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Fisher or Tapper in Stardew Valley
Are you having a hard time deciding which profession between a fisher and a tapper is better in playing Stardew Valley? Check out this article to help you choose between the two skill upgrades.
Stardew Valley is a game that revolves around being the owner of the farm your grandfather left you. In order to successfully progress in this game, there are important tasks you must do aside from the missions, one of which is fishing.
In fishing, you have two important jobs to do here. One is to catch different types of fish using a fishing rod, and the other one is collecting items by using crab pots. As you continue fishing in the game, you will be able to level up your fishing skill which will eventually help you to an easier fishing experience.
The good thing about fishing is it will eventually let you choose between two professions as you reach level 5 which are the fisher and trapper which we will talk about more later.
What are Fishing Skills in Stardew Valley?
In Stardew Valley, fishing skill is something you would like to level up quickly. Not only that it is quite interesting to catch fish in-game, but upgrading it also rewards you with different items. Plus, the professions offered at levels 5 and 10 give you leverage over other players if you picked them correctly.
Using a fishing rod you can earn fishing level experiences by catching fish, trash, seaweed, and green or white algae. The same goes with collecting items from the fish ponds, and with harvesting your crab pots. Aside from all these, each level increase also grants a +1 fishing rod proficiency. With increased proficiency, the minimum size of fish you can catch and the bobber bar height increase. Plus, it also shortens the time it takes for the fish to bite the bait.
As mentioned before, leveling up your fishing skills give you specific rewards. Here are the rewards you can receive upon leveling up:
Level 1: Casting distance is increased by one tile
Level 2: Bait. Fiberglass Rod
Level 3: Crab Pot, Dish O’ The Sea
Level 4: Recycling Machine, casting distance increased by one tile
Level 6: Spinner, Trap Bobber
Level 7: Cork Bobber, Treasure Hunter
Level 8: Worm Bin, Barbed Hook, Dressed Spinner
Level 9: Seafoam Pudding, Magnet
However, on levels 5 and 10, you will not receive any items. Instead, you will be asked to choose a profession and its specialization respectively.
The first choice that you will be asked on level 5 is whether you will choose a fisher or a trapper. This is a crucial stage as you also need to consider the specializations each profession will offer. Having said that, here’s the next section with a more detailed explanation of each.
Fisher Profession
Choosing the fisher profession increases the value of the fish you collect by 25%. If you find fishing in Stardew Valley an interesting activity and you enjoy it a lot, selecting this profession is a good stunt in getting profit from your catch. Not only that it boosts the value of fish that you caught in ponds or lakes, but also the items in the crab pots.
During early games, this may sound too simple. But as you progress and reached the maximum level, you will realize that your choice is worth it. Speaking of the maximum level of your fishing skills, the choices that you will have to choose from are the angler and pirate.
Angler
If you think a 25% boost to the value of your fish is awesome, then you better consider the angler specialization. In case you wonder why, well, here’s the catch – picking the angler specialization increases the worth of your fish by 50%.
To the players who enjoy the fishing mini-games, then I think this choice will make you enjoy it more.
Pirate
In your progress in playing Stardew Valley, it is possible that you have already experienced finding a treasure chest while fishing. It may be an uncommon situation, but by selecting the pirate profession, your chance of finding treasure chests while fishing is doubled.
The treasure chests contain various kinds of loot. It can be a piece of stone, geodes, or an ornamental fan. Although the pirate specialization does not boost the amount of your catch, selling the chests will also cost a hefty amount of money. You can also opt to donate the items inside the museum.
Trapper Profession
The trapper, on the other hand, reduces the required number of resources for crafting crab pots. The base requirements in crafting a crab pot are 40 pieces of wood and 3 iron bars. Upon choosing this profession, the required crafting materials will change into 25 pieces of wood and 2 copper bars.
This is the complete opposite of the fisher, making this the best option for the players who don’t enjoy fishing. All you have to do is set traps and place tools with baits. From there, you will be able to collect the items, resources, and trapped fish inside.
During the early game, this will be pretty helpful since you can craft lots of crab pots without using your iron bars. As you progress, it will gradually lose its relevance as the availability of iron bars increases.
As per its maximum level, you will be asked to choose between a mariner or a luremaster.
Mariner
If you are one of those players who don’t check their traps every day, the mariner will be a great choice for you. Picking the mariner removes all the chances of having junk items in your crab pots. Once you pick this with that kind of attitude, you will go home to your farm one day with one big haul of shellfish and mollusks. It is guaranteed that you will have a steady supply of these sea creatures without the effort of fishing.
Luremaster
Contrary to the mariner specialization, luremaster is the skill for players who often check their crab pots. Upon choosing this, the crab pots that you are setting up won’t require baits anymore. It would be more convenient for you as you won’t have to bring baits with you every day.
Fisher vs. Trapper: Which is Better?
In deciding which profession you will choose, you should first consider your needs, then your play style.
Generally speaking, the fisher profession has the most picked rate among Stardew Valley players, along with the angler specialization. Aside from it being profitable, the angler specialization also is one of the most balanced among other fishing skills. Although the pirate specialization also boosts your profits, it also comes with a downside. Since this skill increases the chance of getting treasure chests, the chance of catching fish is reduced. It can be a big drawback, especially for some tasks that require certain types of fish.
On the other hand, if you are more of an idle player who prefers to wait for more than catch fish, then a trapper is a good choice. Along with this, luremaster makes a good pair with it. When you think about it, collecting items every day gives you a higher chance of having stock than checking them every other day.
