In Nier Replicant, rainbow trout, bream, and all the other fish you need to complete The Fisherman's Gambit quest can be frustratingly elusive. The game gives you no reel clues on where to find the fish, let alone what bait you need to hook them in. You could spend all your time casting a line only to realize you're in the wrong spot, or you could read this guide which details all the fish in the game and where to find them.
Be smart. Choose the second option.
Nier Replicant fish: Rainbow trout, bream, and everything else you need
There's no real impetus to go fishing in Nier Replicant other than it's an enjoyable detour from the usual Shade-slaying and it is required for a particular series of quests called The Fisherman's Gambit. There's also a special achievement, called The Fish of Legend, that you get for catching a particular fish. So if you want to 100 percent the game (including beating all the side quests), you're going to have to spend some time fishing.
This quest is given to you by an old man in Seafront who is standing on the pier by the smaller of the two beaches (the one in front of the main street with all the shops). Each time you complete one of the parts of the quest, your fishing skills will level up. This will let you catch even harder fish.
We'll explain all of that further below, but for now here's all the fish needed for each step of The Fisherman's Gambit in Nier Replicant, including where to find them and what bait they require.
| Fish | Bait Required | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Sardine | Lugworm | Seafront, beach |
| Blowfish | Lugworm | Seafront, pier |
| Rainbow trout | Lure | Northern plains, on the dock |
| Bream | Lure | Seafront, pier |
| Black Bass | Lure | Home village, by the water wheel |
| Sandfish | Lure | Desert, by the fast travel boat |
| Royalfish | Earthworm | Eastern Road |
| Blue Marlin | Sardine | Seafront, pier |
| Hyneria | Sardine | Desert, by the fast travel boat |
How to catch the Rhizodont and get the Fish of Legend achievement
Completing The Fisherman's Gambit is just one of two fishing related challenges in Nier Replicant. The other required you to catch an ultra rare fish called a Rhizodont, which unlocks a special achievement.
The Rhizodont will put your fishing skills to the test, however. So don't even bother trying to hook one until after you've completed The Fisherman's Gambit. This is because there's a hidden fishing skill that levels up with each phase of the quest that makes it easier to catch fish. Even with your fishing skill maxed out, the Rhizodont will take around a minute or so to weaken enough to reel it in. If you don't have a maxed out fishing skill, though, that could take a lot longer.
Once you've completed The Fisherman's Gambit, here are the next steps:
- Buy sardines from the bait store in Seafront (I'd bring about 25).
- Go to the fishing spot right next to the fast travel boat in the Desert.
- Begin fishing using the sardines.
- You're going to catch a lot of junk like empty buckets and tin cans.
- The other fish in this area is the Hyneria (required for the final stage of The Fisherman's Gambit). You can tell you've hooked a Hyneria based on how quickly its stamina depletes. If the meter is moving extremely slowly, you've likely hooked a Rhizodont.
- A controller is recommended so you can use vibrations to guide you to make sure you're always positioning your rod. The Rhizodont will easily break your line if you don't keep up with its erratic movements.
- Be patient. It'll likely take you a few tries and some luck.
General tips for fishing in Nier Replicant
Fishing is a pretty fun game but it can be frustrating if you don't know what you're doing. The minigame is broken into two phases: First you cast your line and wait for a fish to take a proper bite out of it and then you pull in the opposite direction the fish is moving to weaken it until you can real it in.
Fishing spots are found in a few specific locations and each one has a unique type of fish that can only be caught with a specific type of bait.
You should use a controller because the feedback from the vibrations is super helpful. Especially when trying to catch harder fish, there's a subtle difference in the intensity of the vibration that helps you know when your rod is in the optimal position.
Vibrations can also help you know when a fish is eating your bait and not nibbling at it. If you try to reel it in too soon, you'll miss the fish and lose your bait. Normally you can tell when a fish bites because your rod will bend and the float will sink beneath the water, but in my experience this didn't always work. But there is a distinctly strong vibration when a fish bites, so you can use that to gauge when to reel in a catch.
One last bit of advice is that once you catch a fish and turn it in for The Fisherman's Gambit quest, the nearby fish merchant will sell that fish. It's a great way to restock on fish that double as bait, like sardines, instead of fishing manually for them.
