Struggling with Saddled Bichir and Arapiama

[Cetoddle769]

I’m missing the Saddled Bichir and Arapaima, and for the past two days I’ve been crafting lots of fish bait (AKA mashing the A button for 5 minutes) to try and catch them. But I keep getting Snapping Turtles, Black Bass, and Arowanas instead. I’m getting sick of digging up Manila Clams for hours on end. Is there an easier way to get these fish? Or do I just have to keep trying?

 

[Yoshi155]

Are you sure you’re looking for them at the right time? You can only find saddled bichirs between 9PM and 4AM, and arapaimas only spawn between 4PM and 9AM.

If you’re doing that, then I think the only other thing you can do is keep digging for Manila clams.

 

[Paperboy012305]

If it helps, you can just go to a mystery island at 9pm with a river and scare all the fish expect for the shadow sizes that house the fish you need.

The reason I suggest this is because the cooldown for fish and bugs in mystery islands don’t apply when compared to your own island, so there is no need to craft fish bait.
You’ll need your vaulting pole and ladder to have a better chance of scaring any fish you’re not looking for.

 

[Cetoddle769]

Are you sure you’re looking for them at the right time? You can only find saddled bichirs between 9PM and 4AM, and arapaimas only spawn between 4PM and 9AM.

If you’re doing that, then I think the only other thing you can do is keep digging for Manila clams.

Yeah, I’m looking for them after 9 PM. My sleep schedule’s gonna be screwed.

Post automatically merged: Jun 3, 2024

If it helps, you can just go to a mystery island at 9pm with a river and scare all the fish expect for the shadow sizes that house the fish you need.

The reason I suggest this is because the cooldown for fish and bugs in mystery islands don’t apply when compared to your own island, so there is no need to craft fish bait.
You’ll need your vaulting pole and ladder to have a better chance of scaring any fish you’re not looking for.

The only reason I’m not doing that is because I might run into a scorpion.

 

[Paperboy012305]

Yeah, I’m looking for them after 9 PM. My sleep schedule’s gonna be screwed.

Post automatically merged: Jun 3, 2024

The only reason I’m not doing that is because I might run into a scorpion.

Nah, they don't bother you unless you have your net out.

 

[Cetoddle769]

Nah, they don't bother you unless you have your net out.

I know. I just don’t want to be caught off guard and get spooked.

 

[Suguri]

I know. I just don’t want to be caught off guard and get spooked.

If you don't want that to happen to you, see this! It worked for me, so I hope it helps.

 

[Cetoddle769]

If you don't want that to happen to you, see this! It worked for me, so I hope it helps.

I know how to catch them, but thanks! It’s just that it’s random when you see one. They don’t scare me anymore unless one catches me by surprise. Even then, I always catch one when I see it without fail unless a tree or item is blocking my view.

 

[TN4U]

These two fish aren't particularly easy to get due to their catch times; the saddled bichir especially. For that, you simply have to fight endless black bass past 9PM and hope for the best, as the bichir's shadow is the same size.

For the arapaima, it's a huge fish (size 6), so the shadow is going to be considerably larger than the black bass and even the dorado. My tip for looking for an arapaima without wasting rod health is to look at the shadows' tails. If you see a larger shadow with a tail that's moving back-and-forth fairly quickly, it's a large fish (size 4) and likely a black bass (though the golden arowana is also the same shadow size). Dorados are a step up, being the same size as a sea bass' shadow (very large; size 5) with the tail not moving back-and-forth as much. Huge shadows should be fairly easy to identify with little movement, and the controller will vibrate very heavily when in the middle of catching one. They come out past 4PM.

As far as I know, the only other very large (size 5) shadow fish in the river is the pike, and that doesn't come around until September (March for S. Hemi). The arapaima is the only huge-shadowed fish found in rivers (not counting the sturgeon and king salmon, both of which are only found in river mouths).

This information might appear a bit complicated, but it's how an experienced NH player like myself knows.

 

[Cetoddle769]

I caught th Arapiama yesterday. I was going on some mystery tours and landed on big fish island. I actually caught three Arapiamas. I donated one to the museum and saved the other two for the model.