There Is No Verified Complete Species List Yet
Do not treat this How to Really Fish fish list as a finished species database. The current game confirms how fishing and catch handling work, but it does not give us a complete set of named fish. A creature in promotional art, a boss, a shoreline collectible, and an item drop are four different things. None belongs in the normal catch list without the matching in-game interaction.
Build a live log instead. Equip the Fishing Rod, read the current lure or bait label, land an item, and copy the exact name and actions from the UI. That takes a little more effort than borrowing a list, but it keeps beta changes and lookalike creatures from turning into bad entries.
Confirmed Catch and Creature Categories
The table separates the interactions currently shown in game. It does not call every ocean creature a catch.
| Entry | Confirmed role | What is verified | What not to assume |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ordinary rod-caught fish | Catch and economy resource | Players cast with a Fishing Rod and lure, reel after a bite, and can retain or drop the result | A complete species set, rarity, catch rate, or fixed value |
| Eligible cooked catch | Processed sale item | A Forest Island campfire can raise the displayed sale value of an eligible catch | That every catch can be cooked or gains the same amount |
| Clams | Shoreline collectible | The opening Forest Island objective asks players to find clams and sell them to the fisherman | That clams are rod-caught fish |
| Giant Crab | Named boss creature | It has a boss health bar, can become enraged, and has an observed Crab Claw drop | That it belongs in the normal fish inventory |
| Crab Claw | Boss drop | It is observed after defeating the Giant Crab | That it is a fish, guaranteed quantity, or fixed-value catch |
| Giant pufferfish | Large hostile creature | A later encounter is visible in recent route gameplay | That it can be landed, stored, cooked, or sold like an ordinary catch |
| Whales | Large hostile creatures | Whale-scale encounters appear in a later volcanic area | A species list, catch method, drop table, or sale value |
These are not all the creatures currently in the game. The table is there to keep normal catches, collectibles, bosses, and boss drops from being mashed into one misleading list.
The Verified Fishing Loop
A useful list starts with the interaction on screen, not a rarity tier copied from somewhere else.
- Equip the Fishing Rod. The active interface changes to fishing actions.
- Check the bait or lure label. The opening equipment identifies a Basic Lure, and the interface includes a Change Bait option.
- Cast and wait for a bite. The visible action changes from casting to reeling when the interaction advances.
- Reel in the catch. Read the item name and every action displayed after landing it.
- Choose what happens next. A catch can enter a keep, drop, consumption, cooking, or selling decision when the relevant option is shown.
- Record before processing. Item labels and displayed values are easier to capture before the catch leaves your hands or inventory.
Do not apply one item’s actions to every fish. At least some held catches show an Eat option. That alone does not confirm a universal food effect, hunger system, or healing value.
How to Build Your Own Live Fish Log
Give each exact item label its own row. If the same label shows two different values, keep both observations. A single fixed price would hide what the game actually displayed.
| Field | What to record | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Displayed name | Exact capitalization from the item UI | Prevents art, creature, and item names from being mixed |
| Island or area | Current world label or route context | Catch availability can vary as the route advances |
| Acquisition | Rod, shoreline pickup, boss fight, or another visible method | Separates fish from collectibles and drops |
| Lure or bait | Exact equipped label | Supports comparison without inventing multipliers |
| Available actions | Drop, Eat, cook, sell, or other visible prompt | Shows what the item actually supports |
| Raw displayed value | Number shown before processing | Captures one live observation, not a permanent price |
| Cooked displayed value | Number shown after a successful cooking message | Demonstrates the observed change for that item |
| Date checked | The day you recorded the UI | Makes beta-era observations easier to update |
Trust the label over your guess from the artwork. A creature can look like a shark or a large orange fish without proving a named inventory entry. Until the game shows a readable item label, keep it in your encounter notes.
Raw, Cooked, Sold, or Kept
Catching something does not decide what happens to it. On the observed Forest Island build, the campfire raises the displayed sale value of an eligible catch. That makes cooking part of the cash loop, but it does not create one formula that works for every item.
Use this decision sequence:
- Read the raw state. Note the name, value, and available actions.
- Check eligibility. Use the campfire only when the current prompt accepts the held item.
- Wait for confirmation. A successful cooking interaction produces an on-screen message.
- Read the processed state. Record the new displayed value instead of estimating the increase.
- Sell through the current buyer interaction. On Forest Island, Fisherman Joe is the observed opening buyer and shopkeeper.
The same fish type can show different values, and the game is still in beta. Use the number in front of you. A value copied from one run is not a universal price.
Keep Bosses Out of the Fish Inventory
The official description says players both catch and fight fish. The game treats those as separate activities. Ordinary catches become resources, while large ocean creatures can start weapon-based encounters with named health bars.
When you meet a large creature, check what the UI actually asks you to do:
- Did a cast-and-reel interaction produce a held item?
- Does the game show a named boss health bar instead?
- Did the result appear as a separate item drop?
- Does the held item expose cooking, selling, dropping, or consumption actions?
The Giant Crab is a boss, and Crab Claw is its observed drop. Neither belongs in the ordinary rod-caught species section just because both are part of the ocean setting.
Avoid These Fish List Errors
- Calling the list complete: island availability and content can change during beta.
- Copying names from another fishing game: confirm the exact How to Really Fish item label.
- Using promotional art as an inventory database: an illustrated creature is not automatically a catchable item.
- Mixing clams with rod-caught fish: clams are confirmed shoreline collectibles in the opening objective.
- Mixing bosses with catches: a named health-bar encounter belongs in a boss ledger until a catch interaction proves otherwise.
- Publishing fixed values: record the current raw and cooked display with a date instead.
- Assuming one lure has a fixed multiplier: current gameplay confirms lure choice, not a complete stat table.
A Maintainable How to Really Fish Fish List
Give every entry a plain status label:
- Confirmed catch: exact item name captured after rod-and-lure interaction.
- Confirmed collectible: exact item name captured from a pickup objective or world interaction.
- Confirmed boss: exact name captured from a boss health bar or encounter announcement.
- Confirmed drop: exact item label captured after an encounter.
- Encounter only: creature seen, but no inventory or catch state confirmed.
- Needs live check: a candidate name without a current readable UI label.
Now you can add discoveries without pretending every observation means the same thing. When an update arrives, recheck the label and actions. Change the status only after the live interaction changes.
FAQ
Is there a complete How to Really Fish fish list?
There is no reliable complete named species list to publish here. Build one from exact live item labels, and note the acquisition method and date for every entry.
Is a clam a fish catch?
No. Clams are shoreline collectibles in the opening Forest Island objective. You can sell them to the fisherman, but the game does not present them as rod-caught fish.
Can every fish be cooked?
The campfire raises the displayed sale value of eligible catches on the observed Forest Island build. Check whether it accepts the item in your hand and wait for the current success message.
Are the Giant Crab and whales normal catches?
They are large creature encounters, not confirmed ordinary inventory catches. The Giant Crab is a named boss, and whale-scale encounters appear later in the route. Let the live interaction prove any other role.
Why can the same catch show a different value?
Observed values are not stable enough for a universal price table. Read the current display before and after processing, then use that live amount for your decision.