Let me share some insights about mastering the fishing mechanics. The training rod from willy is your best friend when starting out (just 25g!), because it artificially boosts your fishing level and slows down that tricky progress bar - this makes learning the core mechanics much more manageable. While you're practicing, remember that gentle taps work better than holding the button, since this gives you much finer control over the green bar.

You might notice that keeping your fishing bar near the top of the gauge works particularly well, because dropping down is naturally easier to control than trying to race upwards (physics are on your side here!). When you're ready to actually start catching fish, try the mountain lake or town river first, as these zones tend to have more predictable fish patterns that are perfect for building confidence. Oh, and those bubble spots you see in the water aren't just for show - they actually increase your chances of rare catches by about 15%, which is pretty significant when you're trying to complete collections.

As you progress, upgrading your rod becomes really important. The fiberglass rod lets you use bait, while the iridium rod opens up tackle options (the trap bobber is particularly helpful since it slows down how quickly fish can escape). Something interesting to keep in mind - while many players focus on lucky days for fishing, luck mainly affects treasure chest finds rather than catch rates. Instead, focus on perfecting your technique and using the right food buffs - dish o' the sea gives you a much better boost than the basic trout soup, which makes those trickier catches notably easier to handle. Note that there are different tips, appropriate bobbers, etc for legendary fishes.