How to Fish in Like a Dragon: Ishin!

If you’re looking to cook everything  or complete work orders in Another Life in Like a Dragon: Ishin!, you’ll need to go fishing. Sure, you can buy some of the fish you need from local vendors, but fish can only be acquired if you go out and catch them. Thankfully, fishing in Ishin! is fairly straightforward.

If you’re trying to figure out where to catch all of the game’s 19 fish, take a look at our Like a Dragon: Ishin! fish locations guide.

How to Fish in Like a Dragon: Ishin!

You’ll be able to fish once you get to Chapter 2 and are able to leave Teradaya, the inn where Ryoma is staying. You’ll be able to fish immediately, but you’ll have to make it to Chapter 3 to access the Koma River locations.

There are four fishing locations in Like a Dragon: Ishin!:

• The Uji River in Fushimi (just south of Teraday)
• The Kamo River in Mukurogai
• The Fishing Banks
• The East Coast

The Fishing Banks and the East Coast are sea fishing locations and offer access to different fish than the rivers do. To go sea fishing, chat with the man in the straw hat standing in front of a boat just down the stairs south of Teradaya.

How to Get Bait

Before you set off to your new favorite fishing spot, though, you’ll probably want to grab some bait. You can catch fish without it, but the best fish are easier to catch if you have something to attract them, and many of them will only appear if you have bait.

You can buy bait in several places. The first is the Ichikura General Store. The Ichikura General Store only sells two very basic kinds of bait:

• Bait (500 mon)
• Quality Bait (1,000 mon)

These are your starter baits. They won’t snag you the big fish, but they’re fine if you’re after small fry.

Bigger fish need better quality bait. For that, you’ll need to head to one of two places. The first is a Baitmonger. Baitmongers tend to wander around in Rakunai, on the eastern part of Shijo Street, and you won’t be able to access them until Chapter 3.

 Baitmongers sell the following:

• Bait (500 mon)
• Quality Bait (1,000 mon)
• Special Bait (2,000 Mon)
• Top-Grade Bait (5,000 Mon)

If you’re looking for Special or Top-Grade Bait and don’t feel like hunting down a Baitmonger, you can also head to Ebisu Pawn shop in Rakunai, which sells Special Bait and Top-Grade Bait at the same price as a Baitmonger.

Screenshot by GameSkinny

How to Use Bait

Once you’ve got bait and you’re at your favorite location, it’s time to do some fishing. The first thing to do is use your bait.

Once you’re at the fishing spot, you’ll see a small menu on the lower right hand corner of your screen. Press the button next to bait, and then select “Scatter Bait.” From there, you’ll be able to select the bait you want.

You can catch multiple fish with the same bait, but it only lasts a short time, so scatter wisely.

How to Use Your Fishing Rod in Like a Dragon: Ishin!

Okay, so you’ve picked a location and scattered your bait. The only thing left to do is fish. One of the first things you’ll notice at any fishing spot is a dotted red line near the top of your screen. This represents how far you can cast. The better your rod, the further you can cast.

You’ll also notice various, differently-shaped shadows in the water. Each shadow represents a different type of fish. Here’s a quick rundown:

• Fish-shaped shadows indicate fish. The bigger the shadow, the bigger the fish. Keep an eye on the shape of the shadow, as this can give you a hint as to what type of fish it is. There are two types: round-headed fish and triangle-headed fish.
• Blob-shaped shadows can represent a lot of things: octopi, squid, prawns, crawfish, turtles, and even a couple kinds of fish. Once again, the bigger the shadow, the larger the fish.
• Long shadows represent things like eels, goby, and oarfish. As usual, a larger shadow indicates a larger fish.

Once you have a target, cast your line using the action button. You’ll want to aim just in front of the shadow you want to catch. Once you have a fish’s attention, they’ll swim up to your float (the thing at the end of your line bobbing in the water) and turn red.

Once they do, watch your float. You’ll notice a red line near the top. Wait for that red line to go underwater the water before you try to reel the fish in. Your controller will vibrate, too. Once that happens, hit the action button again to hook your fish. You’ll pull them in automatically, no further work required.

How to Upgrade Your Rod

You’ll start with an Easy Starter rod, and while it will help you catch some fish, you’ll want to swap to a better one. To do so you’ll need to earn Virtue (you’ll get this from just playing the game), and then visit a Shrine.

You’ll be able to purchase better rods with the Virtue you’ve earned, but there is a catch. You have to purchase the other rods in order, there is no skipping ahead to the best one.

Here’s a quick list of the rods, as well as how much Virtue each costs:

• Easy Starter (This is the one you start with)
• River Classic (400 Virtue)
• Sea Classic (400 Virtue)
• Rivermaster (1,500 Virtue)
• Seamaster (1,500 Virtue)
• Peerless Pole (4,000 Virtue)

Once you have a new rod, you can switch to it by going to your favorite fishing spot and selecting “Tackle.”

And that’s everything you need to know about fishing in Like a Dragon: Ishin! If you’re looking for more guides, check out our guides hub.

Featured image via SEGA