How to Get the Fishing Rod in Dave the Diver: In the Jungle

Dave the Diver: In the Jungle introduces a variety of new activities, from turn-based jungle combat against spiders and snakes to hunting game birds with a rifle. However, one feature stands out as particularly intriguing: fishing. After catching hundreds of fish in previous games, Dave can finally engage in traditional fishing using a fishing rod. Once you have it, you can explore several ponds scattered throughout the jungle and discover unique fish species not found elsewhere. But first, you need to acquire the fishing rod, and that requires bringing down a very mean fish.

Finding the Piraiba Catfish

To obtain the fishing rod, you must first do a favor for one of the villagers. Locate Basu, a friendly character living east of Dave's cabin, just on the edge of the lake. He is often found outside his house, though he may be fishing off his dock. If needed, enter his house and exit through the back door that overlooks the water.

Talk to Basu and ask about his favorite things. He will mention the Piraiba Catfish, requesting that you serve the fish in some form at your restaurant. While he doesn't explicitly mention the fishing rod, it is the reward for bringing him a piece of Piraiba Catfish.

To find the Piraiba Catfish, dive into the lake and swim to the right. You should reach a depth of between 35-75 meters while exploring. The Piraiba Catfish is typically found in the middle of the lake at that depth. It has a dark gray color with a white underbelly, is roughly three times larger than Dave, and has long whiskers.

Tips for Battling the Piraiba Catfish

  • Make sure to have extra ammo as one of your hotbar items and spare oxygen (healing) as the other.
  • The Piraiba Catfish tends to swim directly toward you and attempt to swallow you whole.
  • When it tries to swallow you, you must complete a quicktime event to avoid being pulled in.
  • If you fail, you'll have to escape from its stomach with another quicktime event.
  • It is recommended to circle the fish while shooting it with a sniper rifle and switch to a shotgun when it gets close.
  • When it charges at you, swim either directly up or down to avoid its mouth.

After defeating the Piraiba Catfish, you can either summon your salvage drone to retrieve it or cut off some of its meat with your knife. Return to Basu with a piece of the fish, and he will reward you with the fishing rod. His shop will also become available, where you can purchase bait and upgrade your fishing rod.

Once you have the fishing rod, you can explore any of the fishing spots in the game. These are marked on your map with a fishing rod icon. You'll find a pond to the west of the village near the waterfall and shooting range, as well as three fishing ponds on the jungle map. You can also fish off Basu's dock next to the lake.