After meeting the Travelling Merchant for the first time at the Dusty Pontoon in Dredge, she will ask you to give her four Exotic fish for the Recording Rarities Pursuit. It’s hard work, but the reward is well worth it. Here’s where to get Oarfish, Gulper Eel, Goliath Tigerfish, and Coelacanth in Dredge.
Where to find Oarfish, Gulper Eel, Goliath Tigerfish & Coelacanth in Dredge (Recording Rarities Pursuit Guide)
While you’re given theRecording Rarities Pursuitreasonably early on in your seafaring adventure, it is a side quest you won’t be able to complete until you’ve gota heavily-researched set of gear, which you need to unlockusing Research Parts.
Thefour fishyou need to catch areExotic, which, in short, means they’re the most difficult fish to find in the game, mainly because of what you need to do to unlock them. You geteight Research Partsfor doing so, though, so it is worth the time and effort, especially if you’re aiming for 100% completion.
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Here’s where to find and catch the four Exotic fish—Oarfish,Gulper Eel,Goliath Tigerfish, andCoelacanth—in Dredge.
Oarfish location in Dredge
Requires:Abyssalfishing unlocked
In a cave behind the waterfall, the elusiveOarfishis found inGale Cliffs, just north of where theFamily Crest Relicis hidden. Go to where you dredged up the Relic earlier in the story (map coordinate P3), being careful to avoid the murderous sea monster along the way, and you’ll spot the waterfallstraight ahead. Sail through it, and you’ll end up in a cavern.
Fish at thebubbling spotin the middle of the cave with anAbyssal Rodto pull up the Oarfish. There’s also a chest to the right containing some sellable treasures if you have room in your Cargo. Return to the Travelling Merchant and hand her the Exotic fish to receive two Research Parts.
Gulper Eel location in Dredge
Requires: Hadalfishing unlocked
To fish for theGulper Eel, you must have unlockedHadal fishing. Once you have, go to theStellar Basin, being careful not to sail into the middle of the area as a sea monster will attack your boat. Sail over tomap coordinate F4, and you’ll seea bubbling spot.
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Use yourHadal Rodto start fishing here, and when successful, you’ll pull up the Gulper Eel. Return to the Travelling Merchant for two more Research Parts as a reward.
Goliath Tigerfish location in Dredge
Requires:ExplosivesandMangrovefishing unlocked
You can catch theGoliath Tigerfishonce you’ve gained access toExplosivesandMangrovefishing. Travel to the Twisted Strand in the top-left portion of the map and enter the maze here. Navigate to map coordinate E12 in the southwest, where a hollowed-out tree is blocking your path.
This is where the Explosives come into play: use them toblow up the tree. Goforwardslightly, and you’ll spy abubbling spot. Use your Mangrove Rod here to fish up the Goliath Tigerfish, then return to the Travelling Merchant for two Research Parts.
Coelacanth location in Dredge
Requires:ExplosivesandAbyssalfishing unlocked
For the final Exotic fish, theCoelacanth, make your way over toDevil’s Spineand then ride over tomap coordinate P/Q12. You’ll see some bombabledebrishere, which you need to use a set ofExplosiveson.
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Blow up the wall and row through the gap, where you’ll see abubbling spot. Use yourAbyssal Rodhere, and you’ll catch the Coelacanth. Go back to the Travelling Merchant for the final time and show her the fish to gettwo Research Parts, for a total of eight.
How to unlock Abyssal fishing in Dredge
You need Abyssal fishing to catch the Oarfish and the Coelacanth. To unlock Abyssal fishing, you need to start the Collect All Samples Pursuit from the Research Assistant at the Old Fortress in the Stellar Basin, who tasks you with catching three types of fish: an Aurora Jellyfish, a Glowing Octopus, and a Firefly Squid. Check out our Dredge Research Assistant Samples: Where to get Aurora Jellyfish, Glowing Octopus & Firefly Squid in Dredge guide for a complete walkthrough.
With all three in hand, return to the Research Assistant, who will give you another task: find thePrototype Partsat her oldResearch Outpost. Get back in your boat and headsoutheastslightly to find it. Enter the building here andinspect the equipment on the tableto find the Prototype Parts.
Bring them back to the Research Assistant, and she will give you theSampling Device, which allows you to go Abyssal fishing and catch two of the Exotic fish.
How to unlock Hadal fishing in Dredge
With theSampling Deviceunlocked, you may now get Hadal fishing. All you need for this isone Research Part, which you can get randomly fromdredgingspots, inchestsfound when exploring, by completing certainPursuits, or from the Travelling Merchant for$300apiece.
Once you have a Research Part, take your boat toGreater Marrowand navigate to theResearchmenu. Use your Research Part on theBottomless Linesequipment in theRodstab to unlock it at theShipwright, then buy it for $405. Install Bottomless Lines in your Cargo, and you can go Hadal fishing and catch theGulper Eel.
How to unlock Mangrove fishing in Dredge
You needMangrovefishing to catch theGoliath Tigerfish. To do so, you must spendfour Research Partsin theRodtab of theResearch menu: two on theFlexible Fishing Poleand two on theAnti-Tangle Line, which nets you Mangrove and Coastal fishing when equipped to your Cargo.
How to unlock Explosives in Dredge
While you need Abyssal and Mangrove fishing to catch the Goliath Tigerfish and the Coelacanth Exotic fish, you also need theExplosives. You get these through themain storyafter finding theFamily Crest Relicin theGale Cliffs. Give it to theRetired Whaler in Ingfell, who will eventually give you the Explosives, which you can nowbuy from him,and theTravelling Merchantwhenever you run out.
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