When Eric Barone developed Stardew Valley, most thought it would be another copy-paste farming simulation game. We couldn’t be more wrong. There’s so much depth, experiences, and features to explore in Stardew Valley that dubbing it a farming simulation game seems dismissive.
All Stardew Valley fans know how mesmerizing and cozy running a farm in Pelican Town is. The myriad choices make each gameplay unique, tailored to your personal taste or professional intent.
In another topic, we talked about two Farming professions, Rancher and Tiller, and which is better. Now, we will jump to another craft, Fishing. Expert anglers out there will encounter several choices that will define their professional angling career. Suppose we’re setting up a gladiatorial competition between fishermen, Fisher Vs. Trapper; which is better? Walk with us in this article to see who you should bet on, or better yet, why you should do so.
The Fishing Skill
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While our intrepid protagonist farmer has several skills that allow them to tackle various activities, we will discuss Fishing. Fishing has a maximum of ten levels – or fifteen with a combination of items and food. At level 5 and level 10, you can choose a profession that confers several bonuses based on your preference or time availability.
Reaching level 5 in Fishing allows you to choose between two specializations: Fisher or Trapper. Fisher will keep you engaged, requiring you to do fishing actively. Trapper is for the busy or those who dislike fishing, as it automates the process.
Photo: ConcernedApe/ irishviking514
To gain experience and level up in Fishing, you simply have to fish. At Fishing Level 3, the game unlocks Crab Pot, a trap that automatically catches fish daily. Increasing the Fishing Level grants several bonuses, such as crafting recipes for tackles and an increased casting distance of your fishing rod.
Rancher and Tiller Bonuses
Once you reach Fishing Level 5, a prompt will appear when you sleep that day, giving you a choice between Fisher and Trapper.
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- Fisher is for master anglers. Each fish sells for 25% more gold.
- Trapper is for those who want to profit from the sea without depending on the active fishing process.
When you hit Level 10 with the Fishing skill, your previous choices will unfold into two more. Fishers can choose between Angler or Pirate, and Trappers can progress to Mariner or Luremaster.
The Fisher
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The game calling us a Fisher only after reaching Level 5 seems a bit condescending, but we will let it slide. Here we will illustrate some reasons why you should choose to specialize as a Fisher or why not.
Initially, fishing is a great and practical way to earn revenue. Your farm work seems slow-moving, and you may not have made much progress in other areas yet due to your limited budget. This might leave you with extra time in your schedule to spend on other leisure.
This free time can be used to catch and sell fish. With Fisher, this 25% bonus becomes attractive. However, as your farm business grows, your fishing time decreases, and the action’s repetitiveness can become tedious.
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However, we cannot fail to mention the characteristics of Fisher’s Level 10 specializations. The Angler sells fish for 50% more gold – but this bonus is not stackable with the previous 25%. In other words, expect a lot more fishing if you want to maximize your angling revenue efficiency. Here the same advantages and disadvantages apply as with the Fisher.
On the other hand, we have the Pirate. The name sounds ominous, but it involves no crime at all. While fishing, we have a 15% chance of finding treasure chests. The Pirate profession doubles this odds, providing a 30% chance of hooking a chest.
Treasure chests are essential for collecting museum artifacts, extremely rare prismatic shards, and even some unusual but interesting furniture. All in all, should you choose Fisher, our recommendation is to follow the Pirate’s way, yaargh!
The Trapper
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If, for some reason, fishing doesn’t appeal to you, and you find it challenging to reach Level 5, but you have made it anyways, then go for Trapper.
Although you can build Crab Pots by being a Fisher, the Trapper consumes far fewer resources. Originally, Crab Pots are crafted by consuming forty wood and three iron bars. As a Trapper, you only consume twenty-five wood and two copper bars.
Collecting items in Crab Pots also gives you experience with the Fishing skill, optimizing your time significantly if you have an aversion to fishing rods.
However, you must fit in some baits to utilize your Crab Pots. There is no reason to use higher quality baits, so go for the cheaper one. Furthermore, there is a 38% chance that the item collected in a Crab Pot is trash.
Photo: ConcernedApe/ irishviking514
But Stardew Valley is always thinking about the experience of its players and offers some advanced options in Level 10 Fishing for Trappers, either by following the career of a Mariner or a Luremaster.
If you become a Mariner, your Crab Pots won’t produce junk items anymore. It means that all your catches through these traps will be profitable.
However, the Luremaster is much more advantageous. The bonus of this career removes the baits prerequisite on Crab Pots, streamlining the process dramatically.
Without baits, your only job with fishing as a Luremaster is to go to the harbor and collect your items. It can’t be considered a loss even if you catch one trash or another since you haven’t invested anything.
Fisher VS Trapper
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To sum it up, Fisher and Trapper are for those who like to fish and those who prefer to avoid the activity, respectively.
Fisher and its evolutions require the farmer within you to get to work, grab your rod, equip a tackle, a bait, and control your meter to acquire fish or treasure.
Fish are not that valuable, but the treasures are. Therefore, we suggest you become a Pirate. It is the most valuable profession within the Fishing skill.
But if you really dislike going to the harbor and doing the fishing act, Trapper and its evolutions are the best option. The process is more mechanical and provides additional items with little effort for your busy day-to-day life.
However, Crab Pots do not acquire treasure. If you want to complete your museum or are on the hunt for some rare items, you will have a tougher time.
Wrap Up
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As you can see from the article, we consider fish collecting necessary at the beginning for some easy money but a side effect as you progress, since as a Fisher, you should really be on the lookout for treasures.
For this, your best path would be to become a Fisher instead of a Trapper. Fishers can be made into Pirates, who get treasures more often and consequently earn you a better profit in the long run.
We hope you have learned something from these tips and that they will make you enjoy even more of Stardew Valley’s incredible experiences.
