How to win the fishing tournament
Like I said, this is less of an actual tournament and more of a “catch as many as you can” type event. The other villagers on your island will be fishing everywhere you look, but you are less competing with them and more just doing your own thing and hoping to hit certain thresholds. So you don't have to worry about catching more or more fish than the competition. Instead, you just need to catch as many fish as possible.
How much do you need We explain in detail here with all the prizes you'll win along the way. In short, you want 300 points at the end of the day. It would take a few hours of fishing though, so we've already given some tips on how to prepare before the fishing tournament even starts. If this has started, we also want to help you out by explaining how to win the whole thing, which means catching hundreds of fish in each tournament session.
After speaking with CJ and starting the tournament, you will get a free three minute fishing session during which you can earn points. After that, each new one costs 500 bells, but since you buy all the fish you catch at 150% of the normal price, you should still be making money all the time. As we explained in this guide, you need to prepare additional fishing rods and bait. If you don't, you can take a break from the actual tournament to prepare for some, if you wish. Otherwise, you'll just want to go round after round, snapping to make fishing rods in between.
Since the size and type of fish is not important for points, you just want to run to the nearest body of water to start. Hurry up. So have a plan in place for where you are going. You want to be constantly on the move, with water nearby where fish can spawn. Do not back up or run in case it scares the fish away. Most of the islands have a central area surrounded by the ocean on one side and rivers on the other, follow this path clockwise or counterclockwise, allowing time for new fish to spawn off the screen.
Once you've spotted one, place your hook in front of them as quickly as possible, but be careful not to try and wind them too early. I find turning up the volume and closing your eyes the best way to catch fish, because the "bloop" sound they make when they bite is easier to respond to than visual queues. This should help you collect the most fish in the shortest possible time, which is the key to winning the fishing tournament in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Once you've got all the prizes and hit over 300 points, you can stop by and wait for your Gold Fish trophy to arrive in the mail the next day.
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