Using the Fishing Rod bait in Stardew Valley effectively can help you catch rare and legendary fish in no time. However, the instructions for implementing this feature with precision are vague and can be a bit tricky to execute if you’re unfamiliar with how this works.
There are various baits to choose from, each having different yet significant properties to ensure the capture of a legendary fish. Here is everything you need to know about Bait in Stardew Valley and all its types.
How To Use Bait in Stardew Valley
To put on a bait on your Fishing Rod, you will need to purchase or craft a Bait. If you’re having trouble applying it to your rod, then changing the fishing rod can help you with it. The Bamboo Fishing Rod is a great tool to learn about the basics of Fishing, but it unfortunately doesn’t support bait.
For the bait, you must have a Fishing Rod with two slots. In the empty slot, you can drag your bait with your mouse. If you’re on PlayStation/Switch/Xbox, press Square/Y/X respectively to attach bait to your Fishing Rod.
If you’re wondering about the Fishing Rods that support bait, here are all of them and how to get them:
- Fiberglass Rod – Purchasable from Willy’s shop for 1,800 G, requiring Fishing Level 2.
- Iridium Rod – Purchasable from Willy’s shop for 7,500 G, requiring Fishing Level 6.
- Advanced Iridium Rod – Purchasable from Willy’s shop for 25,000 G after completing the Fishing Mastery Challenge.
All Baits in Stardew Valley
Baits play a pivotal role in Fishing. Like rods, there are various types of Baits for you to use. Here are all of them and their effects:
| Bait Name | Descritpion | How to Get It |
| Bait | Standard bait that reduces the time for a fish to latch onto the Fishing Rod by 50%. | Purchasable for 5 G or craftable with x1 Bug Meat. |
| Magnet | Increases your chances of finding underwater treasure. However, you won’t catch as many fish as you normally do. | Purchasable for 1,000 G or craftable with 1x Iron Bar. |
| Magic Bait | Nullifies the requirement of Weather/Season to catch a fish. | Purchasable for 5 Diamonds or craftable with 1x Radioactive Ore and 3x Bug Meat. |
| Challenge Bait | This bait triples the amount of fish if it’s caught perfectly. | Only craftable with x5 Bone Fragment and x2 Moss. |
| Targeted Bait | Doubles the chance to catch a specific fish. | It can be made through Bait Maker. |
| Deluxe Bait | Increases the Fishing Bar size and acts as an upgraded version of Bait. | 100 G or craftable with x5 Bait and x2 Moss. |
| Wild Bait | A 50% chance of catching two fish at once. | Only craftable with x10 Fiber, x5 Slime, and x5 Bug Meat. |
