Coral Island, like most farming simulations, has a whole fishing mini-game for players to learn. This game gives players access to tons of fish for recipes, for museum donations, and even just to sell.
Fishing is a great way to not only finish the important quest to get 50 items donated to the museum to get it going, but also to make the best use of the player's kitchen after all its upgrades have been purchased. There are several things that players can do to get better at fishing as well as get every single one at least once to complete the ocean exhibit in this life and farm sim.
Fishing On Coral Island
In order to fish in the successfully Kickstarted Coral Island that made $1.6 million USD, players don't need much. They are given a fishing rod and a bug catching net the first time they visit the Beach Shack in town by the ocean front. The owners will supply the player with everything they need to start catching basic bugs and fishing up basic fish. Upgraded fish require the improved fishing pole, which is 3,700 coins. It is also purchased at the Beach Shack.
The mini-game is thankfully simple; fishing in video games is notorious for being weirdly difficult or really not fun. Take the fishing rod out to the water. Players can fish mostly in any water, including the ocean, the lake, and the rivers and ponds in the forest. Select the fishing rod in the hot bar, then press and hold left click to use it. The player's avatar will throw the hook into the water.
Wait for the shadow of a fish to appear. If a shadow doesn't appear in about five seconds, players should move to a different location or try again with a bigger distance.
Once a fish bites, press and hold the left-click. A tension zigzag will appear around the fishing meter, showing players how close the line is to breaking. Players should reel the fish in when it is not wiggling to prevent the tension from getting too high. Players can click, hold, then let go to let off some tension, then click again. Keep at this until the fish meter is filled all the way up. Rarer fish will take longer to pull in.
Fishing Skill in Coral Island
Players can level their fishing skill in this Stardew Valley-like farm sim just by fishing. There are a total of 10 levels, and each level makes regulating the tension in the rod a little easier. Fishing also unlocks items in a skill tree, which allows players to upgrade things like tension regulation and the ability to catch double fish. There are three recipes unlocked by fishing levels as well. These are:
- Level 1 unlocks Bait. Bait is not actually craftable in the game yet, but it will most likely be made from Coral Island crops.
- Level 2 unlocks Sashimi
- Level 6 unlocks a Fish pond to get those fish out of a player's Coral Island inventory to save space.
All Fish in Coral Island
There are quite a few fish that players can catch in Coral Island. As the game is still in early access, this list may be expanded.
- Angelfish - Freshwater. Forest in the Spring and Summer.
- Archer - Salt Water. Winter.
- Barramundi - Salt Water.
- Black phantom ghost fish - Freshwater. Spring.
- Bluegill - Freshwater.
- Blue Tang - Salt Water. Winter and Spring.
- Boxfish - Salt Water. Spring, Fall, and Winter.
- Brown trout - Freshwater. Fall.
- Catfish - Freshwater. This fish is actually often found in trashcans.
- Chub - Freshwater. WInter.
- Clownfish - Salt Water. Rainy warm days.
- Cobia - Salt Water.
- Cod - Salt Water. Winter and Fall.
- Crab - Salt Water. Fall.
- Crayfish - Freshwater.
- Damselfish - Salt Water. Summer and Spring.
- Flameback - Salt Water. An afternoon fish. All year except fall.
- Flowerhorn - Freshwater. Catch this fish any time of the year in the mine entrance.
- Firefish - Salt Water. Rainy in Summer.
- Frogfish - Salt Water. Daytime all year long.
- Giant mudskipper - Freshwater. Winter.
- Giant snakehead - Freshwater.
- Goldfish - Freshwater. A daytime summer and fall fish.
- Great white shark - Salt Water. Warm days.
- Hammerhead - Salt Water. Winter.
- Jellyfish - Salt Water. Spring.
- Koi - Freshwater.
- Mackerel - Salt Water. All year in any weather.
- Mandarin - Salt Water. Rainy days all year long.
- Pink snapper - Salt Water.
- Rainbow fish - Freshwater. Daytime Fall fish.
- Ruby red dragonet - Salt Water. All year.
- Sardine - Salt Water. Spring and Summer.
- Shrimp - Freshwater. All year long at the Lake Temple.
- Sturgeon - Salt Water.
- Swordfish - Salt Water.
- Tiger barb - Freshwater. Fall only.
- Tilapia - Freshwater.
- Yellowtail - Salt Water. Rainy days all year long.
Coral Island is available for PC, PC Game Pass, and coming soon to Nintendo Switch.
Source: Kickstarter, Coral Island Official, Wiki, Official Art Tumbler