Here's how to craft and use Fish Bait!
In Animal Crossing: New Horizons, fish will spawn at random in the ocean, river(s), and pond(s) around your island. Since different fish spawn in different areas, and some fish are much rarer than others, you can use Fish Bait to make more fish than normal spawn in the areas you’re focused on.
How does this work? First, you need to craft some Fish Bait. From there, you can throw it into the water where you want a fish to spawn. There’s no guarantee that you’ll spawn the (probably rare) fish you’re looking for, but it’s better than waiting for fish to spawn naturally.
To craft Fish Bait, take your shovel and head out to the beach. Look for small holes that appear in the sand, which have water shoot out from them periodically. Check out the screenshot below to see what you’re looking for.
When you see one of these spots, dig into it with your shovel and you’ll dig up a Manila Clam.
As AllGamers reported, the first time you dig up a Manila Clam, your character will automatically learn the DIY recipe for Fish Bait.
Now that you’ve collected a Manila Clam, head to a crafting table and select the recipe for Fish Bait. A single unit of Fish Bait requires a single Manila Clam to create.
Go ahead and craft some Fish Bait, and then head to the spot where you want to search for fish. For instance, if you’re looking for a fish that only spawns in ponds, stand near the edge of the pond.
Open your inventory, select the Fish Bait, and then choose “Scatter Food.”
The Fish Bait will be thrown into the water, and a fish will automatically appear for you to attempt to catch. You’ll still need to do the work of actually catching the fish yourself.
And there you have it! Again, there’s no guarantee the fish you’re looking for will spawn when you use Fish Bait, but since Fish Bait is so easy to come by, it’s worth crafting if you’re searching for one fish in particular.
To learn more about Animal Crossing: New Horizons, or to view more of our guides for the game, check out our previous coverage.
Disclosure: Nintendo gave SuperParent a code for Animal Crossing: New Horizons for coverage purposes.
Brandy Berthelson has been writing about video games and technology since 2006, with her work appearing on sites including AOL Games, Digital Spy, and Adweek. When she’s not gaming, Brandy enjoys crafting, baking, and traveling with her husband.
