Overview
Bait is the key to catching specific fish in Starsand Island. Rather than attaching bait to your hook, bait functions as chum that you toss into the water to attract fish. Each of the three bait types draws in a different group of species, so using the correct bait is essential when hunting for a particular catch.
The three primary bait types are Meat Bait, Veggie Bait, and Bug Bait. All three are crafted at the Chopper, a dedicated station tied to the Angler profession. Some fish accept multiple bait types, while others are attracted to only one.
How Bait Works
The Chopper
The Chopper is the crafting station used to make all fishing bait. It breaks down organic materials into different bait formulations. The Chopper blueprint is purchased from the shop at AquaBlue Outpost. Building it requires Bronze, Glass Panes, and Softwood Planks.
The Chopper has three upgrade tiers, and each tier unlocks additional bait types.
Chopper Tier | Bait Unlocked | Other Products |
|---|---|---|
Chopper I | Meat Bait | |
Chopper II | Veggie Bait | Fish Feed (for breeding) |
Chopper III | Bug Bait | Advanced Fish Food (for traps) |
Bait Recipes
Each bait type is crafted from Flour plus a specific Separator-processed ingredient. All bait ingredients start as raw materials that are refined at the Separator before going into the Chopper.
Bait Type | Ingredients | Chopper Tier | Separator Step |
|---|---|---|---|
Meat Bait | Flour + Fish Fillet | Chopper I | Wheat → Flour; Any Fish → Fish Fillet |
Veggie Bait | Flour + Vegetable Juice | Chopper II | Wheat → Flour; Any Vegetable → Vegetable Juice |
Bug Bait | Flour + Protein Powder | Chopper III | Wheat → Flour; Any Bug → Protein Powder |
Flour is common to all three recipes, so keeping a healthy Wheat crop running at all times is important for any serious angler.
Getting Your First Bait
On approximately Day 3, Francis sends you a package in the mail containing samples of all three bait types (Meat Bait, Veggie Bait, and Bug Bait). This lets you try fishing with bait before you have the Chopper built. Use these samples wisely, as they are limited.
To start crafting your own bait, purchase the Chopper blueprint from the AquaBlue Outpost shop, gather the construction materials, and build it near your fishing area or kitchen. You also need a Separator to process the raw ingredients into Flour, Fish Fillet, Vegetable Juice, and Protein Powder.
Which Bait Attracts Which Fish
Every fish species in Starsand Island has one or more bait preferences. The tables below list the bait types accepted by fish at each major fishing location.
Lake Fish
Fish | Accepted Bait |
|---|---|
Betta | Bug |
Bighead Carp | Veggie, Meat |
Bitterling | All |
Chinese Perch | Veggie |
Cichlid | Bug, Veggie |
Green Sunfish | Bug, Meat |
Kissing Gourami | Veggie, Meat |
Pumpkinseed | Veggie, Meat |
Silver Carp | Bug, Veggie |
Topmouth Cutter | All |
Velora Cichlid | All |
River Fish
Fish | Accepted Bait |
|---|---|
Archerfish | Bug, Veggie |
Chinese Hooksnout Carp | All |
Clown Featherback | Bug, Meat |
Four-Eyed Sleeper | Veggie, Meat |
Giant Barb | All |
Giant River Prawn | All |
Glass Bloodfin Tetra | Bug, Veggie |
Holland's Carp | Bug |
Leaffish | Veggie, Meat |
Magnificent Killifish | Bug, Meat |
Motoro Stingray | All |
Payara | Bug, Meat |
Red Carp | All |
Tilapia | Bug |
Zander | All |
Ocean Fish
Fish | Accepted Bait |
|---|---|
Blue Tang | Veggie |
Boxfish | Veggie, Meat |
Brown Tiger Prawn | All |
Butterflyfish | Bug, Veggie |
Clownfish | All |
Discus | Bug, Meat |
Dolphinfish | Meat |
Foureye Butterflyfish | Bug |
Greasyback Shrimp | All |
Humphead Wrasse | Meat |
Lionfish | Veggie |
Mackerel | Veggie |
Mandarinfish | Veggie |
Mola Mola | Meat |
Moorish Idol | Bug, Veggie |
Orangespine Unicornfish | Veggie, Meat |
Pearl Glowfish | All |
Red Porgy | Meat |
Redfish | Bug, Meat |
Ribbon Eel | Meat |
Sardine | Veggie |
Spinefoot | Bug, Meat |
Tiger Puffer | Veggie, Meat |
Tuna | Meat |
Yellowtail Damselfish | Bug, Veggie |
Special Zones (Parrot Ship)
These fishing zones are accessed via the Parrot Ship and contain rarer species.
Fish | Accepted Bait | Zone |
|---|---|---|
Humphead Wrasse | Meat | Coral Sea |
Blue Tang | Veggie | Coral Sea |
Sardine | Veggie | Coral Sea |
Swordfish | Meat | Coral Sea |
Mola Mola | Meat | Luminwave |
Tuna | Meat | Luminwave |
Ribbon Eel | Meat | Celestwave |
Dolphinfish | Meat | Celestwave |
Mandarinfish | Veggie | Celestwave |
Moonlit Forest
The Moonlit Forest contains a few unique fishing spots with rare species.
Fish | Accepted Bait | Location |
|---|---|---|
Green Swordtail | Bug, Veggie | Darkwater Shore |
Pearl Glowfish | All (Bug recommended) | Dreamfall Garden |
Fish Traps and Advanced Fish Food
At the Intermediate Angler tier, you unlock the Fish Trap. Traps allow passive fishing: place one in water with visible fish shadows, add bait, and collect the catch the following in-game day.
Item | Crafting Station | Materials |
|---|---|---|
Fish Trap | Worktable II | 4 Rubber + 3 Magnet + 3 Alloy |
Advanced Fish Food | Chopper III | 50 Vegetable Juice + 1 Fruit Pulp + 1 Flour |
Angler Profession and Bait Progression
Your access to bait types is gated by the Angler profession, which you begin by speaking to Delphin at the AquaBlue Outpost.
Profession Tier | Bait Access | Key Unlocks |
|---|---|---|
Apprentice Angler | None (mail samples only) | Novice Rod; catch 3 fish quest |
Junior Angler | Meat Bait, Veggie Bait | Chopper I and II blueprints; Chrono Rod, Silent Rod, Cloud Rod, Noble Rod |
Intermediate Angler | Bug Bait, Advanced Fish Food | Chopper III blueprint; Fish Traps |
Senior Angler | All | Fishing Net; Lost Angler's Rod, Divine Rod, Dawnbreak Rod, Titanium Rod |
Expert Angler | All | Astra Rod, Wanderer's Rod, Solar Rod; improved rare fish chances |
Bait Holders (Mine Bait)
Starsand Island also has a separate bait system for mines. Regular Bait and Advanced Bait are placed in Bait Holders inside mines to attract enemies like Stone Birds, Frogs, and Runebird Bosses for fragment farming. These are crafted at the Worktable (I and III respectively) and are unrelated to fishing bait.