Unlocking the Fishing Rod in Dave the Diver: Jungle Edition

In Dave the Diver: In the Jungle, there’s a wealth of new activities to dive into, from turn-based battles against jungle critters like spiders and snakes to hunting game birds with a rifle. However, the activity that truly hooked me was fishing.

It might sound odd, but after reeling in countless fish throughout the game, Dave finally gets to fish in a classic way—not with a harpoon or net gun, but with a traditional fishing rod. Once you snag this rod, you can cast your line in various ponds scattered across the jungle, allowing you to catch unique fish types that you won’t find anywhere else. But first, you need to earn that fishing rod by taking down a rather formidable fish.

To get your hands on the fishing rod, you’ll need to help out one of the villagers. Seek out Basu, a friendly guy living east of Dave’s cabin, right by the lake. He’s usually hanging out near his house, but if he’s off fishing, you might have to go inside and head out the back door to find him.

Chat with Basu and ask about his favorite things. He’ll mention the Piraiba Catfish and request that you serve it in your restaurant. While he won’t directly mention the fishing rod, that’s the reward for bringing him some Piraiba Catfish.

To catch the Piraiba Catfish, dive into the lake and swim to the right, aiming for a depth of 35-75 meters. This is where you’ll typically find the Piraiba Catfish, which is dark gray with a white underbelly, about three times Dave’s size, and sporting long whiskers.

The Piraiba Catfish is no pushover, so make sure you have extra ammo and some healing items ready. It tends to charge right at you, trying to swallow you whole.

When it lunges, you’ll need to complete a quicktime event to dodge its attack. If you fail, you’ll have to escape from its stomach in another quicktime event. I recommend circling around it while taking shots with your sniper rifle, switching to your shotgun when it gets too close, and swimming up or down to evade its mouth when it charges.

Once you’ve taken down the catfish, either call in your salvage drone to retrieve it or slice off some meat with your knife. Head back to Basu and deliver a piece of the Piraiba Catfish. In return, he’ll hand over the fishing rod, and his shop will open up, offering bait and upgrades for your rod.

Now you’re ready to fish at any of the designated spots in the game! These locations are marked on your map with a fishing rod icon. You’ll find a pond to the west of the village near the waterfall by the shooting range, along with three fishing ponds on the jungle map. You can also fish off Basu’s dock by the lake.