Advanced Tips

OK, so you think you're a bigshot, huh? You know everything there is to know about fishing in Stardew Valley? Not quite. I'm sure I have a tip up my sleeve that you haven't yet discovered on your own.If you are reasonably wealthy and/or skilled, you will want to stop selling fish you catch. Save them to use as gifts, for bundles, cooking, and so on. I keep several chests with nothing but hundreds of fish I've caught to use for cooking, gifts, quests, etc.To keep hold of a difficult fish, the best way to hold the line is to rapidly tap the button to pull up on the fishing bar, rather than to hold the button down. This will allow you to fine-tune your bar location and react more quickly to any of the fish's sudden movements. Even if the fish is right near the top of the fishing zone, rapidly tapping the button will allow you to release the bar sooner if the fish dives, and the bar will have less upward momentum and will fall sooner.For any fish that is not terribly difficult to catch (those than can only jerk up or down less than half the size of your fishing bar), you will want to keep the fish in the center of your bar at all times.This is common sense but I posted it anyway, because...For any fish that is more difficult (and can jerk up or down MORE than half the size of your fishing bar), you will want to keep the fish at the edge of your fishing bar. This is because if you keep him in the middle of your bar, he will always jerk far enough to start getting away; however, at the end of your bar, you have a 50/50 chance that he will jerk but stay on the bar (giving you time to adjust) or BARELY getting off the edge (also buying you time).Using the second method, if the fish is within one fishing bar length from the top or bottom, keep your fishing bar on the opposite side of the fish. If the fish moves to the very end of the bar, it's far easier to adjust your position than if you hold against the bottom or top and he jerks too far away.Also keep in mind that most fish have general patterns for their movement. For example, in my experience, the Rainbow Trout has a tendency to move upward somewhat rapidly near 3/4 of the way to the top and then drift down a bit more slowly. Using patterns, you can often predict the general movements of even the most difficult fish, enabling you to wait in the right area when they jump off your bar instead of pursuing them and letting them get away when they immediately jump back on the other side of your bar again.When going for the legendary fish, don't forget your bait and trap bobber!