How to Fish
FILE LOG-03ART = EXPLOSION

Boss Duels

Boss fishing is a rhythm game with a screaming reel. Phases, tells, and the art of explosive bait.

A boss duel moment (official screenshot)
▲ Steam screenshot — A boss duel moment (official screenshot)

Lake Lord (Giant Catfish)

Lake cove
Unlock:
After 15 lake catches
Phases (3 phases)
  1. P1 Bottom grinding (slow drag — watch drag heat)
  2. P2 Roll & sprint (two burst pulls, tiny slack windows)
  3. P3 Gasp thrash (damage window — reel hard)
Counter:
Rest during phase 1, full focus for 2-3. QTE fires at the reel-in after each sprint — the moment the fin pauses, mash-ready.

Reef King (Grouper)

Offshore reef
Unlock:
After Red Snapper unlocks
Phases (2 phases)
  1. P1 Cave wedging (dives into rock seams; line wear spikes)
  2. P2 Breakout burst (full-speed sprint out)
Counter:
Leader line is mandatory or phase 1 sands your mainline. Counter-press the rod when it wedges — never follow.

Storm Maw (Deep-Sea Shark)

Offshore in storms
Unlock:
Storm weather + offshore boat
Phases (3 phases)
  1. P1 Boat circling (endurance)
  2. P2 Vertical dive (peak drag)
  3. P3 Breaching bites (triple QTE)
Counter:
Storm-only boss. Failing the breach QTE yanks you overboard (crew revives you in co-op). Explosive bait skips phase 1.

Trench Light (Giant Squid)

Trench floor
Unlock:
Leviathan rod acquired
Phases (4 phases)
  1. P1 Tentacle probing
  2. P2 Wrap & reverse-pull (it tangles YOUR line)
  3. P3 Ink veil (blind — go by sound)
  4. P4 Full ascent
Counter:
The only boss that fishes back — it pulls you. In the ink phase, muting the music and playing by sound cues is the intended strat.

Leviathan

Farthest offshore point
Unlock:
All four boss badges
Phases (5 phases)
  1. P1 Descent warmup
  2. P2 Horizontal run
  3. P3 Breach chain
  4. P4 Final tug-of-war
  5. P5 Landing (long QTE mash)
Counter:
The patch-final boss. Losing it 0.5s before landing is BY DESIGN. Breathe; go again. In co-op, one player per QTE slot is the stable kill.

On explosive bait (art IS explosion)

Explosive bait deals one big fatigue hit to a boss, skipping or shortening phase 1. Sources: pier vendor random stock ($400) or trench salvage on storm nights. That "art is explosion" video made it famous — it works, but: no effect on legendary fish, and the blast launches everyone's bobber in co-op. Deck caution advised.

“First lake-lord duel it dragged me forty meters; the crew went from landing the fish to landing ME. Second try after reading the guide — explosive bait really is art.”
—— player "TheDragged", run 2