[Top 5] Terraria Best Baits for Fishing (And Why They're Great)

Look at all the glorious bait I have


Fishing is a huge part of Terraria. It allows you to get crafting ingredients, food, and even ores and equipment. Getting started in fishing is not a hard task, but increasing your chances of getting better loot is a bit arduous. Multiple factors play into the quality of loot you get from fishing, most of which are locked into what pole you use or what accessories you wear. The highest factor, in these cases, would always be the bait. Find out which bait is the best in our top 5 Terraria best baits for fishing!

5. Ladybugs

A golden ladybug in a cage

Ladybugs are critters that are spawned in Forest biomes with resident NPCs during a Windy Day event. They're easily obtainable when you're ready for them and can sometimes have a chance of becoming a golden ladybug at a very low chance. Golden Ladybugs have the highest fishing power possible with baits and are only obtainable through this method.

What's good about this bait:

  • Easily obtainable in high numbers
  • Has a golden variant that has a very high fishing power

Bait details:

  • Adds 17% fishing power
  • The gold variant has 50% fishing power

Item details: LINK

4. Dragonflies

A golden dragonfly in a jar

Dragonflies are another form of critters that can be used as bait in Terraria. They are more common and a bit more powerful than ladybugs, with each dragonfly having 20% bait power. They typically spawn in large lakes with Cattails like the Desert Oasis and some Forest Lakes. Unlike the Ladybug that only spawns on Windy Day events, dragonflies can spawn at any time.

What's good about this bait:

  • Can be easily farmed with an ample amount of cattail
  • Has a golden variant that has a very high fishing power

Bait details:

  • Adds 20% fishing power
  • The gold variant has 50% fishing power

Item details: LINK

3. Grasshoppers

A golden grasshopper in a cage

Grasshoppers are a weaker type of bait that only gives 10% bait power. The reason why we've placed them a bit higher is that they are more abundant in any world and can be farmed endlessly with a Staff of Regrowth. They naturally spawn when destroying grass vegetation which is not a hard method in any way. They also have a golden variant that appears very rarely.

What's good about this bait:

  • Can be easily farmed through rows of dirt blocks lined with grass
  • Has a golden variant that has a very high fishing power

Bait details:

  • Adds 10% fishing power
  • The gold variant has 50% fishing power

Item details: LINK

2. Butterflies

A golden butterfly in a jar

Butterflies are naturally spawning critters that appear in any Forest biomes during the day. This means no extra setup is necessary when farming these critters. Not only that, but each butterfly can add from 5% to 35% bait power depending on the breed and have 2 rare variants that have max bait power. However, there are some days when butterflies will spawn almost infinitely and some days when they won't appear at all.

What's good about this bait:

  • Can be easily farmed in any Forest biome during day time
  • Has 2 rare variants (gold and tree nymph) that have a very high fishing power

Bait details:

  • Adds 10% fishing power
  • The gold and tree nymph variant has 50% fishing power

Item details: LINK

1. Master Bait

Ignore the innuendo, please.

There are multiple Angler Baits that help you with fishing with the most powerful one being the Master Bait. These Bait-type items are usually rewarded from the Angler quests or drops from crates when fishing. Back before version 1.4.2.3, these items are usually considered rare, making them only usable in times when you've run out of other bait. Now, with the addition of Jungle Mimics, it's very easy to farm for this high-class bait.

What's good about this bait:

  • Dropped from Jungle Mimics
  • A reward for finishing Angler quests
  • Can drop from high-tier Fishing Crates

Bait details:

  • Always has 50% bait power

Item details: LINK

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A BardBarian that has explored everywhere from the slums of Midgard, the mountains of High Hrothgard, to beyond the Astral plane to bring wonderful stories and magic to all the uninitiated.
Gamer Since: 1996
Currently Playing: Granblue Fantasy
Top 3 Favorite Games:The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Dragonborn, Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin


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