Breath of Fire IV - Farming Stamp Cards

In Breath of Fire IV, you are able to trade fish for items at various Manillo stores.  You also earn stamps, 20 of which makes up one stamp cards.  Those stamp cards can, in turn, be traded for more items.

If you wish to get the Manillo's best items, you will need a LOT of stamp cards.

Cards	Item	Description
3	Magic Shard	+1 to max AP.
3	Power Food	+1 to Attack.
3	Swallow Eye	+1 to Agility.
3	Fish Head	+1 to Wisdom.
25	Coupons	Accessory.  User receives a discount on all purchases.
50	Dragon Tear	Accessory.  Protects wearer from all status changes.
75	Linked Pole.	Weapon for Cray, with 133 attack.  Damage changes with enemy's power.  One of Cray's best weapons.
99	Render	Weapon for Scias.  Attack 50, but changes based on number of battles fought.  2 hits.  If used as an item, casts Frost.  One of Scias' best weapons.

I really do not recommend trying to get everyone Dragon Tears.  You find one in Fou-Lu's tomb, and you really don't need any more than that.  The Cupid's Lyre, if nothing else, is a way more useful accessory.

I also wouldn't farm for the stat-up items.  You need to earn 60 fishing points just to get one, and levelling is so easy that it seems a bit pointless.  It would be quicker to use the Bots to level your characters up to 60 and decimate absolutely everything in the game.  You don't even need to be that high, really.  Coupons, too, aren't really worth it.  By the time you've got enough stamp cards for them, you've probably bought everything you need to, especially if you're selling off the items you're trading fish for..

No, what I'm farming for are the weapons.  Because I'm a completionist.

Method is simple, and is described here.  Go to River Spot 2 or 3, stand on the bridge, face south, use a swisher.  I generally do this while watching TV.  After a while, take your fish to the Checkpoint, where you can trade 1 Salmon, 2 Rainbow Trout, and 4 Browntails for 21 points.  Take any Trout or Sweetfish to Shyde.  My record is 208 points, or ten stamp cards, in one episode of Charmed (40 minutes).  Have fun!

Breath of Fire IV - Manillo Stores

In Breath of Fire IV you can trade your caught fish for items at various Manillo stores, much like in Breath of Fire III.  However, in IV the Manillo are wandering around town rather than swimming with the fishes (not a euphemism).  You get stamps when you purchase items; twenty stamps will fill a stamp card.  You can trade stamp cards as follows;

Cards	Item	Description
3	Magic Shard	+1 to max AP.
3	Power Food	+1 to Attack.
3	Swallow Eye	+1 to Agility.
3	Fish Head	+1 to Wisdom.
25	Coupons	Accessory.  User receives a discount on all purchases.
50	Dragon Tear	Accessory.  Protects wearer from all status changes.
75	Linked Pole.	Weapon for Cray, with 133 attack.  Damage changes with enemy's power.  One of Cray's best weapons.
99	Render	Weapon for Scias.  Attack 50, but changes based on number of battles fought.  2 hits.  If used as an item, casts Frost.  One of Scias' best weapons.

Manillo Stores

Shyde

I came here immediately from Ludia, before going to Worent.  I was able to buy Earth Claws, a Ruby Scepter and a Broad Sword; I knew spending an episode of Charmed in each fishing spot was a good idea.

Items	Fish	Stamps
Earth Claws	5 x Sweetfish	7.50
Ruby Scepter	5 x Trout	10.00
Broad Sword	2 x RainbowTrout 2 x Trout 2 x Sweetfish	14.00
Flail	3 x Black Bass 3 x Blue Gill 6 x Piranha	--
Firangi	3 x Black Bass 3 x MartianSquid 6 x Bass	--
Holy Mantle	3 x RainbowTrout 6 x Browntail	25.50
Bell Collar	3 x RainbowTrout 6 x Browntail	25.50
Aurum	5 x Jellyfish	4.00

Wyndia

Lots of new bait here!

Items	Fish	Stamps
Gold Top	1 x Blowfish 2 x Flying Fish	5.00
Warbler	1 x Blowfish 2 x Flying Fish	5.00
Flattop	2 x Blowfish	4.00
Hanger	2 x Blowfish	4.00
Toad	3 x Flying Fish	4.50
Tail	3 x Flying Fish	4.50
Bamboo Rod	2 x Sea Bream	6.00
Aurum	5 x Man-o'-War	4.00

Sarai

Return here after getting the shift spell, and the Manillo store will be open for business.

Items	Fish	Stamps
Icicle	3 x Flatfish	8.40
Napalm	3 x Sea Bream	9.00
Taser	3 x Octopus	10.50
Ginseng	1 x Bonito 1 x Octopus 1 x Sea Bream	10.10
Dragon Scale	1 x Bonito 1 x Octopus 1 x Flatfish	9.90
Headband	1 x Bonito 1 x Sea Bream 1 x Flatfish	9.40
Moon Tears	1 x Spearfish 1 x Angler 1 x Bonito	12.65
Aurum	3 x Sea Bass	8.40

Checkpoint

Items	Fish	Stamps
Barrier Ring	1 x Salmon 2 x Rainbow Trout 4 x Browntail	21.00
Light Ring	2 x MartianSquid 2 x Blue Gill 4 x Piranha	17.40
Diamond Ring	1 x Salmon 2 x Rainbow Trout 4 x Browntail	21.00
Astral Ward	1 x Dorado 4 x Black Bass 6 x Bass	28.00
Body Ward	1 x Dorado 4 x Black Bass 6 x Bass	28.00
Soul Ring	1 x Sturgeon 2 x Salmon 2 x Bullcat	21.90
Topaz Tear	1 x Barandy 2 x Dorado 2 x MartianSquid	22.00
Aurum	3 x Bass	6.00

Lyp

Items	Fish	Stamps
Platinum Top	1 x Browntail 1 x Trout 1 x Sweetfish	6.00
Dancer	1 x Black Bass 1 x Blue Gill 1 x Piranha	6.85
Swisher	1 x Browntail 1 x Trout 1 x Sweetfish	6.00
Deep Diver	1 x Black Bass 1 x Blue Gill 1 x Piranha	6.85
Fat Frog	1 x Browntail 1 x Trout 1 x Sweetfish	6.00
Crab	1 x Black Bass 1 x Blue Gill 1 x Piranha	6.85
Angling Rod	2 x Salmon 2 x Dorado 2 x MartianSquid	20.70
Aurum	3 x Bass	5.00

Chiqua

Items	Fish	Stamps
Skull Staff	10 x Jellyfish 10 x Man-o'-War	16.00
Chopsticks	2 x MartianSquid 2 x Octopus	14.00
Repeater	1 x Spearfish 3 x Bonito	15.80
Giant Club	2 x Black Porgy 6 x Sea Bream	--
Power Glove	2 x Black Porgy 6 x Sea Bream	--
Force Armour	1 x Spearfish 1 x Angler 5 x Flatfish	--
Holy Robe	1 x Spearfish 1 x Angler 5 x Octopus	--
Aurum	3 x Sea Bass	8.40

Astana

Items	Fish	Stamps
Ivory Dice	5 x Angelfish 5 x Moorfish	21.50
Earthbreaker	1 x Whale 1 x Barandy 3 x Dorado	28.99
Culverin	1 x Whale 2 x Sturgeon 2 x Barandy	35.59
Life Armor	1 x Whale 1 x Sturgeon 3 x Bullcat	26.69
Star Dress	3 x Whale 8 x Acheron	51.57
Healing Ring	1 x Spearfish 1 x Angler 2 x Black Porgy	14.65
Cupid's Lyre	1 x Spearfish 1 x Angler 2 x Black Porgy	14.65
Aurum	1 x Angelfish 1 x Moorfish	4.30

Breath of Fire IV - Kali's Fishing Record

This one's just for me.  The names of all the fish in Breath of Fire IV, the largest I've caught, and whether or not that was large enough for a crown.  Plus the points!

Fish	Largest	Crown	Points
Jellyfish	31cm	✓	80
Piranha	38cm	--	135
Bass	64cm	✓	200
Blue Gill	54cm	✓	250
Sweetfish	25cm	✓	150
Browntail	70cm	✓	250
Black Bass	70cm	✓	300
Angelfish	31cm	✓	250
Trout	42cm	✓	200
Rainbow Trout	70cm	✓	350
Bullcat	84cm	✓	380
Martian Squid	73cm	✓	350
Dorado	97cm	✓	400
Salmon	145cm	✓	400
Barandy	209cm	✓	700
Sturgeon	216cm	--	630
Man-o'-War	31cm	✓	80
Flying Fish	35cm	✓	150
Blowfish	51cm	✓	200
Moorfish	29cm	--	180
Sea Bass	75cm	✓	280
Flatfish	52cm	✓	280
Sea Bream	71cm	✓	300
Octopus	82cm	✓	350
Bonito	118cm	--	360
Black Porgy	51cm	--	280
Angler	132cm	--	405
Spearfish	191cm	✓	500
Whale	259cm	✓	999
Acheron	41cm	--	240

Breath of Fire IV - Fishing

  I pretty much struck with Tec3 until I reached Ocean Spot 1, where I got the hang of tec4.  Tec3 goes ba, baba, baba, and tec4 goes bababa, baba, ba.  If those written examples didn't help, listen to the drums in the background music.  They cycle through the four tecs.  Have a listen and try to match (you don't have to hit them at the same time as the BGM does as long as you get the right rhythm).

Rods

• Wooden Rod: Buy in Sarai for 50z.
• Bamboo Rod: Manilla Shop in Wyndia (2 x Sea Breams) OR Ordinary Fairy Item Shop, 250z
• Deluxe Rod: Tidal Flats.
• Angling Rod:  Manillo shop in Lyp (2 x Salmon, 2 x Dorado, 2 x MartianSquid).
• Spanner: Earn 6000 fishing points, and claim from Gyosil in Lyp. 
• Master's Rod: Earn 9500 fishing points and claim from Gyosil in Lyp.

Fishing Spots

River Spot 1
Jellyfish, Sweetfish, Trout, Rainbow Trout

When you get to the little desert canyon bit on the way to Sarai from the Cliffs, exit to the side, and another path will open up.

I went with just casting straight into the water fall from the sticky-out rock on the side of the river, and had quite a bit of luck there.

The Trout went for the Straight, while the Sweetfish and the Jellyfish will bite on anything.  You probably don't have much chance of catching a rainbow trout on your first visit, and will need to come back when you've got something better than baby frogs and straights. I finally caught one under the waterfall with a Flattop.  If the fish gets stuck behind the rock, try using left or right instead of x to tap it out.

On returning here after reaching Synesta, I was able to catch everything near the waterfall using FlatTops.  However, RainbowTrouts were easier to find at the other end of the river.

Lake Spot 1
Jellyfish, Piranha, Bass, Blue Gill, MartianSquid

On the way to the Sandflier Warf, you'll run into a patch of desert with a sign in the middle.  Exit to the northeast and a path to the fishing spot will open up.  

In the rocks to the right of the pier, I found Blue Gills and Bass went for my Baby Frogs.  Piranhas and Jellyfish bit on Flattops and Deep Divers.

A piranha ran off with my deep diver when my attention wandered, and I didn't save scum to get it back because I'd caught quite a few fish by that point.  Annoying.

When I returned here later, I found it was pretty easy to catch Jellyfish, Piranhas, and Blue Gills in the rocks to the right, with my Frogger lure, but I just couldn't get my hands on any Bass'.  Not until I switched back to the Baby Frog, when I caught two in a row.

Ocean Spot 1
Man-o'-War, Flying Fish, Blowfish, Sea Bream

From Ludia, head east to the crossroads, then go north to Shyde.  Along the way, you'll run into a '?' spot.  Enter, read the sign, then exist to the west.

I caught a Man-o'-War and a Flying Fish near the rocks with a Popper.  Man-o'-Wars bit a lot on Hangers, too.  In fact, Man-o'-Wars bite on anything.

I caught a Blowfish using a Frogger, standing just below the tip of the cliffy bit, and aiming out towards the sea.  Flying Fishes bit quite a lot on Flattops, near the rocks.  Had no luck with Sea Breams on my first visit.

Returning here later, I was able to catch Sea Breams using the Angling Rod and the Crab lure, and casting straight out from the little cliff.

River Spot 2
Jellyfish, Trout, Browntail, Rainbow Trout, Salmon

Speak to the fisherman on the first screen of Kasq woods, and he'll tell you about this spot.

On my first visit here, I played with my new level 2 lures, catching at least three fish with each.

I started standing on the bridge, facing into the waterfall.  I found that Trouts bite on Tails, Toads, Flattops, Hangers, Warblers and GoldTops.  Browntails bite on Hangers, Warblers and GoldTops.  Jellyfish bite on Toads and FlatTops.

Fishing into the marshy area on the other side of the bridge was broadly similar, with lots of Trout and Jellyfish biting.  I caught a few RainbowTrout with FlatTops and GoldTops.

I finally caught a Salmon near the waterfall with a Toad.  I also caught another RainbowTrout there with a FlatTop.


Chamba Spot
Jellyfish, Bullcat, Acheron

When you're finally able to access most of the map again, after getting the shift spell, head to North Chamba.  At the entrance, the man outside will warn you not to go inside.  Ignore him, go inside, and slaughter the monster.  After talking to the man again, you'll be able to fish in the mist.

On my first visit here, I could only get Jellyfish, even with my best lures.  Gru.

On returning later, I was able to catch an Acheron between the two buildings on the top right, that is, to the Southeast, using the Angling Rod and the Dancer Lure.

Even later;  For me, the most successful way to catch Acheron was between the two buildings to the southeast, with a dancer lure.  Cast the lure to about 25m, let it sink, tech 4.  I caught three Acherons in a row, all biting at around 20m.

Ocean Spot 2
Man-o'-War, Sea Bass, Flatfish, Octopus, Bonito, Spearfish, Whale

From Lyp, take the ship to the north.  You'll see a blue flag; explore there, and you'll find the fishing spot.

I used my shiny new level 3 lures here (from the Manillo Shop in Lyp), and cast straight out into the sea.  I only caught Man-o'-Wars and Sea Bass with my Fat Frog and Platinum Top, but caught a Bonito with the Deep Diver and the Swisher.    I also got a couple of Man-o'-Wars and a Sea Bass with a Deep Diver.

Later, I came back here and used these tips from HotaruYuuki to catch Whales;

Whale : Ocean Spot 2, cast 25m (I'm using bamboo/spanner) toward the rock. I used dancer (lv 3 winder). You can stand on the bridge connecting the land and the boat. Wait until your lure gets to the ground. Use tech 4. If you dont catch anything after two consecutive tech 4, cancel and cast your lure again.

Spearfish: Same as the whale, but start doing tech 4 when your lure starts sinking. Spearfish don't live as deep as the whale.

I accidentally caught a couple of Octopodes and a Flatfish doing this.  However, I didn't catch a Spearfish until I read this thread, specifically Alltra's posts. Using the Angling Rod and a Dancer, and teching as soon as the lure hit the water, I got a Spearfish first try.  A big one too - maximum points and a crown!

...and then another one jumped right into my line as I was letting the lure sink to try to get a Whale.  For god's sake.

In the same trip, I got the King Whale (this is how I refer to crowned fishies)!  I'd almost caught him twice before, but, annoyingly, when the bar went even the teeniest bit to the right of the gold box, it would break my line.  But I got him this time!

Lake Spot 2
Bass, Piranha, Blue Gill, Black Bass, MartianSquid, Dorado

At the '?' spot south of Lyp, go east.

Again, I used my level 3 lures.  I caught a Blue Gill and a Black Bass with the Fat Frog.  The Black Basses practically leapt onto the line, which was useful, because you need those to get even more shiny lures in Lyp.

Later in the game, I had some trouble catching a Dorado here, so I used this video for tips.  It took a while, but it did eventually work for me.  And then I got an Angling Rod!

Saldine Spot
Blowfish, Moorfish, Sea Bream, Black Porgy

You come to this fishing spot automatically, as part of the storyline.

Using all of my Level 3 lures, I caught a bunch of Blowfish and Moorfish.  Nothing else.  


Lake Spot 3
Jellyfish, Angelfish, Black Bass, MartianSquid, Dorado, Barandy

East of Chiqua.  Speak to the fisherman on the Chiqua docks, and he'll direct you.

I caught Angelfish and Jellyfish with all my level 3 lures.  Just couldn't seem to get ahold of anything else.

Came back later; casting straight out from the dock, with the Bamboo Rod and the Crab lure, I got a MartianSquid.  I got quite a few Martian Squids later, with the Angling Rod.


River Spot 3
 Sweetfish, Trout, Browntail, Rainbow Trout, Salmon, Bullcat, Sturgeon

When Ryu reaches the Emperor's Tomb, go to the '?' spot to the west, and exit to the south.

To catch a Sturgeon, use these tips from HotaruYuuki to catch Whales;

Sturgeon: River Spot 3, cast south of the bridge. Sturgeon can be found behind the rock. I used worm (Crab). Wait until your lure gets to the ground then do tech 4.

I also caught a couple of Salmon and a Bullcat this way.  Aim for the frothy green plants.


Ocean Spot 3
Flying Fish, Sea Bass, Flatfish, Octopus, Bonito, Angler 

There's a '?' spot midway between the Highway and Kwanso.  Enter it, and you'll see a sign in the middle.  Exit to the west to open a path to the final fishing spot.

Catching Angler is a complete pain in the arse.  I used a crab lure with the Angling rod, and stood on the cliff to the right, casting straight ahead.  I caught one near the buoy, about 25m out.  They live deep.

Breath of Fire III, Part 14

Defeated the Elder, then did some level grinding. I set up two Copy Shops in the Faerie Colony, with three fairies each. I then set one up to copy an Ivory Dice, fought two battles, rinse, repeat. After they'd all been set up, they started churning out the dice at a rate of one every two battles (except for at a certain point, where it took four, instead of two). Doing it this way means you can ensure a higher success rate, by saving inbetween visits. Failure and Success aren't actually determined until you enter the Colony.

I apprenticed Garr to Hachio, and Peco to Ladon. They'll be done at levels 26 and 32, respectively.  Nina finished with Emitai, but I left her there for a while.

Okay, I've mastered every master.  Not bad.  I also did some fishing, and got Life Armours for both Rei and Ryu.  I'm trying to get maximum points for every fish, which is proving to be a long, tricky task.

Breath of Fire III, Part 7

I really like the fishing minigame in Breath of Fire III (and in the other games, but this one best). I also love the hunting minigame in Final Fantasy IX. D'you know what the silly thing about that is? I'm a vegan.

Played through to Rhapala. I've given up working on my post about enemy skills - just refer to this FAQ.

I got bored with training Beyd after he'd managed to get himself countered to death three times.  Luckily, I'd managed to net him an extra 12 or so attack and defence points and another hp, which really helped.

I took Peco to the Lighthouse for the levels, along with Momo, to get the treasure.  This made the lighthouse much tougher than it needed to be.

I love the aussie dolphin, and the English translation.  It's awesome.  I wonder what they did in the original version?

Bit of advice on the Vulcans.  Firstly, you can steal proteins, which are awesome.  Secondly, you will double the experience gained if you use a fire spell on them.  This will, however, make them start attacking you, with horrible spells like Lavaburst (which can be learned).  I generally try to whittle their hp down as much as possible (with frost) before using a firespell on them.  After using a firespell, they also become vulnerable to physical attacks, which helps.

Once you have the fairy village up and running, these vulcans will be where you level up, and even without the Ivory dice, they're pretty handy.  You might be lucky, like I was, and manage to nab a set of Magma Armour as a drop from one of the monsters here.  With that and the Ring of Fire you've got two characters here absorbing flame attacks as HP.

Idea.  I can get the fairies to copy that ring when I come back here to level up.  And the ring of ice.  Be handy to have three or even six of each of those.

Ooh, creepy old man.  I'd forgotten him.

I suppose all the bits about the tower and the brood mean that the ending of Breath of Fire II, where Ryu waited too long, is canon.

Did some fishing to the south of Mt. Zublo, and bought two Wisdom Rings.  They raise your Intelligence by thirty!  Also, got Meryleep. 

Breath of Fire III, Part 3

Did some more fishing tonight. I got an iron helm for Ryu, but didn't bother with Teepo and Rei. I also googled a bit to find out what the maximum length was for each fish. I found this guide, which has some interesting info.

According to those lists, I'm fifteen points short on piranhas, twenty on puffers, twenty five on trout, and thirty on rainbow trout. I'm also fifty points short on manillo, but my jellyfish are fine.  Generally speaking, I find that the later fishing spots have bigger fish, and all of these can be found elsewhere.

While hunting for Trout and Rainbow Trout, I generally aim to get two or three at a time, exit, save, then return. I'm going for ten of each. That's five silver knives, at 700 zenny each, which will be lots of cash in Wyndia.

Okay done. I did get the iron helms for Rei and Teepo in the end.

By the way, I'm writing these posts as I play, as you may have guessed. I've just played through the sneaking-past-the-guards section, and saved in McNeil's mansion. Kali sleepy.

Edit:  Okay, when I woke up, I played through all of McNeil's mansion and fighting Balio and Sunder.  Now work!

Fishing in Breath of Fire III

Breath of Fire III also contains a fishing mini-game. There are only seventeen fishing spots in the world - or, at least, in the relatively small area of the world that your party explores - but there's a lot more depth to the game than in the first or second Breath of Fires.  I highly recommend this guide for more in-depth info.

You can buy your first rod, the Wooden Rod, and some bait, from the Item shop in McNeill.  You'll find the Bamboo Rod in Momo's Tower, after gaining Momo.  When you get Rei back, he can open a door in the guard's cabin at the Northern Checkpoint, where you'll find the Deluxe Rod. The Angling Rod can be purchased from the Faerie Colony's Handyman stores (either, but Ability gets it quicker) for 2000 zenny.  You'll find the Spanner in the Steel Grave, if you have Momo blast the door off its hinges.

Finally, to get the Master Rod, clear the game, and have over 9000 fishing points.  Then head to the ? spot to the west of Steel Beach, and talk to the fisherman there.

The most points you can gain for each fish are as follows;

Fish	Points
Jellyfish	100
Pirana	150
Puffer	200
Trout	250
Rainbow Trout	300
Red Catfish	400
Bass	400
Martian Squid	600
Black Bass	700
Barandy	900
Man o' War	100
Flying Fish	150
Blowfish	200
Sea Bream	250
Sea Bass	500
Black Porgy	400
Octopus	500
Angler	600
Devilfish	700
Spearfish	800
Whale	999
Mackerel	300
Manillo	500

Below is a list of the fishing points in the game, in (roughly) the order in which they appear. On each visit, the number of fish available is finite. However, they will be fully restocked should you leave and re-enter.

West of Cedar Woods
Contains: Piranha (6), Jellyfish (10), Rainbow Trout (4).

I found all of these pretty easy to catch. I used a Worm at first, then the Heavy Caro when I felt a bit more confident.

West of McNeil Farm
Contains: Piranha (8), Puffer (8), Trout (4), Manillo

Theoretically, you could catch everything but the Manillo with a Popper, but I find that the Trout will only bite on a Heavy Caro.

The Manillo's stock is as follows;

Silver Knife - RainbowTrout x2 + Trout x2
Iron Helm - Trout x1 + Pirana x2
Waistcloth - Trout x1 + Puffer x1
Spirit - Pirana x3
Baby Frog - Pirana x3
Popper - Puffer x3
Float - Puffer x3
Skill Ink - RainbowTrout x1 + Trout x1
Bell Collar - Angler x3 + MartianSquid x3 + Sea Bream x5
Holy Mantle - Black Bass x3 + Bass x4 + Sea Bass x9

East of the Arena
Contains: Puffer (6), RainbowTrout (8), Bass (6).

The Rainbow Trout here are much larger than the ones near McNeil, and this is the first place you can catch Bass'.

South of Momo's Tower
Contains: Flying Fish (12), Blowfish (4), Black Porgy (3), Octopus (4), Manillo

I found that the Octipodes go for the Heavy Caro, the Black Porgy for Toads, the Blowfish for Floats and the Flying Fish for Poppers or Old Poppers.  The Manillo, as always, goes for coins.  Of course, all of these fish will go for other lures - that's just what I had the best luck with.

The Manillo's stock is as follows;

Chain Cap - Bass x1 + Blowfish x3
Crepe Cape - Black Porgy x1 + Flying Fish x4
Spirit - Blowfish x3
Baby Frog - Blowfish x3
Popper - Flying Fish x2
Float - Flying Fish x2
Skill Ink - Octopus x2

North of the Plant
Contains: Piranha (8), Trout (4), Rainbow Trout (4), Bass (4), Black Bass (2).

I was able to catch everything here with the Bamboo Rod and a Heavy Caro.  That said, I couldn't get the Black Bass to bite until there was absolutely nothing else left (luckily, that was my intention).

East of Mt Myrneg
Contains: Jellyfish (10), Bass (6), MartianSquid (4).

Blogger ate my info overnight, so I can't quite recall what I wrote here.  I'll fill it in if/when I end up going back there.

North of Rhapala
Contains: Man o' War (10), Flying Fish (8), Sea Bream (4).

See above.

West of Rhapala
Contains: Man o' War (4), Flying Fish (4), Sea Bass (10), Octopus (4).

See above.

South of Mt. Zublo
Contains: Sea Bream (12), Black Porgy (6), Angler (2), Manillo

I seem to recall that the Black Porgies would bite on Toads while the Anglers liked Poppers, or possibly the other way around.  I shall have to test that again.

I would highly recommend catching the two Anglers and swapping them for a Wisdom Ring or two.  They raise your intelligence by thirty, which is rather a lot.

The Manillo's store is as follows;

Wisdom Ring - Angler x1 + Black Porgy x2 + Sea Bream x2
Lion's Belt - MartianSquid x2 + Bass x2 + Sea Bass x4
Ginseng - MartianSquid x1 + Octopus x2 + Sea Bass x3
Caro - Sea Bream x3
Frog - Sea Bream x3
Top - Octopus x2
Hanger - Octopus x2
Skill Ink - Black Porgy x1 + Angler x1

South of Dauna Mina
Contains: Red Catfish (3), Bass (10), MartianSquid (4).

Red Catfish will bite on a Frog, the MartianSquid for worm-type bait, and the Bass will bite on anything.

I didn't catch everything here, since most of the fish seemed to be too far out for my rod to reach easily.  I just got two Red Catfish, a MartianSquid and a few Bass, and called it a night.

West of Northern Checkpoint
Contains: Piranha (8), Trout (6), Rainbow Trout (6), Barandy (3), Manillo

The Barandy will bite on a Frog.  It doesn't look any bigger than the Trouts or Rainbow Trouts, but it has a lighter shadow.

The Manillo's stock is as follows;

Wisdom Ring - Black Bass x1 + RainbowTrout x5 + Trout x5
Lion's Belt - Angler x1 + RainbowTrout x9 + Trout x9
Ginseng - Bass x2 + RainbowTrout x5 + Trout x5
Caro - RainbowTrout x2 + Trout x3
Frog - RainbowTrout x2 + Trout x3
Top - RainbowTrout x3 + Trout x2
Hanger - RainbowTrout x3 + Trout x2
Skill Ink - MartianSquid x2 + RainbowTrout x1 + Trout x1
Katzbalger - Barandy x1 + Black Bass x2 + Red Catfish x1
Laurel - Barandy x1 + Black Bass x2 + Bass X1

Southeast of Ogre Road
Contains: Puffer (4), Trout (8), Black Bass (6).

I didn't actually catch anything here on my first time through, since I had enough of all of those fish.  For future reference, though, the Puffers go for floating lures - that is, Old Poppers, Poppers, Tops, and Dogwalkers - while Trout and Black Bass go for worm and fish lures.  Worm lures are Worms, Spirits, Caros and Heavy Caros, while fish lures are Sinkers, Floats, Hangers, and Deep Divers.

Near Tidal Caves
Contains: Octopus (12), Angler (4), Devilfish (4), Manillo

I found that the Octipodes and Devilfish would bite on a heavy caro, while the Anglers will go for Floats, Hangers, and Deep Divers.  The Deluxe Rod helped a lot, here.

The Manillo's stock is as follows;

Hawk's Ring - Black Bass x3 + Bass x5
Artemis' Cap - Black Bass x2 + Angler x2 + Sea Bream x5
Speed Boots - Barandy x1 + Black Bass x1 + Devilfish x2
Soul Gem - Barandy x1 + Sea Bass x2
Bell Collar - Devilfish x2 + Angler x3 + Sea Bream x9
Holy Mantle - Black Bass x3 + Bass x9 + Sea Bass x9
Skill Ink - Octopus x2 + Devilfish x1


Far West of Steel Beach
Contains: Man o' War (3), Flying Fish (3), Blowfish (3), Sea Bream (3), Sea Bass (3), Black Porgy (2), Octopus (2), Angler (2), Devilfish (2), Spearfish (1), Manillo.

There is a fishing spot a little before this (just to the east), but I highly recommend coming here first, since the Manillo here stocks Top level lures.  I caught the Manillo first, and bought a Dog Walker and Deep Diver.  Alternating between those and that Heavy Caro I found way back at the beginning of the game made this fishing spot surprisingly easy.  The only fish who wouldn't go for those was the Black Porgys, who bit on a Fat Frog instead.

The Manillo's stock is as follows;

Demonsbane - Spearfish x1 + Black Bass x2
Aries Spear - Spearfish x1 + Sea Bass x9 + Sea Bream x9
Heavy Caro - Devilfish x1 + MartianSquid x1 + Octopus x2
Fat Frog - Devilfish x1 + MartianSquid x1 + Octopus x2
Dogwalker - Devilfish x1 + MartianSquid x1 + Octopus x2
Deep Diver - Devilfish x1 + MartianSquid x1 + Octopus x2
Skill Ink - Octopus x2 + Devilfish x1

West of Steel Beach
Contains: Sea Bass (12), Devilfish  (4), Spearfish (2).

Nothing too taxing here.  The Devilfish like Heavy Caros, the Spearfish like Deep Divers, and you'll probably catch a ton of Sea Bass while trying not to.

Near Maekyss Gorge
Contains: Puffer (6), MartianSquid (2), Mackerel (12)

This fishing spot will only appear once you've begin the Shisu quest.  It's part of the main plot, and the only time you have to fish.

The Martian Squids will bite on Heavy Caros, while the Puffers will go for Dogwalkers. Mackerels go for both.

Near Kombinat
Contains: Man o' War (8), Flying Fish (4), Spearfish (2), Whale (2), Manillo

I had no luck here initially, except with the Manillo, the Man o' Wars, and the Flying Fish.  You're going to need a Deep Diver - you can find one in the Colony, or buy one from the Manillo to the far west of Steel Beach.

Whales, Man o' Wars and Spearfish will go for Deep Divers, while the Flying Fish will go for Poppers and Old Poppers.  The Manillo's stock is as follows;

Royal Sword - Whale x1 + Spearfish x3 + Barandy x1
Life Armor - Whale x1 + Spearfish x1 + Barandy x3
Cupid's Lyre - Whale x1 + Barandy x2 + Red Catfish x5
Shaman'sRing - Whale x1 + Spearfish x3 + Red Catfish x5
Ivory Dice - Spearfish x1 + Red Catfish x1 + Mackerel x5
Skill Ink - Spearfish x1 + Devilfish x1

Breath of Fire II - Manillo Shops and Fishing Spots

A basic guide to fishing in Breath of Fire II.  I've embedded some videos which show you the basics of fishing here.  There are four different kinds of bait you can get, three of which are available in Hometown - worms, urchins, and shrimp.  Different fish go for different kinds of bait.  The fourth kind of bait is Coins, which can be found in some treasure chests, and are dropped (rarely) by K.Goblins near Windia, Mimics near Namanda, and Poltergeists near Simafort.

 There are eight different kinds of fish you can catch, as follows.

Fish	Lure	Description	Use
Sardine	Worm	A small, slim fish that stays close to the surface.  It's blue, if you look very closely.	Heals some HP.
Unagi	Worm	A small slim fish that stays close to the surface.  It's a pale lilac shade, but, again, it's hard to tell.	Heals some HP.
Bait	Worm	A medium sized fish, that lives at a medium depth.	Described as "look[ing] awful".  Reduces HP to 1.
Mackerel	Worm	A slim, grey, fish that lives at a medium depth.	Described as "look[ing] tasty".
Minnow	Urchin	Description	Recover AP.
Tuna	Urchin	Description	Treatment for poison.
Porgy	Urchin	A large fish that stays at the bottom of the sea.  A kind of grey shade.	Use
Snapper	Urchin/Shrimp	A large fish that stays at the bottom of the sea.  It's pink.	Recover bad status.

It's theoretically possible to catch all of these before you head to the Witches Tower, but it's a lot easier to do it with a better rod.  There are four in the game - the Treepole, which young Ryu can take from his chest of drawers in the church, the Stickrod which can be bought in Hometown, the Delux Rod, which you'll be able to find in the bookcase after Petape rescues you from drowning in Simafort, and the Charm Rod (more accurate details once I reach that point).

Certain fishing spots in Breath of Fire II contain Manillos, who will sell you special weapons and items. In all fishing spots, you can find fish, and in some, you can also find treasure.    It's generally best to wait till you've got the charm rod to go for these.  It's possible to fish them up with Coins as bait, it's just insanely hard.  I've mentioned where the manillo and chests are in the list below, and I'll include a more direct list either below that or in another post.

These fishing spots are in the order in which you can reach them.

Near Hometown

This fishing spot is just to the west of Hometown, and will pretty much always appear after a battle in the area. You can catch sardines and unagi here, using worms.

I'd highly recommend buying a lot of worms, and catching a lot of fish here, enough to buy all the good equipment in hometown and the StickRod from the item shop.  Worms cost 4 zenny, while Sardines and Unagi sell for 30 zenny each.

Near Coursair

This fishing spot is just to the northeast of Coursair. You should be able to see it when you're standing near the town.

A lot of people have trouble making this spot appear. Generally, fishing spots will appear after random battles, or after reloading the game from a quicksave (although, admittedly, that may have been an accident - I may not have noticed the spot was there when I saved).  Just be really patient.  I had some luck with it appearing when I fought directly to the west of it, where the land narrows, but, from there, you need to walk all the way south and then back north to reach it.  Using a Smoke might help.  Again, you can find sardines and unagi here.

There is a Manillo here, with equipment from Simafort.  To catch him, you'll need the Coin from Tag Woods.  Be very careful - like with all other bait, the Coin will disappear once the Manillo is caught, or should he escape.  Make sure you have enough zenny to purchase whatever you wish to.  I'd recommend about 5000 zenny per character.   Personally, I spend a happy few hours slowly fighting my way up to Windia, for the levels and the cash, which helped quite a bit.

His stock is as follows;

SilverDR - 1200Z
IronSH - 1200Z
SilkGL - 1200Z
IronML - 1400Z
KnightHT - 790Z

I generally just go ahead and find him after completing Tag Woods, to equip Ryu, who can use everything except the SilkGL.

Northwest of Windia

This one is pretty easy to find.  It appeared right after my first battle in the area.  The K.Goblins in this area sometimes drop Gold, for catching treasure chests and manillos.

You can catch Tuna, Minnows, and Porgies here, all with the urchin bait.  You can also catch Sardines and Unagis, but you're probably sick of those.  There is Bait here too (which is a kind of fish), who like the worm bait.  You have to let it sink a bit.  Porgies are very strong, and difficult to catch with your current rod.  There was also another fish in here (that looked a lot like the Bait, and was probably a Mackerel) which wouldn't bite at all.

If you run out of bait, then head south.  If you put Sten in the lead where you see the broken bridge, and hit 'A', he'll pull you over to the other side, and you can walk back to Hometown to buy some.

North of Capitan

Again, this one appears easily.  You can catch Sardines, Tuna, Unagi, Bait, Porgies, and Mackerels (I think they're Mackerels) here.

East of Simafort

South of the woods to the west of the harbour, where you first meet Jean, that is.  Northeast of W.Cape, east of the hut where you can rest for free.  This is another one that appears easily.

There's only one fish here, the Snapper, who will bite on a shrimp or an urchin, eventually.  I found him pretty easy to catch, when he did.  They sell for 1500 zenny, so it might be worth hunting down a few of them.

South of Wildcat Cafe

Wildcat Cafe being the cave near the waterfall, near Simafort and the witches tower. You can catch several varieties of fish here, which I won't list.  You already know at least one place to find all of them.

You can catch a manillo here, whos stock is as follows;

BusterSD - 2200Z
WiseRB - 3000Z
NationHT - 1800Z

You can easily do without these, especially if you invited Hekeller to live in the Township.


Northwest of W.Cape

There's just a sardine here. I gather there's also a manillo, but I have no gold atm.

Tunlan

Breath of Fire II - Fishing

I had some trouble with fishing, initially. It's a useful thing to do, early on, as you can sell the fish for what is, relatively, quite a bit of money. Watching this video really helped.

...and so did this one, because hunting is a little weird, too.

Breath of Fire: Rod5

Ryu can gain special equipment and items by using the Rod5 to fish in certain places.  These are in the order that I was able to get them.

Well to the Northwest of Tuntar

Head west from Tuntar, then follow the coast around to the north, and you should find it.  Fishing in this well (using the Rod5 and worms as bait) will give you the slab.  The slab has, written on it in ancient writing, the words "Where mystic water lies, the ultimate power sleeps".

Well to the Southwest of Arad

From Arad, head west then south.  Here, you'll find the Dragon Helmet.

Well to the West of Agua

From Romero, head west until you hit the coast.  From there, go south down the coastal side of the mountains and then west to the well.  You'll get the Dragon Sword here.

Duckpond in Spring

After using the Skykey on the machine in Spyre, the waters will thaw in Spring.  Wade through, and fish off the dock to the northwest into the duckpond.  You'll get the Dragon Armour.

Well to the East of Gust

This well is surrounded by mountains, and you need to be able to fly to reach it.   You'll get the Dragon Shield here.