How to fish in Nintendo Labo and catch a shark

Of all the Nintendo Labo Variety Kit games, the fishing mini-game is the deepest and not just because it requires you sinking your lure in the big blue to catch some pesky fish. It’s actually surprisingly hard to catch the bigger fish in Nintendo Labo, and if you want to add every single one to your aquarium, you might need to learn how to fish in Nintendo Labo. Don’t worry, it took us many, many, hours to catch a shark.

1. The deeper you go, the harder the fish will be to catch

It almost goes without saying, but if you’re just starting out on your Nintendo Labo fishing career, you might want to stick to the shallows for a bit until you’ve got to grips with the quirks of how exactly to use the rod without snapping the line over, and over, again. Down in the deep you’ll find things like rays, sunfish, angler fish, swordfish and even a shark. But beware, they won’t be caught without a fight.

2. When the line turns white, it’s in danger of breaking

Getting a fish on the end of your line isn’t about skill, it’s about patience. But actually getting them out of the water is another task altogether, mostly because the more alluring catches will try their hardest to make a break for it by snapping your line. As you reel a fish in, you’ll see your line turning white and making a kind of elastic stretching sound. As soon as you notice either of those, give the line a little slack either by reeling out or letting the line go back into the Labo sea a touch. Keep that slack going until the fish stops fighting and your line goes back to normal. 

3. Your line’s ‘health’ doesn’t replenish

You’ll want to do the above as soon as the fish starts fighting on the line, because the more they struggle and stretch your reel, the weaker it gets. Think of it as having its own little health bar, and every time it goes white it loses some health and you won’t get that back until you’ve reeled the fish right out of the water, or you get a new line after your last one snaps. 

4. Know when and how to reel a fish in

Part of the process of becoming an expert Labo fisherman is to know exactly when and how you should reel a fish in. When a fish isn’t fighting you, reel as fast as you can (without damaging your Labo fishing rod, of course), giving slack as soon as the fight starts. When they stop struggling, make sure you move your pole to make sure the line goes straight up from the fish’s mouth. If you start reeling at an angle, you’ll soon find the line is glowing white once more.  

5. If you want to hook the biggest fish, you’ll need some bait

Down in the ocean depths, there are big fishy prizes to be found and if you want to count something like a shark as one of your aquarium inhabitants you’ll need to enlist a smaller fish’s help. Well, not help as much as a sacrifice to be honest. In the shallower water, get a small fish on the end of your line and then work your way down to the depths. You can use smaller fish to lure in the biggest catches, and make them slightly easier to nab. 

6. Watch out for the crab, he nips

If you think the shark is the hardest thing in the sea to catch, you obviously haven’t tried to make friends with a crab. Unlike anything else in the sea, this little bugger will use its claws to snip your reel clean in half and then disappear into the abyss. You’ll have to pull out all your reel-y good tactics in order to stop him.