Fishing (Harvest Moon: Save the Homeland)

Fishing Guide
Many find that Save The Homeland's version of fishing is complicated, difficult and hard to master, though many beg to differ. Through practice and a little befriending, you should be catching the big one without too much of a hassle. But since several have troubles with the system, this guide was configured for the novice fisherman to be able to catch fish more efficiently without as much frustration.

First, we have to get your character a fishing rod. This is done by befriending Joe, the carpenter. He himself loves to fish, and once you have spoken to him enough, visit him down at Maple Lake when he's fishing to unlock a cut scene. He will present you with an old fishing rod which you keep for the rest of the game, even after completing an ending. Now you're ready for fishing!

First of all, your only fishing hole is the big Maple Lake beside the Café, so walk up to the edge of the water and equip the fishing rod. Press the square button and your character should be in a different view. By moving the analog stick, you can choose in which direction you cast, though this is unimportant. Sometimes, it's better to choose a spot with lighter water so as to see the fish shadows better. What are fish shadows you say? Keep reading!

Cast your line by pressing the X button. Now here's where the tips and tricks come in. Do NOT cast your line far. Oh, I can tell you're confused. "But if I cast my line further, won't bigger fish bite?" No. No, they won't actually. This is tried and true, so the closer to your character you cast, the better! Why?


 * A. You have the same chance of catching fish, cans, or boots far away or close up. It's random what appears.
 * B. The closer your bobber is, the less you have to reel in!
 * C. You can see the size of the shadow of your fish or junk closer up.

So, I stress this--Do not cast far! You got that down? Good.

Now we're set for catching those fish. When you cast your line, you see your bobber and some kind of an ovular shadow. This is your victim. At first, the shadows will be somewhat small since your fishing pole is old and pretty much a piece of junk. But, press the circle button to reel in before a fish/can bites and cast again, several times if you will.

See how the shadows are different sometimes? There are some shadows that are bigger than others and some small ones, some you have to move your bobber towards to touch. Those small, common shadows that you can just fit your bobber into the middle of are trash. When they bite and you reel them in with the X button and move your analog stick with the arrows that pop up, you won't feel that much of a pull (if your rumble is on, which is suggested). However, large shadows yield fish! With that rod you have now, you can only catch small and very rarely medium size fish.

So now you know what the difference is with the shadows. Now, when you see a shadow that looks fishspicious, drag your bobber into the center of the oval and wait for it to bite. When it does, you should feel it, and press and hold the X button. Arrows around you bobber will appear, so move your analog stick with the on that is throbbing. If the fish splashes (that's a good chance it is really a fish, along with strong horizontal movements), don't get distracted! Keep following the arrows and reeling in! The shadow shouldn't be too far away if you listened earlier, so it won't take long to catch your prize. Lose the fish? Don't give up hope--cast again and look for big shadows.

By casting short distances, judging the size of fish shadows, and casting then reeling in if the shadow is too small, you should get used to the whole fishing experience in no time. If you pursue the Fishy Story ending through Joe, you should be rewarded with better fishing rods that make catching fish easier, along with unlocking the ability to catch large fish.

As far as the different rods go, there are three in total. The first you will always keep after Joe gives it to you, while the other two upgrades will vanish after completing the ending, leaving you with the original rod. The first upgrade you'll buy from the Tool shop, allowing you to catch large fish, the second Kurt will make for you after befriending him. With this rod you can catch the legendary Silver Fish on Moonlit nights.