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Despite seeming like a Spongebob Squarepants reference, Chum Buckets in Terraria are more than just a repulsive cosmetic item. However, they will only be useful for those intending to do a lot of fishing in this surprisingly scary survival game.
The reason for this is that Chum Buckets are exclusively used to increase one's fishing power, which, in turn, will increase the rarity of fish and other goods caught on one's line. As such, they are definitely a handy item in Terraria to use while fishing, though, Chum Buckets are themselves a bit tricky to come by.
How To Get Chum Buckets
Finding The Foes That Drop Chum Buckets
So far, the only way to get Chum Buckets in Terraria is to find them as drops from seaborne enemies reeled in during a Blood Moon. Players will have to wait until a Blood Moon naturally occurs, find a body of water, and then fish until they pull up one of the rare and deadly fiends that only spawn in this manner. After doing that, adventurous anglers must slay the beast from below so that they drop Chum Buckets, as well as other goods--however, Chum Buckets are not a guaranteed drop.
Drop Rate of Chum Buckets From Blood Moon Monsters
With every Blood Moon enemy defeated, there is always a 50% chance that any of the available 5 foes will drop Chum Buckets, though, in varying amounts--being split roughly into 2 different drop quantities. Here's a breakdown of the potential Chum Bucket yields from each Blood Moon enemy:
Dreadnautilus | 7 to 10 Chum Buckets |
Blood Eel | 7 to 10 Chum Buckets |
Hemogoblin Shark | 7 to 10 Chum Buckets |
Wandering Eye Fish | 4 to 6 Chum Buckets |
Zombie Merman | 4 to 6 Chum Buckets |
What Chum Buckets Do
As mentioned before, Chum Buckets raise one's fishing power and thereby increases one's chances of reeling in rarer items and fish, however, the mechanics are a bit more detailed than just applying a slight boost.
How Much Chum Buckets Increase Fishing Power
On the first application onto the surface of any body of water, a Chum Bucket will increase the fishing power to 11; on a second application, it will increase the fishing power to 17; and on a third application, it will raise fishing power to 20. The third application of a Chum Bucket in an area of water will be the maximum amount that players can use this effect, as further uses of a Chum Bucket in these waters will do nothing.
It should also be mentioned that the effects of Chum Buckets are applied after all other factors influencing fishing power, such as the innate fishing power of one's rod, the weather, and more. As such, this means that the flat bonuses Chum Buckets give to fishing power cannot be increased.
Tips For Using Chum Buckets
Unlike many items that last for a set amount of time after usage, a single Chum Bucket's effects instead will last for 10 full casts, regardless of if anything is caught or if one's fishing line breaks. Using more Chum Buckets at once will not increase the number of casts that are affected, so be sure not to waste these rare items unnecessarily.
Chum Buckets also do not increase the odds of catching sharks, like how they do in real-world fishing, and don't even draw in Blood Moon enemies who, one would assume, crave such fresh and pungent viscera.
To maximize the effectiveness of Chum Buckets by not wasting their effects on bad reels, players are recommended to use a Sonar Potion to help them identify what is at the end of the player's fishing line and if it is worth reeling in. If what's at the end of one's line is trash, cancel the cast and try again for hopefully rarer loot or fish.
Terraria is available on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation Vita, iOS, Android, Windows Phone, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, macOS, Linux, Nintendo 3DS, Wii U, Nintendo Switch, and Google Stadia.