Stop losing the fish after the exclamation mark
If the bobber dips but the fish never reaches your inventory, find the exact point where the catch breaks down. There are two separate inputs: setting the hook and keeping the hooked fish inside the moving bar.
Hook on the bite, then watch the right-hand meter
Cast into open water and wait. Press the use-tool button when the exclamation mark and bite sound appear. Pressing before the bite reels the line back empty. If the fishing interface appears, the hook worked. In that interface, put the fish icon inside the green bar. Watch the progress gauge alongside it: the gauge fills while the fish is covered and drains when it escapes. A nearly empty gauge calls for following the fish, even if a tempting chest appears.
Brake the bar before it reaches the fish
Holding the tool input accelerates the green bar upward. Release to let it fall. To hover near a slow fish, use a series of light taps instead of a long hold followed by a long drop. When a fish dives, release early; a brief tap just before the bar hits the bottom slows its descent and reduces the bounce. Watch where the fish settles after a dart before committing to another full climb. Practice on a slow fish near the bottom before chasing a fast surface fish.
Choose a rod for practice and an exit point
If level-zero fishing feels unmanageable, buy the 25g Training Rod from Willy. Below Fishing level 5 it gives the bar size of level 5. It restricts the catch pool to easy fish and normally produces basic-quality fish. Keep the Bamboo Pole for species the training tool excludes. Switch back when the easier catches stop teaching you timing, or when your particular bundle fish refuses to bite. A bait upgrade shortens the wait between bites; it does not make the fish stay inside the bar.