How to Put Bait on Your Fishing Rod and Crab Pot in Stardew Valley

A game changer for anglers everywhere

If you want fish, you have to give them a reason to bite. Here’s how to put bait on your fishing rod and in the crab pot in Stardew Valley.

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How to Put Bait on Your Fishing Rod and Crab Pot in Stardew Valley

When it comes to making a living in Pelican Town, it’s a good idea to have all your bases covered. You should be mining, farming, raising animals, and, of course, fishing. But to fish most efficiently, you’ll need to use bait.

You can obtain bait by crafting it using Bug Meat, harvesting it from the craftable Worm Bin, or by purchasing it from Wily. Once you have bait in your inventory, open your inventory.

  • On PC, use the left mouse button to click on bait. Then, use the right mouse button on the fishing rod to equip the bait to it. To select only one piece of bait, press the right mouse button while hovering over the bait.
  • On Xbox, press ‘A’ while hovering over the bait. Then, press ‘X’ while hovering over the fishing rod. To select only one piece of bait, press the ‘X’ button while hovering over the bait.
  • Os PS4, press ‘X’ while hovering over the bait. Then, select the square button while hovering over the fishing rod. To select only one piece of bait, press the square button while hovering over the bait.
  • On Switch, press ‘A’ while hovering over the bait. Then, select ‘Y’ while hovering over the fishing rod. To select only one piece of bait, press the ‘Y’ button while hovering over the bait.

Worth noting is that Deluxe Bait will only equip to Fiberglass Rods, Iridium Rods, or Advance Iridium Rods. So, if the bait refuses to equip to your fishing rod, make sure your fishing rod is a high enough quality to use the bait.

If you want to put bait in a crab pot, you must first put the crab pot in the water. Then, you’ll need to select a singular piece of bait. Then, return the next day to see what’s waiting for you in the crab pot.

Fish can do more than help you stave off starvation. They can also help you win the Stardew Valley Fair in your first year, making them well worth the effort. And if you’re really good at fishing, you may even get prize tickets from treasure chests.  


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About the Author

Daphne Fama

A Staff Writer at Prima Games since 2022, Daphne Fama spends an inordinate amount playing games of all stripes but has a soft spot for horror, FPS, and RPGs. When she’s not gaming, she’s an author and member of the Horror Writers Association with a debut novel coming out in 2025. In a previous life, she was an attorney but found she preferred fiction to contracts and forms