Bait

Bait is a fishing item used to speed up fishing and, in some cases, improve other outcomes. It can be attached to a Fiberglass Rod, an Iridium Rod, or an Advanced Iridium Rod, and it can also be inserted into a Crab Pot. Fishing rods do not require bait to function, but fish will bite faster when bait is used, and specialized baits can add further effects. Crab Pots require bait to catch fish unless the player has the Luremaster profession, and some specialized baits also affect Crab Pots.

By default, bait is a single-use item. Each cast consumes one piece of bait or one magnet, and when the last piece is used the game displays a notification that the player has run out. If a fishing rod has the Preserving enchantment, each nibble has a 50% chance not to consume bait.

Bait is attached through the inventory interface. On PC, the player clicks the bait and then clicks the rod to equip it; bait can be removed by clicking the rod. On controllers, the bait stack or a single piece can be selected and then attached to the rod, and it can be detached with the appropriate button prompt. On mobile, bait is applied by dragging it onto the rod; it cannot be removed in the usual way, but switching to a different bait will return the previous bait to the inventory.

The basic Bait recipe is earned at Fishing level 2. Its effect is to reduce the delay before a nibble by 50% and lower the chance of receiving trash items. Other bait items build on this system:

• Magnet increases treasure chance by 15%, bringing it to 30% instead of the normal 15%. Despite its description, it does not change bite rate.
• Wild Bait reduces nibble delay by 62.5%, a little more than standard bait. It does not grant a chance to catch two Legendary Fish, but it does have additional Crab Pot benefits when the player does not have the Mariner profession.
• Magic Bait has the same bite rate as standard bait.
• Deluxe Bait reduces nibble delay by 67% and enlarges the fishing bar by a constant 12 pixels. In Crab Pots, it raises fish quality to silver and reduces trash compared to standard bait when the player does not have the Mariner profession.
• Challenge Bait causes fish to escape if they leave the fishing bar three times, but also reduces nibble delay by the same amount as Wild Bait and can catch up to three of the same fish at once, including Legendary Fish.
• Targeted Bait increases the chance of catching a specified fish, while keeping the same bite rate as standard bait. It also works in Crab Pots under certain conditions, increasing the chance of the targeted Crab Pot catch and reducing trash.

Because bait is consumed steadily, keeping a supply on hand is useful for both regular fishing and Crab Pot operations. The exact choice of bait depends on whether the goal is faster bites, better treasure odds, higher-quality Crab Pot output, or a specific catch target.