My Fishing Guide

Version 0.11.18 | by JayBird

Find the fish. Know the bait. Fish your way.

My Fishing Guide adds a movable, Viking-themed fishing assistant to Valheim. It scouts nearby rod-catchable fish, recommends bait, offers situational Spirit Fishing Guide advice, and provides optional fishing sounds and shipboard creature warnings. It does not automatically catch fish, change spawn rates, or modify creature AI.

What's new in 0.11.18

• Higher-contrast guide: a translucent deep-navy background behind the title, Spirit advice, fish rows, and wildlife sightings. It grows or shrinks with the content instead of covering the entire screen. Adjustable under [Display]:
  • DarkBackdropEnabled = true (default)
  • DarkBackdropOpacity = 0.82 (range 0.25–0.95)
• SeaAnimals sightings: retains the optional SeaAnimals integration introduced in 0.11.17, tested in-game with Whale Shark and Orca sightings. The SeaAnimals list is separate from rod-catchable fish; wild orcas may trigger a compact boat caution.
• Correct version reporting: both the BepInEx plugin metadata and the startup log now report 0.11.18.
• Removed the temporary Fishing Skill Test and its Skills.GetSkillLevel Harmony patch. Old [Fishing Skill Test] lines may remain in an existing BepInEx config file, but this version no longer reads or uses them.
• No SeaAnimals cooking, meat, or recipe guide was added.

Features

• Nearby fish: lists currently loaded, rod-catchable fish, distance, species counts, and bait when known. Player-centered shore scan: 25 m.
• Boat Fish Scout: scans up to 150 m by default while the ship's helm is occupied; displays approximate ship-relative bearings. Actual sightings depend on Valheim loading the creatures.
• Spirit Fishing Guide: context-aware, rotating fishing advice, bait recommendations, and catch celebration.
• Sea creature safety: high-visibility danger banners for vanilla Sea Serpents and Bonemaw; smaller caution banners for supported modded boat threats. Warnings can also work aboard a ship without the rod equipped.
• Optional wildlife scouting: SeaAnimals and RtDOcean creatures are listed separately from catchable fish and never receive invented bait recommendations.
• Fishing audio: optional nibble, hook, struggle splash, and Viking catch fanfare. Event support varies by rod and third-party fishing implementation.
• Movable HUD: with a rod equipped, press F8 to unlock the cursor and drag the guide, then press F8 again to save its position.

Recommended companion mods and thanks

My Fishing Guide works with vanilla Valheim. These are optional projects; they are not bundled or required dependencies.

Ocean wildlife — choose ONE

We recommend installing either SeaAnimals or RtDOcean, not both together. They are alternative ways to enrich the ocean. Running both may create overlapping wildlife populations and a busier ocean than intended; this is a recommendation for a cleaner experience, not a claim of a proven technical incompatibility. My Fishing Guide supports either mod independently.

• SeaAnimals by Marlthon — adds sharks, whales, dolphins, orcas, squid, and turtles. My Fishing Guide identifies supported creatures as marine wildlife, separate from catchable fish. Thank you, Marlthon, for making the ocean feel alive!
• OR RtDOcean by Soloredis — offers a more extensive ocean wildlife and exploration expansion. My Fishing Guide retains optional detection for supported RtDOcean creatures. Thank you, Soloredis, for your ambitious ocean expansion!

Fishing companion

• ComfyFishing by Loxley — offers alternative rods, fishing progression, and a more relaxed reeling system. Thank you, Loxley, for your work on Valheim fishing!

My Fishing Guide is an independent JayBird project and is not affiliated with these authors. Compatibility is best-effort; features that depend on another mod's internals may change with updates.

Installation

Install with r2modman or Thunderstore Mod Manager, or manually place JayBirdMyFishingGuide.dll into your active Valheim profile's BepInEx/plugins directory. Remove the previous copy of the DLL rather than keeping duplicate versions.

After starting Valheim, the BepInEx log should report Loading [My Fishing Guide 0.11.18] and My Fishing Guide 0.11.18 loaded.

The plugin ID is jaybird.myfishingguide; its configuration is BepInEx/config/jaybird.myfishingguide.cfg.

Useful settings

Existing config values take precedence over new defaults. After dragging the guide, SavedPositionX and SavedPositionY override the original right inset and top offset.

Release status

This package includes the DLL compiled by the mod author. The SeaAnimals integration was demonstrated in-game in the preceding release; the 0.11.18 contrast changes still need an in-game check.

Limitations

• Fish Scout sees only creatures currently instantiated/loaded by Valheim; it does not reveal distant or unloaded animals.
• Boat danger cautions are advisory, not proof that a creature is currently attacking.
• No food, cooking, or meat drop tracking is included.
• Fishing audio events are best-effort with alternative fishing mechanics, including ComfyFishing.

Author

JayBird — My Fishing Guide

See CHANGELOG.md for release history.

v0.11.22 — Thunderstore re-upload version

• Incremented the package and plugin versions after Thunderstore reserved v0.11.21 from the previous upload attempt.
• No additional gameplay changes; retains v0.11.21 SeaAnimals wildlife warning classifications.
• Packaged the compiled DLL, manifest, icon, README, changelog, and promotional image at the ZIP root.

v0.11.21 — SeaAnimals wildlife danger classification

• Removed the Orca from the SeaAnimals danger-warning whitelist. Orca and Whale Shark remain normal wildlife sightings.
• Added SeaAnimals White Shark, Blue Shark, Hammerhead Shark, Tiger Shark, Humboldt Squid, and Swamp Crocodile to the warning whitelist.
• Preserved sightings, counts, distances, bearings, optional integration, vanilla Sea Serpent/Bonemaw warnings, and RtDOcean warning behavior.
• Includes the compiled v0.11.21 DLL. In-game verification is recommended before publication.

v0.11.20 — Thunderstore artwork correction

• Restored and verified the original clean 256×256 Thunderstore icon (matching the earlier 0.11.16 release), not an image-viewer screenshot.
• Kept JayBird's original README layout, promotional banner, and companion-mod credits and recommendations.
• Updated the DLL plugin metadata, startup message, manifest, and source version to 0.11.20.
• No fishing, scouting, or gameplay changes from 0.11.19.

v0.11.19 — Thunderstore release correction

• Corrected the release package to preserve JayBird’s original README, promotional artwork, and companion-mod thank-you notes.
• README recommends choosing either SeaAnimals or RtDOcean, not both; ComfyFishing remains an optional companion.
• Updated the BepInEx plugin version and startup message to 0.11.19. No gameplay logic changes from 0.11.18.

v0.11.18 — Readability, credits and cleanup

• Added an optional deep-navy, semi-transparent background behind the fishing guide for readable text against bright sky and water; background height tracks fish and wildlife rows.
• Added [Display] DarkBackdropEnabled (default true) and DarkBackdropOpacity (default 0.82, configurable 0.25–0.95).
• Kept optional SeaAnimals wildlife sightings and Orca boat cautions; no cooking, meat or recipe support added.
• Updated README with SeaAnimals link and thanks to Marlthon, Loxley (ComfyFishing) and Soloredis (RtDOcean). Recommend SeaAnimals OR RtDOcean, not both together, for a cleaner ocean experience (not a confirmed technical incompatibility).
• Bumped plugin metadata and startup message to 0.11.18; removed temporary Fishing Skill Test config and Skills.GetSkillLevel Harmony patch.
• Existing Fishing Skill Test config entries may remain on disk but are no longer used.
• Author-compiled DLL included in the 0.11.18 Thunderstore package; in-game testing of this build is pending.

v0.11.17 — Optional SeaAnimals wildlife scouting (source only)

• Recognizes all 15 marine creature prefab names documented by Marlthon's SeaAnimals 0.3.9.
• Adds a dedicated SeaAnimals wildlife HUD section, with counts, distance, and ship-relative bearings where available.
• SeaAnimals creatures remain separate from rod-catchable fish; no fake bait or fishing-range badges.
• Untamed SA_Orca triggers a compact boat caution, based on older author documentation confirming boat attacks; other species are sightings only pending behavioral validation.
• Tamed orcas are excluded from boat warnings; wildlife listings still include them.
• SeaAnimals integration is optional and configurable; existing vanilla and RtDOcean scanning, audio and alerts remain.
• Fixed Boat Scout announcements to treat SeaAnimals as wildlife, never as fish to steer toward.
• Requires local build and in-game testing. No compiled DLL included.

v0.11.15 — Bonemaw boat-danger warning (source only)

• Added explicit detection for vanilla BonemawSerpent (including clone instances), even without a fishing rod equipped.
• Bonemaw now receives its own prominent red DANGER - BONEMAW NEARBY banner and warning text.
• Retained separate Sea Serpent detection and warnings, and all RtDOcean boat-threat warnings (including Squid).
• Marlin, Catfish, and Catfish Wanderer remain sightings only.
• Bonemaw is detected directly from Valheim characters, not incorrectly added to RtDOcean's _RtD wildlife list.
• Source-only update: compile with build.ps1 and test in-game.

v0.11.14 — Squid boat-attack warnings (source only)

• Added Squid to the explicit RtDOcean sea-threat whitelist because squid have been observed attacking boats.
• Kept Marlin, CatFish, and CatFishWanderer out of sea-danger warnings; all remain wildlife sightings.
• Boat warnings still work without equipping a fishing rod.
• No changes to audio, fishing targets, wildlife scanning, HUD layout, or creature behavior.
• Source only: requires local compilation and in-game verification.

v0.11.13 — Catfish false-positive warning fix (source only)

• Removed CatFish and CatFishWanderer from the hostile sea-threat whitelist. Neither triggers a danger warning, whether the fishing rod is equipped or not.
• Retained both Catfish types in the ordinary RtDOcean wildlife-sighting whitelist, so boat scouting still identifies them.
• Preserved existing warnings for sharks, Murkpod, BoneFish, BoneSquid, LuminousLooker, and other explicitly listed threats, plus vanilla sea serpents.
• No changes to fishing audio, HUD layout, fish bait advice, boat scanning distance, or catch detection.
• Source patch; build locally with build.ps1. Not compiled or game-tested here.

v0.11.12 — Hostile ocean threat classification (source patch, uncompiled)

• Removed ordinary hunting targets Marlin and Squid from sea-danger alerts; Orca is now a wildlife sighting only.
• Added prefab-based threat matching for Shark/GreatWhiteShark, HammerheadShark, Megalodon, MurkPod, BoneFish, BoneSquid, LuminousLooker, and additional potentially hostile RtDOcean creatures.
• Wildlife scan now accepts both Animal_<Name>_RtD and <Name>_RtD prefab naming conventions to avoid missing shark variants.
• Boat danger warnings can display while sailing without a fishing rod equipped; the fishing HUD remains rod-gated.
• Kept normal fishing audio, fishing targets, and boat scouting behavior unchanged.
• Source-only, not compiled or tested in Valheim. Verify the actual prefab IDs and threat behavior in game before publishing.

v0.11.11 — Return shore fishing detection to 25 m

• Reduced player-centered shore fishing scan radius from 50 m to 25 m.
• Updated the fishing-rod-range label and boat scout in-range badge through the shared range constant.
• Kept boat Fish Scout default 150 m and its independent scanning range unchanged.
• Retained existing creature warnings and audio.
• Source only; requires local compilation and in-game validation.

v0.11.10 — Quieter RtDOcean cautions

• Keep large red danger banner for sea serpents only.
• Show compact, muted amber caution for selected potentially dangerous RtDOcean creatures.
• Remove humpback and sperm whales from the caution list; sightings remain in wildlife.
• Preserve distance and ship-relative direction when available.
• No changes to scanning, fishing, audio, or creature AI.
• Source-only release; compile and test before publishing.

v0.11.9 — Prominent Sea Threat Warnings

• Display an attention-grabbing dark-red DANGER banner for detected sea serpents and selected large RtDOcean wildlife.
• Show nearest RtDOcean threat distance and ship-relative direction when available.
• Prioritize Spirit warnings over fishing tips when a potential threat is detected.
• Highlight potentially dangerous RtDOcean wildlife rows in red.
• Add [Safety] ShowSeaThreatWarnings (default true).
• No changes to damage, AI, fishing audio, or detection scan cadence.
• Source package; compile and test in Valheim before publishing.

v0.11.8 — Audio-enabled FPS regression fix

• Prevented per-frame FindObjectsOfType(FishingFloat) searches while fishing audio is enabled.
• Throttled hook searches to 0.5s and struggle fallback searches to 0.75s.
• Skip audio polling unless a fishing rod is equipped; preserve existing audio cues.
• Source-only build; compilation and in-game validation pending.

v0.11.7 — Viking catch celebration and cleaner audio

• Replaced synthesized applause with a 1.55-second horn-and-two-drum fanfare.
• Added an independent golden-yellow catch Spirit message across the upper center of the screen for 3.5 seconds with fade-out.
• Removed the reeling/tension loop, associated line-shortening logic and volume configuration binding.
• Retained nibble, hook confirmation, struggle splash, 50m player-centered fish scan, and 150m boat Fish Scout.
• Catch detection still uses inventory increases; no audio test controls.
• Source package; compilation and in-game testing pending.

v0.11.6 — 50m fish scan and four-stage fishing audio test

• Increased player-centered shore fish scan from 25m to 50m; boat Fish Scout remains 150m by default.
• Added distinct synthesized hook confirmation when a hooked fish is observed.
• Added line-shortening-based reeling detection for the reel-tension loop, including a best-effort ComfyFishing fallback after a nibble.
• Kept nibble, struggle splash, and fish-caught applause award. No F8 sound test.
• All sounds are generated in memory; no external sound assets required.
• Hook/reel detection requires in-game validation, particularly with ComfyFishing.

0.11.6 — Catch applause award sound (test source)

• Replaced catch chime with short procedurally generated handclap sequence and two-note award flourish.
• Removed F8 sound-test key and configuration entry.
• Kept fish inventory catch trigger and temporary Fishing skill slider.
• Added optional ComfyFishing and RtDOcean acknowledgements and links to README.
• Bobber-centered fish detection and reel-event improvements remain planned, not included in this update.

0.11.5 — Temporary Fishing skill slider for testing

• Added disabled-by-default Fishing Skill Test enable toggle and 0–100 slider (default 20).
• Harmony prefix overrides reads of Skills.GetSkillLevel(Fishing) only when enabled; no skill/XP mutation.
• Corrected startup log version to 0.11.5.
• Other 0.11.4 audio and bait behavior preserved.
• Experimental: ComfyFishing may bypass the getter.

0.11.4 — ComfyFishing audio diagnostic test

• F8 manual audio test cycles nibble, struggle, and catch sounds.
• Added custom synthesized catch chime when fish enters inventory, including auto-catch.
• Added a 20m local bobber proximity fallback for nibble events when vanilla owner fields are absent. This is experimental and can mistake another nearby player’s bobber.
• Preserved v0.11.3 green alternative bait display.

0.11.3 — Green alternative bait guidance (test source)

• Show alternative nearby-fish bait types immediately below the primary bait action.
• Match BAIT READY green with smaller, regular-weight text.
• Hide the alternative line when there are no other bait types; no duplicate line below the fish list.
• Retain 0.11.2 experimental audio diagnostics and bobber ownership fix; audio remains unverified in-game.

0.11.2 — Bobber ownership and stable bait guidance

• Check the local player’s active fishing float first when determining audio ownership.
• Keep the recommended bait steady for at least 15 seconds while matching fish remain nearby.
• Expanded nibble ownership diagnostics.
• Audio still requires in-game verification.

0.11.1 — Audio diagnostics and Odin dialogue

• Changed all Njord references in guide sayings to Odin.
• Added audio initialization/hook and nibble diagnostics.
• Added a local-player fishing float probe as fallback for struggle sounds when no static float collection is available.
• Audio remains experimental; test with ComfyFishing enabled and disabled.

0.11.0 (experimental audio)

• Added optional local-only bite plink, struggle splash, and fading reel tension with independent volume settings.
• Added runtime Harmony hooks and procedural sounds.
• Kept fishing/scout behavior from v0.10.2.
• Audio hooks require in-game verification.

v0.10.2 — Spirit Tips Heading

• Label the golden, quoted spirit dialogue Tips from your Spirit Fishing Guide.
• Reserve dynamic HUD space for the heading so it does not overlap fish or bait details.

0.10.1 — Golden Spirit Dialogue

• Spirit quotations now appear in brighter golden-yellow for stronger contrast with the fishing HUD.
• All detection, scouting, and bait logic unchanged.

0.10.0 — Faster scout and Viking spirit HUD

• Boat Scout refresh defaults to 3 seconds, configurable from 1 to 15 seconds maximum.
• Compact highlighted BAIT READY / CHANGE BAIT / EQUIP BAIT panel.
• Highlighted WITHIN FISHING ROD RANGE badge for vanilla fish within 25 meters while scouting.
• Larger, quoted Viking spirit dialogue with varied contextual shore sayings.
• RtDOcean wildlife retains no bait recommendations.

0.9.9 — Fixed rod range and scout callouts

• Normal Fishing Guide detection is always 25 meters, with no configurable range.
• Boat Fish Scout retains its independently configurable long-distance detection range.
• Vanilla fish within 25 m in Fish Scout are labeled Within Fishing Rod Range.
• RtDOcean wildlife listings and announcements never mention bait.
• Correct startup version message.

0.9.8 — Helm-gated scouting

• Fish Scout activates only when a player is operating the ship helm; merely standing aboard is insufficient.
• Passengers with rods can scout when another player is at the helm.
• Shore-mode scan settings apply whenever the helm is unoccupied.

0.9.8 - RtDOcean Wildlife Scouting

• Detect RtDOcean marine wildlife as hunting targets in both shore and boat ranges.
• Separate wildlife list with distances, counts, and boat-relative bearings.
• No bait advice for RtDOcean wildlife; vanilla fish bait logic unchanged.
• Boat spirit can announce wildlife targets.
• Late RtDOcean plugin recognition after BepInEx loads it.

0.9.6 - Boat Fish Scout (test)

• Separate boat and shore scan intervals and radii; boat defaults 150 m / 15 s.
• Boat scouting dialogue with directional hints, species counts and message cooldown.
• Configurable minimum fish threshold and capped settings.
• No biome-derived bait recommendations.
• Requires field testing for ship detection and world object streaming.

0.9.5

• Primary bait targets the nearest detected species; species count breaks distance ties.
• Prominent CHANGE BAIT / EQUIP BAIT / BAIT READY action banner.
• Shows nearest target distance and species count; other bait types are secondary.
• Never uses biome as a fallback.

0.9.4 - Nearby fish bait and counts

• Recommend bait only from detected fish, never from biome.
• Count individual fish by species and show totals.
• Enforce detection radius 1-100 m and bounded configuration values.
• Replace biome-based bait advice with nearby-fish guidance.
• Retain HUD spacing changes.

0.9.3 - HUD spacing fix

• Reserve measured, padded height for every fish name and bait label.
• Separate nearby-fish rows from the best-bait recommendation.
• Reset per-frame label colors to avoid stale bait colors.
• No changes to fish detection or fishing mechanics.

0.9.2

• Separate fish names and bait onto independently measured lines to prevent overlap.
• Dynamically space nearby-fish rows and biome bait guidance.
• Retain vanilla item sprites and configured detection radius.

Changelog

0.9.1 (test source)

• Restore nearby fish species list in the configured range.
• Display native fish inventory icons when available, with fallback markers.
• Show fish name and detected bait; preserve F8 HUD movement and existing advice.
• No changes to fishing mechanics.