Like a Dragon Ishin: Fishing mini-game Like a Dragon Ishin guide, tips
Fishing is one of the more rewarding mini-games in Like a Dragon Ishin. This guide page explains how to get fishing rods and bait, where to find places to fish, how to fish properly, and the main uses for the fish you catch.
Last update: 23 February 2023
On this page of the Like a Dragon: Ishin guide, you will find a description of the fishing mini-game. We have described all the most important things - how to get fishing rods and bait, where to fish (sea and river), how to prepare for fishing, how to do the mini-game correctly and what can be done with the caught fish.
Getting a fishing rod
Ryoma has a fishing rod from the very beginning of the game, but it is a basic model (Easy Starter), which will not be very effective at catching rare species of fish.
You can get better fishing rods by buying them for Virtue - visit any large shrine, e.g. the one in the north-eastern part of the Fushimi district. Use the Exchange Virtue option to get:
- River Classic Expertise for 400 Virtue - you'll get River Classic, a better river fishing rod;
- Rivermaster Expertise for 1,500 Virtue - you'll get an even better Rivermaster rod for river fishing.
- Sea Classic Expertise for 400 Virtue - you'll get Sea Classic, a better sea fishing rod.
- Seamaster Expertise for 1,500 Virtue - you'll get an even better Seamaster rod for sea fishing.
Later in the game, you will be able to get the best Peerless Pole rod with Virtue. You can unlock it by purchasing Peerless Pole Expertise for 4,000 Virtue.
The Peerless Pole rod has maximum values for all stats. You can use it for both sea and river fishing.
Baits
Baits are optional, but thanks to them, more fish can appear in the fisheries. One of the places that sells baits is Ebisu Pawn Rakunai. You can also obtain them as random loot.
Fishing in the sea and in the river
There are several fishing locations in the game world, but the perfect place to start fishing is Shinmachi in the Fushimi district in Kyo. In the southern part of this area, you will find 2 purple mini-game icons - they are for fishing.
Link to the Fushimi fishery (sea): Minigame - Sea Fishing
Link to the Fushimi fishery (river): Minigame - Fushimi River Fishing
You can also find an alternative fishing spot in the Mukurogai district near Cannon Coaching. In this case, you can only fish in the river.
Link to the Mukurogai fishery (river): Minigame - Mukurogai River Fishing
You can choose between:
- Sea Fishing - you have to talk to the boatman and then choose a fishing spot from the list;
- River Fishing - in this case, just approach the interactive point on the shore.
Different species of fish (saltwater and freshwater) swim in the sea and in the rivers. So it's worth visiting both types of locations to add as many different species to your collection as possible.
Mini-game rules
If you have a bait with you, you can use it before fishing. More fish will appear in the fishery.
The choice of fishing rod is also important (if you already have another one besides the basic one). Choose the right one depending on whether you fish in river or sea.
The mini-game is quite simple and consists of 2 parts. The first part is choosing a place to cast the rod - it's best to choose areas near which fish swim.
After casting, wait for a fish to become interested in the float - its silhouette will turn red. If it's not interested, go back to the main screen and try somewhere else.
The key to success is to press the interaction button when the float sinks. This is very easy to tell when are playing on a controller, because it will start vibrating.
If you succeeded, you will receive information about the species and rarity of the caught fish (more stars = rarer).
You can fish as many times as you want, and if you've used the bait, it's worth getting the most out of it in a single fishing session.
Uses for caught fish
Caught fish have several different uses.
They can be useful for selected Substories. In the Rakugai district, you can, for example, make friends with a cat and feed it more fish. This is part of Substory #28 - The Hungry Cat.
After unlocking the farm (Another Life) in chapter 4, you can fulfill Trade Orders by deliverying specific fish species. This will allow you to receive a lot of Mon and potentially some unique rewards as well.
Theoretically, you can also sell fish, for example, at Ebisu Pawn, but you won't get a lot of money for them.
Fish is also useful for cooking food on the farm. They are part of some meals. You can then sell the cooked dishes for a big profit.