Slickyrider
Rider of Slickies
So, this is something that many, including myself, have already done to farm insane amounts of Bells in relatively short bursts of time. Repeatedly catching the rare beetles that appear on the island after 7 PM, until you've caught the maximum amount that the basket can hold. Unfortunately, it isn't down to a strict science yet. That's what this thread is for, at least hopefully.
The most valuable, single post about the process is surely this tumblr post.
There's also another thread on this matter:
"Want To Make 1 Mil Bells Per Day?"
The algorithm therein is mostly true, but not entirely. But first, let's back up, and make a simple, step-by-step guide for doing this.
1. Enact the Bell Boom ordinance. This is crucial, and practically required.
2. Ensure that it is between 7 PM to 11 PM. Preferably around 7 PM.
3. Go to the island, and walk outside. (Note: mashing the "A" button while in Kapp'n's boat allows you to skip his song, and immediately travel between your town and the island.)
4. Get the net from Lloid. Head to the center of the island, and scare away any bugs there, whatsoever.
5. Begin slowly patrolling the perimeter of the island, around the palm trees. If you see a bug on a palm tree, you should probably* catch it. These bugs will net you anywhere from 7,200 to 14,400 Bells a piece, under the Bell Boom ordinance.
6. Repeat until your pockets are full, and deposit them into the basket in the hut. The basket can carry up to 40 items, and your pocket capacity is 16 items. Make two "full" trips outside (catch 16 rare bugs on the palm trees), then make one half-trip (8 bugs on the palm trees), and your farming trip will be complete. Of course, be sure to sell them at Re-Tail, for maximum profit.
Price Guide
[14,400 Bells] - Rarer than others
Horned Hercules
Golden Stag
[9,600 Bells] - What you'll usually be catching
Horned Atlas
Horned Elephant
Cyclommatus Stag
[7,200 Bells] - Try to avoid this one*
Goliath Beetle
I don't need to tell you that the less Goliath Beetles you catch, the more money you're going to make. Try not to catch any whatsoever, in all honesty. Unless Reese is buying them at premium prices, which brings me to this little chart:
Premium Price Guide
[7,200 Bell-Yield Bugs = 10,000+ at Premium]
[9,600 Bell-Yield Bugs = 16,000 at Premium]
[14,400 Bell-Yield Bugs = 24,000 at Premium]
Common Bugs
Wharf Roach
Tiger Beetle
Horned Dynastid, Oak Silk Moth, Fruit Beetle, etc.
As alluded to in the tumblr post, the above bugs prevent/reduce the spawning rate of rare beetles on the island. You have to either frighten them away, or catch and release them, in order to allow more rare beetles to spawn.
The Horned Dynastid, Oak Silk Moth, Fruit Beetle, and all related bugs, only spawn on the normal trees in the center of the island. All you have to do is run near them/the trees in order to get rid of them. Easy, right? Same for the Tiger Beetle. It moves at an extremely slow pace, and all you need to do is run near it, for it to hop away like the coward that it is.
The Wharf Roach is, by far, the absolute worst bug in the game. The developers must have put it there, just so you couldn't absolutely break the game within a half an hour. This is the only active obstacle between you and infinite bells.
So much as slowly walking by using the net, normally walking, and especially running, will set off the Wharf Roach. What I mean by this is, it will start running in absolutely random directions, and will become impossible to catch. The only way to rid yourself of the malicious Wharf Roach, is to force it to commit suicide, by guiding it to running into the ocean, or catching and releasing it. The Wharf Roach is constantly changing the direction that it is facing, so forcing it to commit suicide isn't as difficult as it might sound. Using your net while near it will cause it to run farther than it usually does, directly in the direction that it is facing. It is literally the most bothersome creature throughout the entirety of this game, and will cause you grand amounts of frustration while doing this. Now, this brings me to another matter...
Sensitivity
What I mean by this is, all bugs have varying degrees of sensitivity. The level of action that you can create while within its vicinity, without causing it to fly away is its "sensitivity limit". Once again, here's a simple ranking:
[Extremely high sensitivity]:
Horned Hercules - You might not even see this thing, before it flies away. You could be walking behind the tree that it is spawned upon, and it can simply fly away. Be sure to slow your movement speed as soon as you see this thing, and make sure that you do NOT fully move the gyropad, to maximize your movement speed while slowed by the net. This will surely cause it to fly away.
[Moderately high sensitivity]:
Golden Stag - The game gives you a bit more leeway with the Golden Stag. Don't get me wrong, fully moving the gyropad will probably still cause it to fly away, but it won't just immediately flee if you're walking behind its tree. Once again, slow yourself as soon as you spot it, and be sure not to exert the full extent of the gyropad.
[Moderate sensitivity]:
Horned Atlus & Horned Elephant - You get a bit of breathing room here. Simply walking (without net-slowing yourself) probably won't frighten them, as long as you're not near the tree. I find the Atlas to be more sensitive than the Elephant - you have less "walking room", so to speak, before it flees. Slow yourself with the net when you're about halfway to the tree (a bit more than halfway for the Atlas), and it isn't wise to fully exert the gyropad once you get close, so be sure to slightly retract the gyropad once you're starting to get there.
[Low sensitivity]:
Cyclommatus Stag & Goliath Beetle - Walking, even running (at a distance) is pretty safe when going for these bugs. You CAN fully exert the gyropad, until you're nearing the shadow of the tree. I mean, the low-sensitivity bugs still have feelings, you know? Anyway, these are by FAR, the easiest to capture. Like I said, though, try to avoid Goliath Beetles at all costs. As for the final subject, something rather important...
Tree Positioning
Personally, I cut down everything (including bushes) in the center of the island, then retrieved 4 fruits from one of the tours, and planted them in a square shape in the center of the island. I find this to be rather easy, as, when first entering the outside of the island, 2 bugs almost always spawn on the bottom two trees. After waiting a bit for the rare bugs to spawn, there's almost always a rare on the bottom-right palm tree. I kept the original number of palm trees (12), though I find that most others don't.
One of the posts in the thread that I linked at the beginning of this one, stated that they cut down all but 2 palm trees (one on the left, one on the right), and kept one tree in the center. Though I have never tried this, I'd imagine that it's effective, to some end.
So, in the end, what should you do? Well, I'd advise at least digging up the bushes in the center, so that no butterflies spawn. They're absolutely unnecessary, and will only cause issues. Tree positioning is probably the most contended subtopic in island-Bell farming, and I don't think that there's a single, optimal way. I'm quite fond of my set-up, but it's not perfect for everyone. Try it for yourself. Experiment. Post your results here, or somewhere else.
Concluding Notes
To conclude this guide, here's a golden rule:
1. Don't catch Goliath Beetles. Seriously, I can't stress this enough. You're only hurting yourself.
If you return with no Goliath Beetles at all, you'll probably make somewhere between 400,000-450,000 Bells, depending on how many rare bugs and sharks you caught. Ah, yes, I forgot to mention that sharks should be caught at all opportunities. That's just common sense, though.
Note: Saw Sharks are only worth around 8,000. All other sharks available on the island are worth 10,000+, however, so only the Saw Shark isn't worth it.
The entire process takes anywhere from 30 to 50 minutes, depending on how lucky and efficient you are. This is assuming that you only discriminate against Goliath Beetles and Saw Sharks, and catch only the beetles that spawn on the palm trees.
Good luck to everyone, and happy farming!
The most valuable, single post about the process is surely this tumblr post.
There's also another thread on this matter:
"Want To Make 1 Mil Bells Per Day?"
The algorithm therein is mostly true, but not entirely. But first, let's back up, and make a simple, step-by-step guide for doing this.
1. Enact the Bell Boom ordinance. This is crucial, and practically required.
2. Ensure that it is between 7 PM to 11 PM. Preferably around 7 PM.
3. Go to the island, and walk outside. (Note: mashing the "A" button while in Kapp'n's boat allows you to skip his song, and immediately travel between your town and the island.)
4. Get the net from Lloid. Head to the center of the island, and scare away any bugs there, whatsoever.
5. Begin slowly patrolling the perimeter of the island, around the palm trees. If you see a bug on a palm tree, you should probably* catch it. These bugs will net you anywhere from 7,200 to 14,400 Bells a piece, under the Bell Boom ordinance.
6. Repeat until your pockets are full, and deposit them into the basket in the hut. The basket can carry up to 40 items, and your pocket capacity is 16 items. Make two "full" trips outside (catch 16 rare bugs on the palm trees), then make one half-trip (8 bugs on the palm trees), and your farming trip will be complete. Of course, be sure to sell them at Re-Tail, for maximum profit.
Price Guide
[14,400 Bells] - Rarer than others
Horned Hercules
Golden Stag
[9,600 Bells] - What you'll usually be catching
Horned Atlas
Horned Elephant
Cyclommatus Stag
[7,200 Bells] - Try to avoid this one*
Goliath Beetle
I don't need to tell you that the less Goliath Beetles you catch, the more money you're going to make. Try not to catch any whatsoever, in all honesty. Unless Reese is buying them at premium prices, which brings me to this little chart:
Premium Price Guide
[7,200 Bell-Yield Bugs = 10,000+ at Premium]
[9,600 Bell-Yield Bugs = 16,000 at Premium]
[14,400 Bell-Yield Bugs = 24,000 at Premium]
Common Bugs
Wharf Roach
Tiger Beetle
Horned Dynastid, Oak Silk Moth, Fruit Beetle, etc.
As alluded to in the tumblr post, the above bugs prevent/reduce the spawning rate of rare beetles on the island. You have to either frighten them away, or catch and release them, in order to allow more rare beetles to spawn.
The Horned Dynastid, Oak Silk Moth, Fruit Beetle, and all related bugs, only spawn on the normal trees in the center of the island. All you have to do is run near them/the trees in order to get rid of them. Easy, right? Same for the Tiger Beetle. It moves at an extremely slow pace, and all you need to do is run near it, for it to hop away like the coward that it is.
The Wharf Roach is, by far, the absolute worst bug in the game. The developers must have put it there, just so you couldn't absolutely break the game within a half an hour. This is the only active obstacle between you and infinite bells.
So much as slowly walking by using the net, normally walking, and especially running, will set off the Wharf Roach. What I mean by this is, it will start running in absolutely random directions, and will become impossible to catch. The only way to rid yourself of the malicious Wharf Roach, is to force it to commit suicide, by guiding it to running into the ocean, or catching and releasing it. The Wharf Roach is constantly changing the direction that it is facing, so forcing it to commit suicide isn't as difficult as it might sound. Using your net while near it will cause it to run farther than it usually does, directly in the direction that it is facing. It is literally the most bothersome creature throughout the entirety of this game, and will cause you grand amounts of frustration while doing this. Now, this brings me to another matter...
Sensitivity
What I mean by this is, all bugs have varying degrees of sensitivity. The level of action that you can create while within its vicinity, without causing it to fly away is its "sensitivity limit". Once again, here's a simple ranking:
[Extremely high sensitivity]:
Horned Hercules - You might not even see this thing, before it flies away. You could be walking behind the tree that it is spawned upon, and it can simply fly away. Be sure to slow your movement speed as soon as you see this thing, and make sure that you do NOT fully move the gyropad, to maximize your movement speed while slowed by the net. This will surely cause it to fly away.
[Moderately high sensitivity]:
Golden Stag - The game gives you a bit more leeway with the Golden Stag. Don't get me wrong, fully moving the gyropad will probably still cause it to fly away, but it won't just immediately flee if you're walking behind its tree. Once again, slow yourself as soon as you spot it, and be sure not to exert the full extent of the gyropad.
[Moderate sensitivity]:
Horned Atlus & Horned Elephant - You get a bit of breathing room here. Simply walking (without net-slowing yourself) probably won't frighten them, as long as you're not near the tree. I find the Atlas to be more sensitive than the Elephant - you have less "walking room", so to speak, before it flees. Slow yourself with the net when you're about halfway to the tree (a bit more than halfway for the Atlas), and it isn't wise to fully exert the gyropad once you get close, so be sure to slightly retract the gyropad once you're starting to get there.
[Low sensitivity]:
Cyclommatus Stag & Goliath Beetle - Walking, even running (at a distance) is pretty safe when going for these bugs. You CAN fully exert the gyropad, until you're nearing the shadow of the tree. I mean, the low-sensitivity bugs still have feelings, you know? Anyway, these are by FAR, the easiest to capture. Like I said, though, try to avoid Goliath Beetles at all costs. As for the final subject, something rather important...
Tree Positioning
Personally, I cut down everything (including bushes) in the center of the island, then retrieved 4 fruits from one of the tours, and planted them in a square shape in the center of the island. I find this to be rather easy, as, when first entering the outside of the island, 2 bugs almost always spawn on the bottom two trees. After waiting a bit for the rare bugs to spawn, there's almost always a rare on the bottom-right palm tree. I kept the original number of palm trees (12), though I find that most others don't.
One of the posts in the thread that I linked at the beginning of this one, stated that they cut down all but 2 palm trees (one on the left, one on the right), and kept one tree in the center. Though I have never tried this, I'd imagine that it's effective, to some end.
So, in the end, what should you do? Well, I'd advise at least digging up the bushes in the center, so that no butterflies spawn. They're absolutely unnecessary, and will only cause issues. Tree positioning is probably the most contended subtopic in island-Bell farming, and I don't think that there's a single, optimal way. I'm quite fond of my set-up, but it's not perfect for everyone. Try it for yourself. Experiment. Post your results here, or somewhere else.
Concluding Notes
To conclude this guide, here's a golden rule:
1. Don't catch Goliath Beetles. Seriously, I can't stress this enough. You're only hurting yourself.
If you return with no Goliath Beetles at all, you'll probably make somewhere between 400,000-450,000 Bells, depending on how many rare bugs and sharks you caught. Ah, yes, I forgot to mention that sharks should be caught at all opportunities. That's just common sense, though.
Note: Saw Sharks are only worth around 8,000. All other sharks available on the island are worth 10,000+, however, so only the Saw Shark isn't worth it.
The entire process takes anywhere from 30 to 50 minutes, depending on how lucky and efficient you are. This is assuming that you only discriminate against Goliath Beetles and Saw Sharks, and catch only the beetles that spawn on the palm trees.
Good luck to everyone, and happy farming!
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