In Breath of the Wild, there are several categories of ingredients: meat, fish, and everything in between. Link has proven that he can eat just about anything raw, but some food is better cooked. This won't just restore a heart or two. In some cases, Link can receive full recovery or receive resistances.
One useful but rare ingredient is the Hearty Bass. This is a type of fish that will max out Link's health and give him extra hearts, but it's also key in upgrading certain types of armor. With Breath of the Wild's world being so vast, it can be difficult to pin down where exactly Hearty Bass like to hide.
What is Hearty Bass Used For?
Hearty Bass is used for cooking and for upgrading armor. Since it's a "hearty" ingredient (like the Hearty Radishes), cookingone by itself will create a meal that is capable of restoring full HP, as well as adding temporary hearts to Link's health. It can also be used with other ingredients such as mushrooms to create Skewers.
The best usage for Hearty Bass is for upgrading armor. The Zora Set requires a total ofx15 Hearty Bass to upgrade each Zora armor piece to its third level. If players haven't upgraded the Zora set to level 3, they may want to hold onto any Hearty Bass they manage to fish up. The Zora set is less useful than the Climbing Set, but it will need to be upgraded if players intend on wearing it into battle.
Hearty Bass Habitats
Near Hateno Tower
Hearty Bass themselves can be found in lakes or ponds with waterfalls. There are some exceptions, but the easier-to-reach ones prefer wild rapids. Early in a playthrough, the easiest area to farm Hearty Bass is southeast of Hateno Tower.
Between Stinger Cliffs and Lake Jarrah, there's a small pond with a waterfall. There are several Hearty Bass in the waters, so use the Bomb Rune and blast away. Since this is a tricky place to find, refer to the above image for the exact location. It's also recommended to activate the Hateno Tower first.
Dracozu River
The second place to find Hearty Bass is along the southern part of Dracozu River. This is south of the Spring of Courage, which is home to an army of Lizalfos and Moblins. Be careful when looking for Hearty Bass in Dracogzu River. The Lizalfos in this area are armed with shock arrows and will snipe Link from the cliffs. This is one of the more frustrating areas to farm Hearty Bass. However, it makes for a good place to get Lizalfos Tails, which are also needed for various armor upgrades.
Mount Rhoam
The last and perhaps safest area to farm Hearty Bass is on Mount Rhoam,north of Tabantha Bridge Stable. It'll take some climbing to reach, but there's a pond tucked away in the middle of Mount Rhoam. In addition to Hearty Bass, Link may stumble upon Hyrule Bass. The Hearty Bass are usually spotted swimming towards the waterfall, but if players look right of this waterfall, they can find a group of Hearty Bass gathered in the corner. Use Cryonis to make a "bridge" before hurling in bombs to "fish" them up.
If players have a low Stamina Wheel, they should equip the Zora armor to make swimming out to the Hearty Bass a bit easier.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is available for Nintendo Switch.