Fishing with Bait in Stardew Valley.

Stardew Valley: How to Attach Bait to Your Fishing Rod


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Key Takeaway

You can attach bait to your fishing rod by selecting the bait in the inventory screen and then putting the cursor on the fishing rod and selecting it. The required buttons differ from console to console.

Fishing is a cardinal part of Stardew Valley. To make your fishing venture a bit easier, you can attach bait to your fishing rod. Here’s how to attach bait to your rod on every console, and why you’d want to.

Table Of Contents

    Fishing Rods You Can Attach Bait To

    There are four fishing rods available in Stardew Valley (not counting the Crab Pot). However, you can only attach bait to two of them: the Fiberglass Rod and the Iridium Rod.

    The Fiberglass Rod is the first rod of the two that becomes available. You can purchase this rod at Willy’s Fishing Shop for 1,800g after you reach level 2 Fishing.

    The Iridium Rod is the best fishing rod in Stardew Valley. This rod becomes available once you’ve reached level 6 Fishing and can be purchased at Willy’s Fishing Shop for 7,500g.

    How to Attach Bait to Your Rod (All Consoles)

    Putting Bait on the Iridium Rod in Stardew Valley.

    The way you attach bait to your fishing rod differs between consoles.

    • PC – Open the inventory screen and right-click the bait to select a single bait or left-click to select all of it. Next, right-click the fishing rod to attach the bait.
    • Nintendo Switch – Open the inventory screen, put the cursor on the bait, and then press Y to select a single bait or A to select all of it. Press Y on the fishing rod to attach the bait.
    • PS4 – Open the inventory screen, put the cursor on the bait, and then press Square to select a single bait or X to select all of it. Press Square on the fishing rod to attach the bait.
    • Xbox – Open the inventory screen, put the cursor on the bait, and then press X to select a single bait or A to select all of it. Press X on the fishing rod to attach the bait.
    • Mobile – Open the inventory screen and then drag and drop the bait on the fishing rod.

    The Effects of Each Bait

    Buying a magnet from Willy in Stardew Valley.

    There are four types of bait in Stardew Valley, each offering a unique effect on fishing. Depending on what you’re wanting to accomplish, you may want to switch up your bait.

    • Bait – Reduces time for fish to bite by 50% and also reduces the chances of catching trash items. You can purchase Bait at Willy’s Fishing Shop for 5g. You can also craft it using bug meat. You learn the crafting recipe at level 2 Fishing.
    • Magnet – Increases your chance of finding treasure by 15% and, although the description may make you think otherwise, reduces the for fish to bite by 50%. You can purchase Magnet at Willy’s Fishing Shop for 1,000g or, after you learn the crafting recipe at level 9 Fishing, craft it using an Iron Bar.
    • Wild Bait – Reduces time for fish to bite by 62.5% and offers the chance to catch two fish at once (except Legendary fish). You can’t purchase Wild Bait, but you can craft it using 10 Fiber, 5 Slime, and 5 Bug Meat. You can get the Wild Bait recipe from Linus’ 4-heart event.
    • Magic Bait – Reduces time for fish to bite by 50% and allows you to catch any type of fish in any location, regardless of season, time, and weather conditions. You can buy 20 Magic Bait at Qi’s Walnut Room for 5 Qi Gems. You can also craft magic bait using 1 Radioactive Ore and 3 Bug Meat. Buy the recipe from Qi for 20 Qi Gems.

    Whether you’re wanting to save some time, find some treasure, or complete your fishing profile, there’s a type of bait for you.