Fishing in Stardew Valley is relatively straightforward: you throw the hook of your fishing rod into any body of water, wait a bit for an exclamation mark to appear above your head, and then play an annoying mini-game to try to catch the fish or trash, depending on your luck.
However, as you progress through the levels, you will notice that you have a few more things you can use to make the whole process a lot more efficient and even simpler.
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The Tackle you get to use when you get the Iridium Rod is one of the few items that will make fishing much more enjoyable in Stardew Valley since it allows you to choose from a couple of bonuses to make everything easier.
To use the Fish Tackle in Stardew Valley, you need to pick it up in your inventory and place it inside the Iridium Rod. Then, when you go fishing, the tackle will be automatically used.
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What Is a Fish Tackle?
The Fish Tackle in Stardew Valley is a special item that you can only attach to the Iridium Rod.
These Tackles can give you various advantages while fishing, ranging from increasing the size of the fishing bar in the mini-game to increasing the quality of the caught fish.
There are 9 Tackles in Stardew Valley in total, and they are all useful in their own way. Here is a list of all the Tackles in Stardew Valley, along with what bonuses they give you:
- Spinner – The shape makes it spin around in the water. Slightly increases the bite rate when fishing.
- Dressed Spinner – The metal tab and colorful streamers create an enticing spectacle for fish. Increases the bite rate when fishing.
- Trap Bobber – Causes fish to escape slower when you aren’t reeling them in.
- Cork Bobber – Slightly increases the size of your “fishing bar”.
- Lead Bobber – Adds weight to your “fishing bar”, preventing it from bouncing along the bottom.
- Treasure Hunter – Fish don’t escape while collecting treasures. Also slightly increases the chance to find treasures.
- Barbed Hook – Makes your catch more secure, causing the “fishing bar” to cling to your catch. Works best on slow, weak fish.
- Curiosity Lure – Increases your chance to catch rare fish.
- Quality Bobber – Boosts the quality of fish that you catch.
How to Use Fish Tackle in Stardew Valley
To use the Fish Tackle in Stardew Valley, you just need to select it in the inventory and place it inside the Iridium Rod.
The Iridium Rod is the only fishing pole that can use Tackles, so if you obtained some before getting the rod, then they are useless for now.
The most common problem most players face when they want to attach and use the fishing Tackle in Stardew Valley is that the controls to put the Tackle inside the Iridium Rod aren’t very clear, so here is how to do it for each platform:
On PC
Here are the exact buttons you need to press to attach and use the fishing Tackle on the PC version of Stardew Valley:
- Open your inventory (press E).
- Left-click on the Tackle to pick it up.
- Right-click on the Iridium Rod to equip it.
- Use the Iridium Rod as usual.
On Nintendo Switch
Here are the exact buttons you need to press to attach and use the fishing Tackle on the Nintendo Switch version of Stardew Valley:
- Open your inventory (press B).
- Hover over the Tackle with the cursor and press A to pick it up.
- Hover over the Iridium Rod with the cursor and press Y to equip it.
- Use the Iridium Rod as usual.
On PlayStation
Here are the exact buttons you need to press to attach and use the fishing Tackle on the PlayStation version of Stardew Valley:
- Open your inventory (press Options).
- Hover over the Tackle with the cursor and press X to pick it up.
- Hover over the Iridium Rod with the cursor and press Square to equip it.
- Use the Iridium Rod as usual.
On Xbox
Here are the exact buttons you need to press to attach and use the fishing Tackle on the Xbox version of Stardew Valley:
- Open your inventory (press Start/Menu).
- Hover over the Tackle with the cursor and press A to pick it up.
- Hover over the Iridium Rod with the cursor and press X to equip it.
- Use the Iridium Rod as usual.
On Mobile
Here are the exact buttons you need to press to attach and use the fishing Tackle on the Mobile version of Stardew Valley:
- Open your inventory.
- Tap and hold your finger over the Tackle to pick it up.
- Drag and drop it over the Iridium Rod to equip it.
- Use the Iridium Rod as usual.
That’s everything you need to know about how to use the Fish Tackle in Stardew Valley!
Have any input or suggestions for this guide? Let us know in the comment section below.
