How to get the Fishing Pole in Mina the Hollower

There are plenty of fish to scrounge up in Tenebrous Isle, but the Fishing Pole is also one of the best Sidearms in the game.

Did you know Mina the Hollower has fishing? Yeah, Mina the Hollower has fishing. And it’s pretty consequential. The Fishing Pole opens up a side quest throughout Mina the Hollower where you’ll track down all sorts of creepy aquatic critters on Tenebrous Isle. But this is more than just a gimmick. No, the Fishing Pole also has damage, utility, and a skill curve that makes it one of the most useful Sidearms you’ll find. Just a heads-up, bring at least one Kear with you for the way to the the Fishing Pole.

How to get the Fishing Pole in Mina the Hollower.

The Fishing Pole can be found in the Backwaters Shanty Swamp area on the way to Nox’s Bayou, likely the second Spark Generator you will go for in the southwest end of Tenebrous. Specifically, when you reach a place in Shanty Swamp that has square platforms floating around between sunken buildings, you’re one screen away. You need to navigate to the upper right corner of this area by traveling to the mid-east platform and heading north along the wall. It might look like you can’t because there’s a rope barrier in the way, but in the swamp, you can burrow under the deep water without Mina drowning, so it’s safe to hop in the water and burrow under the ropes to the next platform safely.

You’ll move north up some stairs to a Kear gate covering chest blocking the path. Use a Kear to open the chest (the chest has Bonestone inside), go up the stairs to the platform, and head to the east. You will find a pair of alligators on a dock: Durwin displays fish trophies, Irwin is the one fishing. Talk to Irwin and he will invite you to try to fish with his fishing pole. Then he will get devoured by a fish. Congrats, you will carry on his memory through fishing.

How to use the Fishing Pole

The Fishing Pole is a Sidearm. Once you have it locked into your Sidearm slot, you use it by using the Sidearm button (triangle on PS5, Y button on Xbox, and X button on Nintendo). The first press will cast the line and you can use the directional buttons to control where the hook drops. A second press will rapidly reel the line in. When you get the Fishing Pole, you will start seeing shadows under most bodies of water, including puddles in Ossex. When you cast the Fishing Pole line at those shadows, you have a chance of pulling out a fish creature you’ll have to fight, a Plasma Rose, a Joule container, a health vial, or a bomb. If it’s a fish, it could be a red fish (heals Mina if you kill it), a blue fish (Joules), or a yellow fish (Plasma). It could also be a signature fish that will award you a trophy on Durwin’s rack if you fish it out and then defeat it.

However, the best part of the Fishing Pole is not the fishing (although that part is great because you can use the fish to replenish resources). It’s how you can use it in combat and travel. If you hit a sturdy enemy with the fishing pole line cast, and then hit the button to reel in, Mina will yank herself to the enemy like the hookshot from Zelda games. She’ll bounce off the enemy for a hit, allowing you to hit them again in mid-air and then land next to them, all for a measly 2 Joule spend per cast.

You can use this aspect jump ledges and boundaries, break obstacles on the other side of burrow barriers, and just plain skip sections with the Fishing Pole. Several times throughout my run, I would skip ledges and reach treasures by targeting a nearby enemy in an area I otherwise couldn’t reach and hitting them with the Fishing Pole, often plopping Mina next to them. It also just provides an incredible one-two punch against most enemies from long distance, allowing you to close the gap and hit them about three times before safely backing off if you do it right.

In fishing, in combat, and in travel, the Fishing Pole ended up being my best friend, and I feel it will be yours, too. Make sure you grab it as soon as you can. Hopefully it will be as good to you as it was to me. Be sure to follow our Mina the Hollower coverage for more news and guides.

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