How to Fish in Like a Dragon Ishin, all fish types and how to upgrade your fishing rod explained
Gone fishin'.
Fishing in Like a Dragon Ishin is a key thing to learn. It's an easy and quick way of earning valuable Virtue, and you can use the fish you catch for cooking yourself meals which will save you money in the long run.
There are quite a few things to remember when fishing in Like a Dragon Ishin, but once you get your head around it it's a pretty simple but rewarding side activity. You can access it early in the story, which makes it one of the best ways of earning Virtue.
We're going to show you how to fish in Like a Dragon Ishin, all fish types in each area, how to use bait, and how to upgrade your fishing rod too.
On this Page:
How to Fish in Like a Dragon Ishin
You can start fishing in Like a Dragon Ishin once you reach Chapter Two and once you can exit Teradaya Inn. However, the Koma River location won't be available until later in this Chapter and later in Chapter Three.
Step One - Pick your fishing spot
There are four fishing spots in Like a Dragon Ishin. The Uji River, Goma River, the Fishing Banks, and the East Coast. The first two are, of course, River locations and the latter two are Sea Fishing locations.
Apart from Goma River, which is in Mukurogai, all fishing spots are located in Shinmachi in Fushimi near the Teradaya Inn.
Step Two - Cast your line
Once you've chosen your location, you can begin fishing. You start off with an Easy Starter rod which is the most basic one, but it allows you to catch most of the fish on offer in each spot.
How far you can cast your line is marked by a red dotted line at the top of your screen. The better your rod is, the further you can cast.
At the fishing spot, you should see white fish-shaped or blob-like shadows floating in the water. These are your fish (or water creatures) that you're after. Now, there are two casting methods you need to know.
Casting for a Fish-Shaped Shadow
If you want to catch a fish-shaped shadow, then cast your line just a little bit in front of the one you want to catch.
Use your movement control to control where the line will land when you cast it. This is indicated by a red circle and a small arrow that appears above it on the water.
Then, use your action button to cast your line out. You will need to use your judgement as some fish swim quickly, which means you will need to judge where they're headed and cast in front of them.
Casting for a Blob-Like Shadow
Casting for the blob-like shadows is the same as casting for the fish, but you need to know which way they're floating. Then, cast your line in the opposite direction that the blob is floating in.
Step Three - Watch your Float and Catch the Fish
Once you've cast your line, watch your float (the bobbing thing in the water). There's a red line at the top of the float.
When you've attracted a fish's attention, they will turn red. Once they start nibbling at your float, wait for that red line to hit the water. Also, your controller will vibrate when this happens.
Once this happens, hit your action button to pull your fish in. If you're successful, the word 'Hooked' will appear on the screen and this is the indicator that you have caught your fish.
All Fish in Uji River in Like a Dragon Ishin
Uji River in Like a Dragon Ishin is South of Teradaya Inn in Fushimi. It's one of the fishing spots you can access from the beginning of Chapter Two.
Here are all of the fish that you can catch in the Uji River.
| Fish Name | How It Looks | Shadow Shape/Size |
|---|---|---|
| Crucian Carp | 
|
Medium fish with triangular head. |
| Carp | 
|
Medium to large fish with round head. |
| Crawfish | 
|
Small blob. |
| Electric Catfish | 
|
Medium to large fish with round head. |
| Ghost Koi | 
|
Medium to large fish with round head. |
| Nishikigoi | 
|
Medium fish with round head. |
| Rainbow Trout | 
|
Medium fish with round head, swims very fast. |
| Salmon | 
|
Medium to large fish with round head. |
| Softshell Turtle | 
|
Large blob. |
Not all fish will appear all the time, your best bet to get a good variety of fish in the Uji River is to use Top-Grade and Special Bait. Also, the Rivermaster and Peerless Rods are best here.
Need help in Another Life - the farming simulator minigame of Like a Dragon: Ishin! - or want to learn how to fish? Maybe you need help completing the Mochi Mystery, Global Fraud, It's a Long Story or finding all of the Memoir locations for The Captain and the Curious side story? We also have guides on the Trooper abilities, how to get Prize Tickets and crafting new equipment.
All Fish in Kamo River in Like a Dragon Ishin
Kamo River in Like a Dragon Ishin is in Mukurogai. You can access the spot late in Chapter Two, and again near the end of Chapter Three.
Here are all of the fish you can catch in Kamo River.
| Fish Name | How It Looks | Shadow Shape/Size |
|---|---|---|
| Crucian Carp |
|
Medium fish with triangular head. |
| Electric Catfish |
|
Medium to large fish with round head. |
| Salmon |
|
Medium to large fish with round head. |
| Crawfish |
|
Small blob. |
| Rainbow Trout |
|
Medium fish with round head, swims very fast. |
| Freshwater Eel | 
|
Long and thin. |
| Stringfish | 
|
Large fish with round head. |
| Sweetfish | 
|
Very small fish with round head. |
Not all fish will appear all the time, your best bet to get a good variety of fish in the Koma River is to use Top-Grade and Special Bait. Also, the Rivermaster and Peerless Rods are also best here.
All Fish at The Fishing Banks in Like a Dragon Ishin
The Fishing Banks in Like a Dragon Ishin are South of Teradaya Inn in Fushimi. It's one of the fishing spots you can access from the beginning of Chapter Two by speaking to the man with a boat and is one of the two sea fishing locations available.
Here are all of the fish that can be caught at The Fishing Banks.
| Fish Name | How It Looks | Shadow Shape/Size |
|---|---|---|
| Whitebait | 
|
Small fish with round head. |
| Sea Bream | 
|
Medium fish with triangular head. |
| Scorpionfish | 
|
Medium blob, swims quickly. |
| Thread-sail Filefish | 
|
Medium fish with triangular head. |
| Japanese Puffer | 
|
Medium blob, near top of your screen mostly. |
| Goby | 
|
Thin and long. |
| Porcupinefish | 
|
Medium blob, near top of your screen mostly. |
| Common Octopus | 
|
Medium blob. |
| Squid | 
|
Medium blob. |
| Tiger Prawn | 
|
Small blob, near rocks at bottom of screen mostly. |
To get the best results at The Fishing Banks, we suggest you use Top-Grade and Special Bait. Also, the Seamaster and Peerless Rods are best here.
All Fish at The East Coast in Like a Dragon Ishin
The East Coast in Like a Dragon Ishin is South of Teradaya Inn in Fushimi. It's the other fishing spot you can access from the beginning of Chapter Two by speaking to the man with a boat and is the other sea fishing location.
Here are all of the fish you can catch at The East Coast.
| Fish Name | How It Looks | Shadow Shape/Size |
|---|---|---|
| Whitebait |
|
Small fish with round head. |
| Thread-Sail Filefish |
|
Medium fish with triangular head. |
| Righteye Flounder | 
|
Medium fish with triangular head. |
| Bluefin Tuna | 
|
Huge fish with round head. |
| Marlin | 
|
Huge fish with round head. |
| Conger Eel | 
|
Very long and very thin. |
| Oarfish | 
|
Big, long and thin. |
| Great White Shark | 
|
Massive fish with round head. |
To get the best results at The East Coast, and increase your chances of getting Bluefin Tuna, Great White Shark, and an Oarfish, we suggest you use Top-Grade Bait. Also, the Seamaster and Peerless Rods are best here.
How to get Bait in Like a Dragon Ishin
Bait can be bought at a few places in Like a Dragon Ishin. The first place is at Ichikura's General Goods Store in Fushimi.
At Ichikura's store, you can buy:
- Bait (500 Mon)
- Quality Bait (1,000 Mon)
These are both the cheaper and lower-quality types of Bait available, but they are good if you are only after the smaller fish.
The next place you can buy bait cannot be accessed until Chapter Three. There is a Bait Monger running around the eastern side of Shijo Street in Rakunai.
Walk up to the vendor when you spot him and interact with him to buy:
- Bait (500 Mon)
- Quality Bait (1,000 Mon)
- Special Bait (2,000 Mon)
- Top-Grade Bait (5,000 Mon)
This is the one of the places you can get the Special and Top-Grade Bait that are perfect for attracting higher-quality fish.
You can also buy bait from Ebisu Pawn Rakunai, but you're more likely to get valuable Prize Tickets by visiting the Bait Monger.
How to use Bait in Like a Dragon Ishin
To use bait when you are fishing in Like a Dragon Ishin, look at the bottom right corner of your screen before you cast your line out.
There will be a set of command prompts there, and there should be one with 'Bait' next to it. Use the prompted command and then select 'Scatter Bait'. If you have bait, this will bring up your bait inventory.
Select which bait type you want to scatter into the water to use it. The bait will only have an effect for a short period of time, so use it wisely.
How to Upgrade your Fishing Rod in Like a Dragon Ishin
To upgrade your rod in Like a Dragon Ishin, you need to collect Virtue and visit a Shrine.
This is the Shrine closest to the Fushimi fishing spots:
When you are at the Shrine, you can purchase a new rod. However, you will need to buy the rods in order - you cannot automatically jump to buying the best one.
The order and cost of the rods are as follows:
- Easy Starter (this is the free one given to you at the beginning)
- River Classic (400 Virtue)
- Sea Classic (400 Virtue)
- Rivermaster Expertise (1,500 Virtue)
- Seamaster Expertise (1,500 Virtue)
- Peerless (4,000 Virtue)
Fortunately, fishing is an easy way of earning Virtue quickly so it's very easy to get the Peerless Pole early in the game.
How to change your Fishing Rod in Like a Dragon Ishin
To change your Fishing Rod in Like a Dragon Ishin, look at the bottom right corner of your screen before you cast your line out.
There will be a set of command prompts there, and there should be one with 'Tackle' next to it. Use the prompted command and then select the rod you want to use.
Now that you know everything there is to know about fishing, kick back, relax and cast your line out into the beautiful waters of Like a Dragon Ishin.
If you're getting stuck into Ryoma's adventures, check out our Like a Dragon Ishin Another Life guide to learn more about farming and how to get your own furry friend. Also, take a look at our Like a Dragon Ishin Trooper Abilities guide to learn how to recruit them and find out more about their cards.