For the first time on April 11th in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, C.J., the otter is holding his seasonal fishing tournament for all players regardless of whether they are on a northern or southern hemisphere island. Rather than facing off against villagers in your community, the competition is more of a solo experience that can reward fishing items otherwise not obtainable in the game. Check out this guide to ensure you are raking in the fish this weekend.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons fishing tournament guide
If you are interested in competing in the tournament, you need to talk to C.J. He will be found standing in front of the Residential Services building in the plaza for all players and does not roam the island as some other visitors do.
Before talking to C.J., you may want to prepare yourself. He will task you with catching as many fish in three minutes as possible. The first time will be free, but subsequent attempts will cost 500 bells each. You can keep retrying the tournament as many times as you want during the events hours from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. your local time.
To get the most out of your time, make sure you have at least two fishing poles (in case one break during a run) and some fishing bait (made from manila clams dug up on the beach). Select the bait when standing near a body of water and press “scatter.” This spawns in a random fish right in front of you. If you end up catching too many fish to carry in your inventory, the extras will be instantly transported to the cooler that C.J. is standing beside.
Related: How to Fish in Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Every fish you catch while being timed earns you one point. If you catch at least three fish in a session, C.J. will reward you with two bonus points. So, for example, catching four fish will net you six points. At the end of each session, you can sell all the fish you caught during that run for 1.5 times more than the normal value they would each usually take. If there is something you want to keep either for the museum or decorating, walk to the cooler.
As mentioned above, this event will reward you with exclusive fishing themed items. To earn them, you need to score ten points. Each time you reach ten, C.J. will give you one of the following items:
- Fish Pochette
- Fish-print Tee
- Fish Doorplate
- Fresh Cooler
- Tackle Bag
- Fish Print
- Fish Wand
- Fish Drying Rack
- Fish Rug
- Fish Umbrella
- Fishing-rod Stand
- Marine Pop Wall
