, Habara Dragon & Dragon Viking Sword - Habara Dragon & Dragon Other ----- ? Decal - Caldoaxa Kids' Bathtub, Aegis Deed Pyramid, Aegis East Pyramid Top ========================== Frequently Asked Questions ========================== Question: I caught a level 2 fish before level 71! Answer: You can randomly catch level 2 fish before you get the skill. It is extremely extremely rare. Not particularly worthwhile to try to force. Question: This sucks! It takes too long! Answer: Yep. Just watch some TV and grind that cow. I got the last ten levels watching Survivorman on the Discovery Channel. Question: The cow killed me! Answer: You forgot to clear the area. Question: The cow came on the stairs! Answer: Be more careful about leading the cow. Question: Can I use the cow to level other stats? Answer: Sure. Go crazy. You also get DEX for hitting him, although it maxes at 80 (on him). You can also level Wisdom and elemental attacks with the right weapons. Question: Somebody else talks about elemental gods. What's with "supercow"? Answer: All these names are made up. They're, like, functional terms, not official. The "Earth God" is the supercow. If it's brown and kicks your butt, and appears in Caldoaxa after you beat the end guy, it's the right cow. Question: Where can I find x rod? Answer: Just open all the chests. The Famous rod requires level 2 lockpicking that you get from getting your thief skills to like level 70. Just kill in Akumojo and pop steals every chance you get. It takes like 1/10th the work of leveling your fishing. +20% is not really a huge benefit over +10% anyway. You're still going to spend hours killing that cow. The battle rod doesn't give any fishing xp boosts and has a higher attack (lower attack means more strikes means more stat growth), so it's totally unnecessary for training your fishing stat, anyway. ================= Contact/Copyright ================= Contacting Me; If you have any corrections or additions to this guide, please do let me know. Send a note to darklao@gmail.com for inclusion in the next revision. Please include the phrase "Contact fishing guide" or something in the subject line so I don't just toss it. 1) If you notice an error of omission (some fish can be caught somewhere it isn't listed under "Fish by Location,") please feel free to contact me. 2) If you notice a missing location that differs from those here listed, (not just some "whoamg you can fish from both sides lolol" crap,) and contains different fish availability (if it's on the same screen and has the same fish, just don't bother me), then I would be happy to hear from you. Of course any meaningful contributions to this guide will be credited in an obscure bit at the end of the guide that nobody will read anyway. Like right here.---> If you have other questions about the game, please feel free to ask them on the board at: http://boards.gamefaqs.com/gfaqs/gentopic.php?board=930222 You stand a much better chance of getting help there than by mailing me. Copyright Notice: This document is Copyright 2006 Matthew "darklao" Pattison. It may be not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal, private use. It may not be placed on any web site outside of GameFAQs. It may not be distributed electronically outside of the GameFAQs web site, and it may not be distributed otherwise at all. Use of this guide on any other web site or as a part of any public format is strictly prohibited, and a violation of copyright. All trademarks and etc. blah blah blah belong to their respective holders. Thanks to Marvelous Interactive, Grasshopper Manufacture Inc., Atlus, Nancy Edelson, GameFAQs, CJayC, and all of the GameFAQs staff, my wife, my son, Nintendo, and YOU! (Not really.) Peace. (Really.) -EOF-