How to Fish Bait and Lures: What to Use and Where to Get It

Switch the bait on your rod

Hold your rod and press B repeatedly until the wanted bait is active.

For the Empty Beer Can, check for the yellow can on the line before casting.

The captured keyboard menu labels B as Change Bait. Check your own bindings if they differ.

Green rod with a yellow empty can hanging from its line — Attached state: the yellow empty can is visible at the end of the rod’s line. Tap image to enlarge. Image: Checkmark Academy

Mouse and Keyboard settings with Change Bait B — Change Bait is assigned to B in this keyboard setup (version 1.0.9). Tap image to enlarge. Image: KpShamino

Every Bait and Lure (2026-09-02)

Choose bait for your target

Select by target, then follow the acquisition column. Fish lists marked examples are partial; a matching lure does not guarantee that fish on every cast.

Shop listings follow dated August–September guides. The fourteen rows below retain the named bait and lure choices, with dedicated quest corrections.

Bait or lure	Where to get it / reported price	Target
Free Lure	Included with your first rod	Shrimp, Gar, Pike, Mackerel — examples
Hot Dog	Lighthouse / Forest shops · $1	Rock Crab, Lobster, Piranha
Empty Beer Can	Lighthouse Keeper · exchange Beer	Spider Crab
Beginner Lure	Forest shop · $3	Salmon, Cod, Goldfish — examples
Beginner Boss Lure	Forest shop · $40	The Old Pike
Modified Leech	Forest quest giver · exchange 3 leeches	Giant Piranha
Carrot	Desert tourist · exchange an endangered fish	Pufferfish
Standard Lure	Desert / Rocks / Volcano shops · $15	Bowlfish, Sea Urchin, Clownfish — examples
Standard Boss Lure	Desert shop · $280	Blue Shark
Professional Lure	Rocks / Volcano shops · $50	Tigerfish, Eel, Red Snapper — examples
Professional Boss Lure	Rocks / Volcano shops · $1,200	Tuna
Scientific Lure	Volcano shop · $500	Blobfish, Anglerfish, Stonefish — examples
Scientific Boss Lure	Volcano shop · $5,800	Goblin Shark
Fish Bucket	Volcano Scientist · exchange 5 fish caught there	Bowhead Whale

Empty Beer Can: exchange the full Beer first

Give full Beer to the Lighthouse Keeper, then press E to take the Empty Beer Can he returns.

Keeper at the lighthouse with the Empty Beer Can E prompt — Take Empty Beer Can: press E at the Keeper’s offered can. Tap image to enlarge. Image: PC Gamer

Modified Leech: complete the three-Leech exchange

Collect three ground Leeches on Forest and give them to the NPC in red shirt and blue overalls beside the shack and water.

At 3/3, take Leech Bait for Giant Piranha.

Use three, as the dedicated Leech guides and pictured counter show. The general bait table’s five-Leech entry conflicts with them.

Forest quest giver offering Leech Bait beside the 3/3 counter — At 3/3, the quest giver offers Leech Bait (version 1.0.8; controller prompt). Tap image to enlarge. Image: Dazed Games / GamesRadar

Carrot: inspect your Desert catch before selling

Use Standard Lure on Desert and inspect your catch with F. Bring an endangered catch, such as Bowlfish, to the yellow-floaties Tourist; take Carrot for Pufferfish.