Does anyone have any tips for catching a lava eel in Android?

[Ally Fenz]

I am Level 8 in Fishing and using a Trout Soup buff with regular bait and a barbed hook on an iridium rod. So far, I have caught much, much trash and had very few hits. The few hits I've had I've had no success keeping the fish on the line. Should I be using some other tackle?

 

[hexnessie]

OK so I'm not a very experienced player so others will probably weigh in but Lava Eel is one of the hardest basic fish to catch, with only the Octopus being harder. I only caught my Lava Eel at level 10 fishing, with Lobster Bisque, cork bobber and a lot of internal screaming.

That was on PC though, I imagine it may be even harder on a mobile device.

 

[Ally Fenz]

OK so I'm not a very experienced player so others will probably weigh in but Lava Eel is one of the hardest basic fish to catch, with only the Octopus being harder. I only caught my Lava Eel at level 10 fishing, with Lobster Bisque, cork bobber and a lot of internal screaming.

That was on PC though, I imagine it may be even harder on a mobile device.

Yes, I find fishing to be the hardest skill on the mobile game. I'm Level 10 on everything else in Year 9. I have played many save files on PC, but never gone after the lava eel. I always made it to Level 10 in fishing far before this point on PC, but I'm just now getting into fish ponds and I want a lava eel to put in one.

 

[Elenna101]

I am Level 8 in Fishing and using a Trout Soup buff with regular bait and a barbed hook on an iridium rod. So far, I have caught much, much trash and had very few hits. The few hits I've had I've had no success keeping the fish on the line. Should I be using some other tackle?

Personally I like using the trap bobber on hard fish, on the basis that they're going to bounce around a lot, so they're going to spend some time outside your bar basically whatever you do, so you may as well decrease that penalty. Others like cork bobbers.
I wouldn't suggest using a barbed hook - as the description says, it works best on slow, weak fish, so it's probably not helping you that much.

Also, you might want a better buff than trout soup. (If you didn't know, you can increase your skill level past 10 with food buffs, and each level increases the size of your fishing bar.) Seafoam pudding is the best, but it's hard to make and doesn't last very long. Lobster bisque is nice because you can get the ingredients in any season. You might also have some leftover dish o' the sea from the specialty fish bundle reward, if you've done that.
There's a full list of foods that have fishing buffs on this wiki page.

 

[Ally Fenz]

Personally I like using the trap bobber on hard fish, on the basis that they're going to bounce around a lot, so they're going to spend some time outside your bar basically whatever you do, so you may as well decrease that penalty. Others like cork bobbers.
I wouldn't suggest using a barbed hook - as the description says, it works best on slow, weak fish, so it's probably not helping you that much.

Also, you might want a better buff than trout soup. (If you didn't know, you can increase your skill level past 10 with food buffs, and each level increases the size of your fishing bar.) Seafoam pudding is the best, but it's hard to make and doesn't last very long. Lobster bisque is nice because you can get the ingredients in any season. You might also have some leftover dish o' the sea from the specialty fish bundle reward, if you've done that.
There's a full list of foods that have fishing buffs on this wiki page.

I actually had tried the trap bobber on the void salmon with mixed success, so I wasn't a fan, but I am now! I caught a lava eel with one! I had wanted a better buff than trout soup, but I don't think I have the recipe for seafoam pudding (I usually buy it from the traveling cart) and I didn't have any lobster for bisque as I haven't had crab pots set in awhile. I totally forgot about dish o' the sea, though. I'll have to see if I have some. I probably do.

 

[Elenna101]

I actually had tried the trap bobber on the void salmon with mixed success, so I wasn't a fan, but I am now! I caught a lava eel with one! I had wanted a better buff than trout soup, but I don't think I have the recipe for seafoam pudding (I usually buy it from the traveling cart) and I didn't have any lobster for bisque as I haven't had crab pots set in awhile. I totally forgot about dish o' the sea, though. I'll have to see if I have some. I probably do.

Oh, right, I forgot seafoam pudding is from Fishing level 9 so obviously you wouldn't have that yet. Anyways, glad you caught it!

 

[Laissez_Faire_Farming]

I just happen to be very lucky. I managed to catch one with my Dressed Spinner without food to enhance my fishing skills.
– it was a waste of time, I happen to experience a lot of failure and I do not recommend following my strategy.

 

[imnvs]

I know a lot of people like the trap bobber because of the fish getting away slower. I'm a big fan of the cork bobber, though. Eat some good food to boost my fishing level as high as possible and then the cork bobber? My fishing bar is hee-ooge. That way the fish is getting away less often.

 

[Ally Fenz]

I just happen to be very lucky. I managed to catch one with my Dressed Spinner without food to enhance my fishing skills.
– it was a waste of time, I happen to experience a lot of failure and I do not recommend following my strategy.

As it happens, my food buff had run out before I caught the eel, so it was all the trap bobber and my Level 8 skill. Go figure!