When I saw Dredge sailing over the horizon ahead of its release a little while back, I remember its imminent arrival being met with a tidal wave of cynics who wrote it off as ‘a glorified fishing minigame.’ Which, I will admit, was a thought that crossed my mind too.
How could this game take fishing mechanics and bulk them out to produce an engaging and rich full-game experience?
Well, it didn’t take long for the indie gaming community to eat their words as they took to the seas in their droves to experience the Eldrich horrors for themselves. Dredge is a game that keeps you on your toes and offers one of the most addictive gameplay loops I’ve encountered in a while. Yet, in terms of the fishing mechanics, the game doesn’t reinvent the wheel.
Take legendary fish, for example. If you have played any title with a fishing mechanic, you’ll be familiar with seeking out fish of myth and legend. Whether that be the dreaded Legend Fish in Stardew Valley or perhaps the more realistic take on Legendary Fish in Red Dead Redemption 2.
These usually tend to be a challenge to track down, and even more of a pain to reel in if you do locate them. However, in Dredge, these fish aren’t any harder to catch than any other. The problem is that they are a doozy to find, especially when the sun goes down, and madness ensues.
Dredge is a gripping, post-apocalyptic survival adventure that challenges you to navigate a desolate world filled with danger and despair. With its immersive atmosphere and intense gameplay, forge alliances, scavenge for resources, and fight for survival against the relentless horrors that lurk in the shadows.
So with that in mind, we have put together a quick guide that will allow you to start this Pursuit, find each fish with ease, and get rewarded for your efforts. Catch a Legendary Fish, become a legendary fisherman; it’s a simple equation. So without further delay, here is IGC’s Dredge Legendary Fish Guide.
Unlocking the Legendary Fish Pursuit in Dredge
Before you head off in search of these fish of legend, you will need to locate the quest giver, because, as gamers, we don’t do anything in-game without the promise of rewards.
To unlock this quest, you will need to find one of the four pontoons located around the map. It doesn’t matter which one you find first, because the Travelling Merchant will always be on hand to give you this Pursuit. She can be found at any of the following pontoons that are marked on your map:
- Starlight Pontoon (Stellar Basin)
- Rickety Pontoon (Twisted Strand)
- Dusty Pontoon (Gale Cliffs)
- Charred Pontoon (Devil’s Spine)
If you talk to her, she will inform you that she is very interested in seeing some very rare and exotic fish with her own eyes, and is willing to make it worth your while if you go and seek them out. Thus begins your search for these super exotic sea creatures.
Finding the Legendary Fish
As you set off from the traveling Merchant’s pontoon, you will likely have no idea where to begin on your search, and that’s natural, so don’t panic.
The game gives you no hints on how to locate these rarities, meaning you will need to explore and encounter them, almost at random. However, with this guide at hand, you can sail right to their respective fishing spots and pull them aboard your vessel in record time. Here is a guide for each Legendary Fish in Dredge:
Oarfish (Gale Cliffs)
- Boat Requirements: Abyssal Rod
- Item Requirements: N/A
- Location: Co-ordinates P3
While you can go about catching these fish in any particular order, we would advise that you begin with the Oarfish, as this will allow you to complete the Relic Quest in Gale Cliffs which will allow you to purchase explosives.
These are needed to catch other fish on this list. If you need help completing this relic quest, then be sure to check out our Dredge Relics Guide!
The good news is that to catch the Oarfish, all you need to equip is an Abyssal Rod. When you have one of these rods, head out into the cliffs and be sure to avoid the Serpent that is lurking in the narrow passageways of the cliffs.
The best way to keep them at bay is with the use of the Banish Spell, which will give you a window to cut through the cliffs are reach the waterfall in coordinates P3.
As any seasoned gamer will know, you always go through any waterfall, as it tends to hide a cave of treasures, and this one is no exception. Behind this waterfall, you will find a fishing spot where you can catch the legendary Oarfish.
Goliath Tigerfish (Twisted Strand)
- Boat Requirements: Mangrove Rod
- Item Requirements: Explosives
- Location: Co-ordinates – F14
We then move on to the Goliath Tigerfish, found in the weaving maze of the Twisted Strand. This is one that can be very tough to find on your own, as it’s pretty easy to get turned around when navigating Twisted Strand.
Plus, to get to this fishing spot, you’ll need to blow up a fallen log with some explosives, which is why we began with the Oarfish, as the quest to acquire explosives occurs in Gale Cliffs.
When to blow this log to kingdom come, in this little enclosure, you will find a fishing spot where you can pull up the Goliath Tigerfish. Be sure you equip a Mangrove Rod before you head out to catch this one!
Gulper Eel (Stellar Basin)
- Boat Requirements: Hadal Rod
- Item Requirements: N/A
- Location: Co-ordinates F4
We then move on to Stellar Basin’s resident legendary fish, the Gulper Eel. This fish isn’t hidden at all. In fact, when you arrive at Stellar Basin, this fish will be waiting for you right in the middle of the basin.
The only problem is that there’s also a huge tentacle monster that will wreck your ship in seconds flat. There’s only one way to clear a path to this fishing spot, and that’s by helping the researcher with her Pursuit.
Eventually, she will give the ability to use her Research Outpost and activate the Repulsion Machine. This gives you a window to go into the center of the Basin and Dredge up the Jewel Encrusted Band. But while you are there, take a minute to fish for the Gulper Eel, and after that, you only have one more Legendary Fish to find!
Coelacanth (Devil’s Spine)
- Boat Requirements: Abyssal Rod
- Item Requirements: Explosives
- Location: Co-ordinates Q12
Then lastly, we have the Coelacanth, which is located all the way out in Devil’s Spine. This area can be a little tricky to navigate, so I would recommend you leave this one last.
To catch the Coelalanth, you will need to have an Abyssal Rod equipped, and you will need to grab some explosives from the Whaler in Gale Cliffs or from the Travelling Merchant. However, the real hurdle you need to clear to reach this fish is dodging all the Piranhas in this area.
These fish are dotted all around Devil’s Spine, and when you sail too close to them, they cling to your ship and inform the giant fish that you are near and vulnerable.
The best way to avoid these fish is by planning your route and using the underwater volcanoes to keep these Piranhas at bay. Then you can also use the Banish spell if you are really in a pinch.
The fishing spot where you find the Coelalanth has two entrances that you can blow up, but we would suggest entering from the outermost entrance as it’s much easier to get to without getting caught by Piranhas. Blow up this rock wall, and then fish up that long ol’ fish to complete your collection.
Quick Tips We Wish We Knew
While this all might seem pretty straightforward when you know the locations of these exotic fish, there are a couple of helpful tips that I want to give you guys before you set off in search of each fish. If I knew these things, I would have cut my search time in half for sure. Take a gander at these before you undock:
- The Travelling Merchant only wants to see each fish’s entry in your Journal. So you can sell these fish for $250 each, or more if you have buffs from reading books. Plus, if you accidentally let one of these fish rot in your inventory, don’t panic, as she will still give you the reward.
- After you have completed the Relic Quest in Ingfell (Gale Cliffs), you don’t need to sail back there every time you need to stock up on Explosives. You can purchase these from the Travelling Merchant as well.
- Don’t rush to complete this pursuit. It’s much easier to complete this quest when you have a boat that has a handful of top-end Engine upgrades.
- These fish can be caught day or night, so try to catch them during the day if you want an easier time getting to them
The Spoils
As you collect each of these legendary Fish, you should make a beeline for your nearest Pontoon so you can get maximum rewards for your efforts. As the quicker you get to the Pontoon, the better condition your Legendary fish will be in, and in turn, you will get more bang for your buck.
Aside from the cash injection you’ll get from selling each Legendary Fish; you will also get two Research Parts for every fish that you turn in, with a maximum of eight Research Parts to collect from the Travelling Merchant. You won’t get any additional rewards for completing the collection, but 8x Research Parts go a long way when aiming to fully upgrade your ship.
The Stuff of Legend
As you can see, when you know where these Legendary Fish are hiding, it’s a cakewalk to catch them and reap the rewards. You will need to complete a couple of the Relic Pursuits and make necessary upgrades to your ship before you can catch these fish, so there’s no need to undock from Greater Marrow and start tracking these down right away.
However, when you are ready to take on this challenge, I hope that this guide aids you in your quest to reel in these exotic creatures. Good luck, and as always, thanks for reading Indie Game Culture!
Dredge is a gripping, post-apocalyptic survival adventure that challenges you to navigate a desolate world filled with danger and despair. With its immersive atmosphere and intense gameplay, forge alliances, scavenge for resources, and fight for survival against the relentless horrors that lurk in the shadows.
Dredge Legendary Fish Guide: FAQs
Question: How Many Legendary Fish Are In Dredge?
Answer: There are a grand total of four Legendary Fish in Dredge. These fish do not have any Aberrations, so when you catch these four, your work is done.
Question: How Long to Catch All Legendary Fish?
Answer: It takes a little while to upgrade your ship with the necessary tools to catch fish, and you will also need to complete a couple of Relic Pursuits. However, if you are really hustling, you can probably complete this Pursuit in about five hours.
Question: Which Legendary Fish Is Hardest to Catch?
Answer: None of the fish are all that tricky to catch, as the fishing minigames are pretty rudimentary across the board. However, I would say that the Coelacanth in Devil’s Spine is hardest to get to, simply because Devil’s Spine is the most dangerous region in the game.
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