How to Fish Forest Island — Leeches & Piranha
Three ground Leeches become Modified Leech bait. The Skeleton writes Desert on the Radar.
Forest is Island 2, the green Radar dot northwest of the Lighthouse. You reach it after the Spider Crab Shell hand-in and the $10 Radar. This is the first real fishing island: a proper rod pool, a shotgun, dynamite, the cheap engine, and the lady by the lake who will not accept underwater guesses for her dinner. Patch 1.0.5 still refuses a shortcut to Desert. Current notes: FANART & PATCH 1.0.10.
If the Giant Piranha will not spawn, you are missing Modified Leech bait. If Desert will not appear, you sold or cooked the Skeleton. The full lure table is on Fish Locations. Combat tells sit on Boss Fights.
Creatures
| Creature | Bait | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Leech | Ground pickup | Quest material, not a cast |
| Mackerel | French Fry | Normal |
| Gar | French Fry | Normal |
| Pike | French Fry / Beginner Lure | Normal |
| Cod | Beginner Lure | Normal |
| Piranha | Beginner Lure | Normal |
| Triggerfish | Beginner Lure | Normal |
| Goby | Beginner Lure | Normal |
| Salmon | Beginner Lure | Normal |
| Goldfish | Beginner Lure | Normal |
| Perch | Beginner Lure | Normal |
| Sunfish | Beginner Boss Lure | Optional mini-boss |
| The Old Pike | Beginner Boss Lure | Optional mini-boss |
| Giant Piranha | Modified Leech | Story boss |
Leeches are small on paths, grass, and near the quest hut. Players search the water because the game is named How to Fish. Check the ground once, thoroughly. Three Leeches returned to the lake NPC become Modified Leech bait. That bait, not the Beginner Boss Lure, starts the story fight.
Shop
Buy a ranged weapon when you can — the Shotgun is the usual Island 2 pick for Giant Piranha and the small piranhas it sheds. Beginner Lure fills the encyclopedia. Beginner Boss Lure is optional cash (Sunfish, Old Pike). Dynamite (~$25) is sold here first; it is I’m the bird now and Everyone’s dream, not a Volcano skip. See Flying Boat.
The Forest engine (~$230) is Getting an upgrade. It is slower than Dual Motors on the Rocks but it stops the crawl between rocks. An extra inventory slot is commonly sold here for a few dollars; grab it before trophies start competing with guns. Patch 1.0.10 ground saves (64 cap) help if you drop the shotgun at camp, but the Skeleton still belongs in a pocket.
Giant Piranha
Cast Modified Leech. The boss sheds smaller piranhas. Clear blockers, circle, eat. Difficulty from Patch 1.0.9 scales health and damage; Easy helps if the adds chew you. Keep the Giant Piranha Skeleton. Hand it to the lake NPC. That writes the yellow Desert marker. The kill without the hand-in does nothing for travel.
Drip versions of Forest fish use the same everyday baits. Collector wants the normal forms; Fishipedia wants the rainbow names. Do not insert the Skeleton into a Reel of Fortune.
Related pages
- Lighthouse — how you unlock Forest
- Desert Island — Carrot and Bing Bong
- Lures & Bait — Beginner vs quest bait
- Walkthrough — trophy order