Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life isn’t all about growing crops, breeding animals, and selling produce. There are loads of ways for players to make money and spend their time, one of which is fishing. After unlocking it, players can embark on a colossal pastime that will help them make money, work towards story goals, and even improve their relationships with others. This guide covers everything players need to know about fishing, all the types of fish it’s possible to catch, and what to do with them.
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Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life Complete Fishing Guide
In this guide, we’ve explained everything players will ever need to know about fishing in Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life. From getting the Fishing Rod to where every single type of fish can be caught, players will find the information they’re searching for here.
How to Get the Fishing Rod and Unlock Fishing in Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life
Players can purchase the base Fishing Rod tool from Van, the traveling merchant, when he visits on the eigth day of Spring in the first year. It costs 500 Coins, but players should be able to earn this amount by selling milk from their starting cow. Another great way to earn money early on is to visit the mine, dig all day, and sell the items discovered to Van before buying the Fishing Rod.
Additionally, players will also be able to buy the Copper Fishing Rod for 1,000G from Van’s Shop. For us, this happened in Year 3 on Summer Day 8. However, the upgrade likely unlocks after fishing a certain number of fish, so players with more fishing prowess may unlock it sooner.
How to Fish in Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life
To go fishing in Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life, players have to stand near a body of water, such as a pond, river, or the sea, equip the Fishing Rod, and then press the use button. This sees the protagonist cast out a line and wait for the fish to bite. Players must wait until a fish pulls the line under, and an exclamation mark is shown before pressing the use button again to reel the fish in. If they press the use button too soon, they won’t catch anything.
All Fish Players Can Catch in Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life
In the tables below, we’ve outlined every fishing location in Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life and which fish players can catch at each one. New fish will unlock over time, meaning not all can be caught from the first year. We will continue adding to this list as we unlock new species.
It is also important to note that all fish come in three different sizes. These different sizes are worth different amounts when sold.
| Fish Name | Location | What Rod Is Needed |
|---|---|---|
 Wakasagi | The Goddess Pond The pond north of the player’s farm. | Base Fishing Rod |
 Masu | Upper River The section of river below the waterfall and before the bridge. | Base Fishing Rod |
 Scad | The Beach | Base Fishing Rod |
 Bucketmouth Bass | The Swampy Pond The pond near the beach where the turtle likes to hang out. It’s very green and looks slightly dirty. Lower River While fishing on the bridge. Use Copper Fishing Rod Goddess Pond Use Copper Fishing Rod | Base Fishing Rod Copper Fishing Rod |
 Amur Catfish | The Swampy Pond | Copper Fishing Rod |
 Stringfish | The Swampy Pond | Silver Fishing Rod |
 Spotter Char | Upper River | Copper Fishing Rod |
 Rainbow Trout | Lower River | Silver Fishing Rod |
 Red Sea Bream | The Beach | Copper Fishing Rod |
 Calamari | The Beach | Copper Fishing Rod |
What to do With Fish in Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life
Fish can be sold to Van or other characters from the market, used to cook food by the player, or given as gifts to help improve character relationships in Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life. We’ve found that giving them to specific characters is best because they’re great at boosting relationships, but some characters only like certain fish.
For example, Gary, the old man with a hairnet, will love any fish the player gives to him. Nami, on the other hand, only likes Bucketmouth Bass because they’re caught from The Swampy Pond, where she likes to hang out. Watch where characters like to be in the village and use that to inform which fish the protagonist gives them as presents.
Selling fish can be lucrative, but selling only the biggest fish caught from all locations is best. These net players the most money, meaning the smaller fish can be saved up and either sold to Van when he turns up next.
If players have a bit of spare time, they can set up a market stall in the center of the village and offer all of their spare fish for sale. However, not every character will purchase fish, so this isn’t a guaranteed way to make money and soaks up a lot of hours. When it comes to cooking with fish, it’s better to only cook recipes that have been acquired or learned. Otherwise, a lot of fish can be wasted.
