BaitMeBruh completely overhauls Valheim's vanilla fishing mechanics from the ground level up. Instead of fishing being gated behind locating the Haldor merchant in the Black Forest and suffering flat stamina attrition, BaitMeBruh establishes an authentic angling progression path starting in the Meadows at Workbench Tier 1. It replaces the vanilla stamina depletion with a responsive line tension and rhythm mini-game, decouples regional baits from merchant purchases and late-game trophies with comprehensive Cauldron crafting recipes, introduces autonomous coastal fish nets and bait creels, and allows anglers to fish while seated aboard sailing vessels with line trolling.

🛡️ How BaitMeBruh Overhauls Vanilla Fishing

🎣 Dynamic Line Tension Mini-Game

• Stamina Drain Removed: Replaced vanilla's flat stamina attrition with a line tension system ($T \in [0.0, 1.0]$).
• Escape vs. Rest Cycles:
  • Struggle Phase: The fish thrashes, splashes, and attempts to pull away. Reeling while the fish struggles rapidly spikes line tension. Letting the line run dissipates tension.
  • Rest Phase: The fish pauses to catch its breath. Reeling during the rest window expends minimal stamina and quickly pulls the catch toward you.
• Line Snap Threshold: Maintaining maximum tension ($T = 1.0$) for more than 0.5 seconds will snap the fishing line, losing the bait and catch.
• HUD Tension Gauge: Real-time tension gauge displayed near the crosshair with a dynamic color gradient (calm blue $\rightarrow$ warning amber $\rightarrow$ pulsing red snap alert) accompanied by audio feedback.

🛶 Seated Angling & Seafaring Trolling

• Seated Fishing: Full support for charging, casting, and reeling fishing rods while seated on ship benches, furniture, and raft rudders.
• Line Trolling: Moving vessels dynamically spool line length up to the rod's maximum distance rather than snapping immediately, allowing anglers to troll behind sailing ships.

⏰ Weather, Twilight & Feeding Bonuses

Fish behavior dynamically responds to environmental conditions in the world:

• Morning Feeding Hours (5:00 AM – 7:00 AM): +60% fish bite rate and +50% attraction radius.
• Rain & Storms: +50% fish bite rate during wet weather.
• Fog: +30% fish attraction radius during foggy weather.
• Dawn & Dusk: +40% hook timing window during twilight hours.

🎣 Fishing Rods & Early Angling Gear

Icon	Item & Prefab	Station	Crafting Requirements	Characteristics / Stats
	Primitive Fishing Rod FishingRodPrimitive	Workbench 1	5x Wood 4x Leather Scraps 2x Bone Fragments	• Max Cast Range: 20.0m (Overcast risk up to 30.0m) • Reel Speed: 1.0 m/s • Weight: 1.0 • Role: Early inland and shoreline angling
	Fishing Rod FishingRod	Haldor Trader	Purchased from Haldor (350 Coins)	• Max Cast Range: 30.0m (Overcast risk up to 40.0m) • Reel Speed: 1.5 m/s • Weight: 1.5 • Role: Advanced coastal and seafaring angling
	Fishing Hat HelmetFishingHat	Haldor / Cauldron	Crafted or purchased from Haldor	• Armor: 1 • Snap Tolerance: +30% Line snap time buffer • Bait Salvage: 25% Chance to retain bait on catch

🎒 Passive Harvesting Equipment & Deployable Kits

BaitMeBruh introduces autonomous harvesting pieces and portable deployable net kits. Coastal and deep-sea nets are crafted at stations as portable kits, then placed in the water via the Hammer anywhere without requiring a nearby crafting station.

1. Equipment & Kit Crafting Recipes

Icon	Item / Piece Name	Station	Crafting Requirements	Weight / Stack	Placement & Operational Specs
	Bait Creel piece_bait_creel	Hammer (Workbench)	10x Wood 1x Neck Trophy 2x Stone	—	• Placement: Hammer (Crafting tab) in shallow waters ($0.1\text{m} - 2.0\text{m}$) • Reach: 3.0m placement reach • Territory: Enforces 20.0m minimum distance between creels • Health: 200 HP
	Coastal Fish Net Kit ItemFishnetCoastal (Piece: piece_fishnet_coastal)	Workbench 1	15x Core Wood 18x Bronze Nails 4x Troll Hide 4x Stone	25.0 (Stack: 1)	• Placement: Hammer anywhere in coastal waters ($1.0\text{m} - 6.0\text{m}$) • Station Gating: Consumes kit; no workbench required nearby • Reach: 8.0m placement reach for shore and boat deployment • Dismantle: Demolishing with Hammer refunds the complete kit • Health: 400 HP
	Deep-Sea Anchored Net Kit ItemFishnetDeep (Piece: piece_fishnet_deep)	Forge 1	15x Ancient Bark 12x Iron Nails 4x Chain 4x Guck	50.0 (Stack: 1)	• Placement: Hammer in deep open ocean ($5.0\text{m} - 50.0\text{m}$) • Station Gating: Consumes kit; no forge required nearby • Reach: 10.0m placement reach for deployment over ship gunwales • Dismantle: Demolishing with Hammer refunds the complete kit • Health: 800 HP

2. Fuel, Chum & Harvesting Operations

Trap / Piece	Fuel / Chum Item	Consumption & Fuel Capacity	Production Cadence	Harvest Holding Capacity	Biome & Catch Behavior
Bait Creel	Neck Tail (NeckTail)	1 Neck Tail yields 3 Fishing Bait (Holds up to 5 tails / 15 bait capacity)	1 Bait per 5.0 min (Real-world clock)	3 Bait (Harvest with E)	Produces basic Fishing Bait in shallow coastal waters. Replenish fuel with Neck Tails using E or hotbar.
Coastal Fish Net	Regional Fishing Bait	1 Bait yields 4 Fish (Holds up to 5 baits / 20 catches)	1 Fish per 10.0 min (Real-world clock)	2 Fish (Harvest with E)	Attracts native biome fish matching the loaded bait type (e.g. Mossy Bait in Black Forest catches Trollfish). If loaded bait does not match local biome, it reverts to basic bait (catching Perch and Pike).
Deep-Sea Anchored Net	Regional Fishing Bait	1 Bait yields 4 Fish (Holds up to 5 baits / 20 catches)	1 Fish per 10.0 min (Real-world clock)	2 Fish (Harvest with E)	Attracts deep pelagic and ocean fish (e.g. Heavy Bait catches Tuna & Coral Cod; Misty Bait catches Anglerfish & Pufferfish). Unmatched bait reverts to basic bait.

🪱 Biome Bait Crafting Recipes (Workbench & Cauldron)

All regional baits can be crafted at the Workbench or Cauldron using organic biome resources. Boss trophies and merchant purchases are no longer required to advance through fishing tiers.

Icon	Bait Name & ID	Station	Yield	Required Ingredients	Target Biome	Target Fish Attracted
	Fishing Bait FishingBait	Workbench 1	20x	5x Neck Tail 2x Honey 10x Bone Fragments	Meadows	Perch Pike
	Mossy Fishing Bait FishingBaitForest	Cauldron 1	20x	20x Fishing Bait 4x Troll Hide 2x Ancient Seed	Black Forest	Trollfish
	Sticky Fishing Bait FishingBaitSwamp	Cauldron 2	20x	20x Fishing Bait 4x Bloodbag 4x Entrails	Swamp	Giant Herring
	Cold Fishing Bait FishingBaitCave	Cauldron 2	20x	20x Fishing Bait 6x Wolf Fang 2x Freeze Gland	Mountains (Frost Caves)	Tetra
	Stingy Fishing Bait FishingBaitPlains	Cauldron 3	20x	20x Fishing Bait 4x Needle 4x Cloudberry	Plains	Grouper
	Heavy Fishing Bait FishingBaitOcean	Cauldron 3	20x	20x Fishing Bait 2x Serpent Scale 4x Guck	Ocean	Tuna Coral Cod
	Misty Fishing Bait FishingBaitMistlands	Cauldron 4	20x	20x Fishing Bait 2x Carapace 2x Royal Jelly	Mistlands	Anglerfish Pufferfish
	Hot Fishing Bait FishingBaitAshlands	Cauldron 5	20x	20x Fishing Bait 4x Charred Bone 2x Sulfur	Ashlands	Magmafish
	Frosty Fishing Bait FishingBaitDeepNorth	Cauldron 5	20x	20x Fishing Bait 4x Freeze Gland 4x Feathers	Deep North	Northern Salmon

🍲 Culinary Economy & Whole Fish Cooking

BaitMeBruh integrates caught fish directly into camp cooking and alchemy, allowing whole fish to be cooked immediately without requiring late-game filleting stations.

1. Campfire Spit Roasting

Input Item	Cooking Station	Cook Time	Result Item	Nutritional Benefits
Whole Perch (Fish1)	Standard Cooking Station	25.0s	Cooked Fish (FishCooked)	• Max Health: 45 • Max Stamina: 15 • Duration: 20 min • HP Regen: 2 hp/tick
Whole Pike (Fish2)	Standard Cooking Station	25.0s	Cooked Fish (FishCooked)	• Max Health: 45 • Max Stamina: 15 • Duration: 20 min • HP Regen: 2 hp/tick

2. Whole-Fish Cauldron Cooking Recipes

Icon	Result Item & ID	Station	Ingredients	Role / Culinary Benefit
	Trollfish Chowder (Custom Food) TrollfishChowder	Cauldron 1	1x Trollfish (Fish5) 2x Yellow Mushroom	• High-Stamina Soup: Health 15, Stamina 45, Duration 20 min, HP Regen 2 hp/tick • Sneak Bonus: +10 Sneak (Troll's Guile, 20 min)
	Frost-Bite Mead Base MeadBaseFrostResist	Cauldron 1	1x Tetra (Fish4_cave) 10x Honey 5x Thistle 1x Wolf Fang	• Frost Resistance: Ferments into Frost Resistance Mead for mountain exploration
	Swamp Fish Broth (Yield: 2x) BlackSoup	Cauldron 2	1x Giant Herring (Fish6) 2x Honey 2x Turnip	• Balanced Soup: Health 50, Stamina 17, Duration 20 min
	Mariner's Swimmer Mead Base MeadBaseSwimmer	Cauldron 2	1x Tuna (Fish3) 10x Honey 2x Cloudberry	• Aquatic Utility: Ferments into Draught of Vananidir granting -50% swim stamina consumption (5 min)
	Puffer Poison Mead Base MeadBasePoisonResist	Cauldron 2	1x Pufferfish (Fish12) 10x Honey 4x Thistle	• Poison Immunity: Ferments into Poison Resistance Mead for swamp survival
	Glowfin Eitr Mead Base MeadBaseEitrMinor	Cauldron 4	1x Anglerfish (Fish9) 10x Honey 2x Magecap	• Arcane Mana: Ferments into Minor Eitr Mead restoring magical energy

🐟 Valheim Native Fish Species & Biome Compendium

Icon	Species & Item ID	Primary Habitat / Biome	Preferred Bait	Bonus Catch Drops (20% Base Chance)	Catch Notes & Ecology
	Perch Fish1	Meadows, Rivers & Coastlines	Fishing Bait	• Stone (x1–2, 83.3%) • Amber (x1, 16.7%)	Common shoreline fish. Swims in quiet coves and fresh riverways.
	Pike Fish2	Meadows & Black Forest (Rivers & Lakes)	Fishing Bait	• Flint (x1–2, 83.3%) • Amber Pearl (x1, 16.7%)	Aggressive predatory fish patrolling deeper inland river pools.
	Tuna Fish3	Ocean (Deep Open Ocean)	Heavy Fishing Bait	• Tin Ore (x1–2, 83.3%) • Ruby (x1–2, 16.7%)	Massive, powerful pelagic swimmer that races through deep open ocean waters.
	Tetra Fish4_cave	Mountains (Subterranean Frost Caves)	Cold Fishing Bait	• Obsidian (x1–2, 83.3%) • Coins (x1–15, 16.7%)	Rare blind cave dweller adapted to subterranean glacial lakes.
	Trollfish Fish5	Black Forest (Coast & Ocean borders)	Mossy Fishing Bait	• Troll Hide (x1–2, 50.0%) • Copper Ore (x1, 50.0%)	Heavy, moss-colored fish lurking near rocky points and troll shorelines.
	Giant Herring Fish6	Swamp (Marsh Shorelines & Channels)	Sticky Fishing Bait	• Iron Ore (x1–2, 83.3%) • Chain (x1–2, 16.7%)	Heavy schooling fish that feeds on decaying organic silt in the murky swamps.
	Grouper Fish7	Plains (Warm Coastal Shallows & Shoals)	Stingy Fishing Bait	• Black Metal Scrap (x1–2, 50.0%) • Barley (x1–2, 50.0%)	Powerful predatory reef fish dwelling near sunny sandy shoals.
	Coral Cod Fish8	Ocean (Offshore Waters & Reefs)	Heavy Fishing Bait	• Chitin (x1–2, 66.7%) • Onion Seeds (x1–2, 33.3%)	Vibrant deep-water cod swimming along open ocean ridges and reefs.
	Anglerfish Fish9	Mistlands (Mist-covered Oceans & Fjords)	Misty Fishing Bait	• Soft Tissue (x1–2, 50.0%) • Blue Jute (x1–2, 50.0%)	Bioluminescent deep-dweller with a glowing lure that pierces heavy fog.
	Northern Salmon Fish10	Deep North (Frigid Coastal Shelf)	Frosty Fishing Bait	• Carrot Seeds (x1–2, 66.7%) • Silver (x1, 33.3%)	Powerful oceanic salmon thriving in freezing ice floe corridors.
	Magmafish Fish11	Ashlands (Boiling Seas & Lava Banks)	Hot Fishing Bait	• Flametal Ore (x1–2, 23.1%) • Surtling Core (x1, 38.5%) • Grausten (x1, 38.5%)	Armored volcanic swimmer immune to boiling seas and sulfur shores.
	Pufferfish Fish12	Mistlands & Deep Ocean	Misty Fishing Bait	• Sap (x1–2, 50.0%) • Ooze (x1–2, 50.0%)	Venomous pufferfish that swells defensively with toxic spines when hooked.

🕹️ Controls Summary

Mouse & Keyboard

Gamepad / Controller

⚙️ Configuration Reference

Configuration settings are stored in BepInEx/config/vapok.mods.BaitMeBruh.cfg.

Server Settings (Synced)

• Enable BaitMeBruh: Toggles all mod features (Default: true).
• Bait Creel Proximity Distance: Minimum meters required between Bait Creels before waters become overcrowded (Default: 20.0).
• Bait Produced Per Chum: Number of bait yields produced per Neck Tail added as chum (Default: 3).
• Bait Creel Minutes Per Bait: Real-world minutes required to produce one unit of bait (Default: 5.0).

UI Settings (Client)

• HUD Horizontal Offset: Horizontal pixel offset of the tension gauge relative to screen center (Default: -300.0).
• HUD Vertical Offset: Vertical pixel offset of the tension gauge relative to screen center (Default: -250.0).
• Switch Bait Key: Key to cycle through fishing bait types in inventory while holding a fishing rod before casting (Default: G).
• Switch Bait Gamepad Button: Gamepad button name to cycle through fishing bait types (Default: JoyRBumper).

Dynamic Recipe & Food Customization

All crafting recipes across the mod—including all 9 biome baits, net kits, primitive fishing rod, cauldron meals, and mead bases—can be customized or disabled in BepInEx/config/vapok.mods.BaitMeBruh.cfg. You can customize crafting stations, minimum station levels, ingredient costs, and output yields, as well as food health, stamina, duration, and the Troll's Guile sneak buff.

🤝 Compatibility & Requirements

• BepInEx: 5.4.2350 or later.
• Jotunn: 2.30.2 or later.
• Fully compatible with dedicated servers, player-hosted sessions, and solo local play.

📦 Installation

Mod Manager (Recommended)

1. Install via Gale, r2modman, or Thunderstore Mod Manager.
2. Dependencies (BepInExPack_Valheim, Jotunn) will download automatically.

Manual Installation

1. Extract the downloaded .zip archive.
2. Place the BaitMeBruh folder into your Valheim/BepInEx/plugins/ directory.
3. Launch the game.

🔒 Anonymous Telemetry, Error Reporting & Privacy

BaitMeBruh includes lightweight, privacy-first telemetry and error reporting to help monitor mod stability, diagnose unhandled bugs, and track active version adoption across game updates.

• 100% Anonymous: We never collect personal data, Steam IDs, IP addresses, character/world names, or file system paths. Stack traces from errors are automatically sanitized to strip local user directories.
• Granular Player Control:
  • Anonymous Telemetry (Opt-In): Tracks version adoption and session launches. Defaults to unchecked / disabled when first loaded (Enable Anonymous Telemetry = false).
  • Error Reporting (Opt-Out): Captures sanitized mod crash diagnostics to rapidly identify and fix bugs. Defaults to enabled (Send Error Reports = true) with one-click opt-out.
  • Data Disclaimers: Hover over any toggle in the startup modal for interactive tooltip disclaimers detailing exactly what data is transmitted.
• In-Game & Online Privacy Policy: The full privacy policy can be viewed directly in-game by clicking [ PRIVACY POLICY ] on the startup splash modal, or online at vapok.io/privacy-policy.
• Configuration Files: Settings can be managed in-game via the startup modal, through the BepInEx Configuration Manager, or under [Local Config] in BepInEx/config/vapok.mods.BaitMeBruh.cfg.