How to Attach Bait to Fishing Rod in Stardew Valley [Answered]

Fishing can prove to be a really important activity in Stardew Valley. Not only that you can get pretty unique drops from fishing (like the Mutant Carp in the Sewers), but you can also get a steady source of money / food.

However, fishing can prove to be a bit tricky and even the basics, like how to attach bait to your fishing rod might be difficult for new players – or those who haven’t played in a while.

In order to attach bait to your fishing rod in Stardew Valley, select it from your inventory by right clicking on PC (press Y, X or Square on Switch, Xbox or PlayStation) and then select your fishing rod. Now you have attached the bait!

There’s one important thing to remember here: you can’t attach bait to the starting fishing rod / Training Rod (or the Bamboo pole). You can only attach it to the Fiberglass Rod or the Iridium Rod which unlock once you have leveled up your fishing.

So if you were going crazy because you weren’t able to attach bait to your fishing rod, that is because most likely you were still using the Training Rod or the Bamboo pole.

Now, it’s time to get a bit more in depth to learn everything about attaching bait to your rod in Stardew Valley, so read on if you want to become a true expert!

What is bait in Stardew Valley and how to get more?

stardew valley bait

Bait is an item in Stardew Valley that a player uses to attach to the fishing rod. This allows the player to catch fish easier than without bait. However, you can still fish without any bait!

There are a few ways for getting bait in the game. You can buy it from the Fish Shop at a cost of 5 gold.

Alternately, you can craft your own bait for free, growing it in a Worm Bin. You can also find some free bait in Fishing Treasure Chests in the game.

You might also find fishing bait randomly appearing in the Traveling Cart’s stock for 100-1000 Gold. 

An important point that you must note is that the bait in Stardew Valley has certain criteria of use. One of the most common mistakes that players make is to try to attach the bait to the bamboo fishing pole.

You can not use the fishing bait in Stardew Valley with Bamboo Pole.  The bait can only be used with the Fiberglass Rod or the Iridium Rod.

stardew valley fiberglass rod

These rods unlock at Fishing skill level 2 and Fishing skill level 6 of the game respectively. You can buy both from the store.

Additionally, you can use the bait with Crab Pots too.

Using bait when fishing can reduce your waiting time for a fish to bite by as much as 50%. It can also have an influence on the type of fish you can catch, with better fish being caught if you use bait.

However, even without attaching any bait, you can still catch most of the fish in Stardew Valley. It will just be a lot slower. So if you’re a pro and serious about fishing, you will always want to have some bait when you go fishing.

How to Attach Bait to a Rod in Stardew Valley PC, Switch, Xbox or Playstation?

Attaching bait to the fishing rod is not NASA Science. It is a pretty simple and straightforward method as long as you have the required rod for the job.

Since things are slightly different based on the platform you’re playing on, I will cover them all next.

Attaching Bait in Stardew Valley on PC:

So, to attach bait to your fishing rod (remember that you cannot attach bait to a bamboo rod), you need to follow the below-mentioned steps:

  • Navigate to the inventory screen and open it
  • Using the mouse, left-click or right-click on the bait
  • Left-click: To select the whole stack of baits
  • Right-click: To Select one single piece of bait 
  • Next, right-click on the fishing rod to attach the bait to it

Attaching Bait in Stardew Valley on Xbox:

On Xbox, you will need to use your controller to attach the bait to the rod (duuh!):

  • Press B to open the inventory
  • Next Press A after navigating to the bait, to select the whole stack
  • Press X to select a single one
  • Next, select the rod and press X to attach the bait

Attaching Bait in Stardew Valley on PlayStation:

It’s almost identical to the Xbox strategy, but you have to press different buttons. Here is what you need to do:

  • First, open your inventory.
  • Next Press X after navigating to the bait to select the whole stack
  • To select just one, press Square
  • Next, select the rod and press Square to attach the bait

Attaching Bait in Stardew Valley on Switch:

Again, almost identical to the other two consoles, but you will press other buttons.

  • First, open your inventory.
  • Press A after navigating to the bait to select the whole stack
  • To select just one, press Y
  • Next, select the rod and press Y to attach the bait

Please note that only one bait is consumed per use, even if you attach the entire stack.

The remaining bait can be detached by Right-clicking on your rod (on PC) or by pressing the button on consoles that was used to attach it.

Conclusion

I hope that I was able to help you with attaching the bait to your fishing rod in the game.

However, if you are still somehow unable to attach the bait, then let us know about the problem in the comments section below.

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