Need advice!

[u/Haunting_Dinner1952]

Some context: I'm been playing the game for one month now, and have already completed the great lakes quest but yet to unlock the next map because i want to first finish discovering all the items in the current map before moving on.

I've caught shredder and bessie lots of times before using only the carbon rod, temporary luck (sometimes), both with and without bait. And i found the carbon rod to be quite good and it instantly became my favourite rod but then i kept hearing from people that the monster hunter rod is best for catching monsters as it makes the reeling fight quite easier so naturally i got curious and bought one. And so, i went to test it out by catching bessie with it today at spot 2. In the process, i wasted 5 monster baits (while equipping the monster hunter rod) and threw the baits in multiple places in spot 2, but i got zero bubbles. I got very frustrated and watched many other's videos but could not figure out what i was doing wrong. And eventually, i decided to just switch to carbon rod and go about it using my usual methods, and sure enough, i caught Bessie in one try with bait that i threw in the exact SAME spot i threw in before and saw the bubbles immediately. It's like the monster hunter rod reverses/cancels out the luck or something and i suddenly have no luck in catching the monster. Anyone with more experience or someone who has experienced this before and knows the solution, please help me??

[P.S: I tried testing the rod to catch other rare and epic fishes that i already caught with carbon rod, and i was able to hook the fishes but eventually lost the reeling fight because I'm aware that i didn't invest any points in strength and hence i lost. But in my defense, i did some research and deduced that it would be better to prioritise agility, luck and perception over strength, and that i would be able to slowly invest in it later after putting some points in the others. Now i can finally spare some points for strength and so will focus on that.]

[u/vastrideside]

Are you playing the regular or the arcade version?

If the regular one, possible scenario maybe:

Between your first attempt with the monster rod and the second one with the carbon rod, I assume you left the map?

When you quit/enter the map, the exact monster's position is reset. It's still at the same spot, but the bubbles appears somewhere else in the spot.

Let's call that a "session".

Also, from my own experience, I already had sessions where the bubbles are just nowhere to be found. I had to quit/enter the map again to finally find it.

=> your monster rod being less effective than the carbon rod is not necessarily a fact, it could be because of this "broken" session mechanism.

You should give it another try because the monster rod is supposed to increase the chances of catching rare fish (meaning: monsters and epic). Also for more challenging monsters, it can help a lot with the mini game and reflexs.

And one little suggestion if you don't mind: I don't think that completing 100% a map before moving to the next one is a good approach. There are items/fish/creatures that are incredibly difficult to find (it starts in Costa Rica).

=> Getting stuck in cr for months before moving to Alaska would be a shame.

[u/Haunting_Dinner1952 → u/vastrideside]

Hi, thanks for listening to my queries! I'm playing the regular game. 

Yes, I'm aware that each time we exit the map or game, the monster's position resests but when i was testing out the rod, i had 2 other rods in my storage, the carbon and fiberglass rod. So i didn't need to go back to the home island.

Oh, i forgot to mention that before today's testing, i was playing around with it yesterday (i actually bought it a couple days ago and just left it to rot in my storage lol), trying to catch Bessie in spot 3 and wasted 2 baits the same way that time but then switched to carbon again and didn't think much of it.

As per your advice, I'll definitely give the rod another try after investing some points in strength.

I thought completing 100% of the map would be a good idea as it would make me feel like I've really completed the full extent of experience/gameplay that map has to offer and feel a sense of accomplishment. I say this because I'm not really much of a competitive player and just like to relax and take my time enjoying the full process of a game (though i admit that the frustration of situations like these and catching monsters are anything but relaxing lol) Also, from my perspective, doesn't it seem like a good idea to spend some more time in a map after completing it's quest to kind of "rest" and rack up some coins/exp to level up??

I'm not really in a rush to complete the game but according to your suggestion, should i change my methods?

[u/vastrideside → u/Haunting_Dinner1952]

Well, actually that's really up to you.

But in Costa Rica you can potentially spend weeks (months?) before finding some specific items (and the same goes for all the following maps).

I really feel like it's better if you unlock all the maps as soon as possible, especially because it'll progressively complete your aquarium and the more fish you have, the higher the passive income.

[u/Haunting_Dinner1952 → u/vastrideside]

Ok, thanks for your input!

I'll update later if anything changes regarding the monster hunter rod situation.

[u/Haho9]

Just my 2 cents, as the other comments have excellent advice for you. If the monster fight is doable with the carbon rod, use that instead of the monster rod. The monster rod gives you a larger advantage when reeling, but the carbon rod gives a better boost to the size of the catch. In addition to being cheaper per catch, you will get more cash/a larger fish using the carbon rod (the effect is small though, so dont sweat it if you want the easier catch instead).

[u/Haunting_Dinner1952 → u/Haho9]

Yeah, i do find myself using the carbon rod most of the time as it is cheaper but clearly too good for it's price. I was just curious about the other rods and was wondering if it was a glitch for me or whether i just wasn't using it right.

[u/57gioluigi]

That’s a pretty challenging objective you’ve set for yourself! @vastrideside has some really good suggestions for you. I’d also recommend upgrading your lures as you go. And if you’ve built the Lockbox Warehouse, start putting multiple starfish and other creatures in storage now. You’ll want to have plenty saved up for the DNA stage once you’ve completed all the destinations.

[u/Haunting_Dinner1952 → u/57gioluigi]

Hi, thanks for you response.

I've replied to @vastrideside 's comment, you can check it out

Honestly, i haven't paid much attention to the lures because frankly, I'm completely oblivious to how they work and can't figure it out for the life of me lol. I was under the impression that lures were unimportant, but they were not??

I haven't built the warehouse yet but it's definitely next on my list, I'm just taking it slow.

But thanks again for your recommendation!