How to Catch Fish with the Stardew Fishing Minigame

Getting a Bite

Cast your fishing rod into water as usual. When a fish bites, instead of the vanilla reel-in, the Stardew-style minigame opens. A vertical bar appears with a small icon representing the fish, and you control a green bar that must overlap the fish icon to fill the catch meter.

Winning the Minigame

Hold right-click (or your use key) to raise the green bar and release to let it fall. Keep the green bar overlapping the moving fish icon; overlap fills the progress bar, while losing contact drains it. Fill the bar completely before it empties to land the catch. The fish icon moves erratically depending on species difficulty, so anticipate its jumps rather than chasing it.

Bobbers That Help

Equip a bobber to your rod to change the minigame. The Trap Bobber slows how fast the progress bar drains when you lose the fish, the Cork Bobber enlarges your green bar for easier overlap, and the Quality Bobber improves the quality of what you reel in. The Treasure Bobber adds treasure chances, while the Sonar Bobber reveals what is on the hook before you reel. Swap bobbers based on whether you want an easier catch or better loot.