You've been staring at the Great Desert oasis for twenty minutes. The water is shimmering, Eve is idling, and you’re still pulling up nothing but rusted iron ore and the occasional sea bass. It’s frustrating. Catching the channel catfish Stellar Blade requires more than just casting a line and hoping for the best; it’s actually one of the more specific mid-tier catches that can gatekeep your progress toward the "Lonely Fisherman" trophy or that sweet Ocean Maid outfit.
Fishing in Stellar Blade isn’t just a mindless minigame. It's a localized economy of patience. If you're hunting for the channel catfish, you’re likely trying to fill out the middle section of your fish data log. It isn't a "Large" fish like the Great White, but it's not a "Small" fry either. It sits firmly in the Medium category. This matters because if you're using the wrong bait, you literally have a zero percent chance of seeing it.
The game doesn't explicitly tell you where every species hides. You have to learn the ripples.
Where the Channel Catfish Stellar Blade Actually Hides
Don't bother looking in Eidos 7 for this one. I've seen players waste hours at the clock tower pond thinking every freshwater fish is available everywhere. That's not how it works. To snag the channel catfish Stellar Blade, you need to head to the Wasteland or the Great Desert.
Specifically, the pond near Clyde’s hut in the Great Desert is your best bet. Clyde is the NPC who kickstarts your fishing obsession anyway, so it makes sense that the waters near him are teeming with the variety you need. The "Plant" area in the Wasteland also works, but the Great Desert Oasis is more consistent for medium-sized spawns.
Look for the medium-sized ripples. In Stellar Blade, the size of the splash and the vibration of the controller (if you're on DualSense) give away the fish's tier before you even hook it. A channel catfish won't fight as hard as a whale shark, but it’ll give you more trouble than a goldfish.
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Choosing Your Bait Carefully
Bait is the biggest "gotcha" in the game. You can’t use Small Shrimp and expect a catfish. It’s a waste of time.
Use Higgledy-Piggledy Bait. It's the "Medium" tier bait.
Honestly, the naming convention in this game is a bit weird, but "Higgledy-Piggledy" is the golden ticket for anything in the medium weight class. If you're out of bait, you can buy more from Clyde using Fishing Points. If you haven't unlocked Clyde’s full shop yet, you need to catch more fish and complete his initial "Recruit a Fan" style requests.
- Small Bait: Only for Small fish.
- Higgledy-Piggledy: For Medium fish (Channel Catfish territory).
- Large Bait: For Large fish.
- Special Bait: For Jumbo/Fantastic fish.
Using the wrong bait won't just lower your chances—it usually locks the fish out of the RNG pool entirely.
The Mechanics of the Catch
When the channel catfish Stellar Blade bites, the minigame starts. It’s a test of the R2 trigger and the analog stick. For medium fish, the "stamina" bar of the fish drains at a moderate pace.
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One trick that most people miss? Don't just mash the button. You want to keep the tension in the gold zone. If you have the "Fishing Data" upgrades from Clyde, the window for success becomes much wider. If you're struggling with the button mashing, check your accessibility settings. Stellar Blade allows you to toggle the fishing minigame to a "hold" instead of a "tap," which is a lifesaver if you're trying to grind out all 25 species in one sitting.
It's about the pull. When the fish dashes left, you tilt the stick right. Basic stuff, but with the catfish, they tend to zigzag more than the carp.
Why You Even Need This Fish
Is it just for completionism? Mostly. But the rewards for the fishing questline are actually some of the best in the game.
- The Ocean Maid Outfit: This is the big one. To get this Nano Suit, you have to catch all 25 types of fish. The channel catfish is often one of the last few "common" ones people miss because they over-focus on the rare Jumbos.
- Fishing Points: You can trade these to Clyde for Nano Elements or even SP Initializers.
- The Trophy: "Lonely Fisherman" is a silver trophy on PS5. You can't get it without the catfish.
A lot of people think they can just skip the fishing and focus on the Naytiba slaying. You can, sure. But you’re missing out on some of the world-building. The data entries for the fish give a weird, slightly depressing look at how the Earth’s ecosystem has mutated or struggled since the Naytiba invasion. The catfish, apparently, is one of the hardier species that managed to survive the mess.
Dealing with RNG Frustration
If you've spent thirty minutes at the Oasis and still haven't seen a channel catfish Stellar Blade, reset the instance.
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Fast travel to the Tetrapod and come back. This forces the fish spawns to reload. Also, make sure you aren't using the "Fantastic Bait" by accident. Some players think better bait means a better chance at everything, but it actually just replaces the medium fish with large ones. If you want a catfish, you have to stay in that medium bait lane.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Session
Stop aimlessly casting. Follow this sequence to get it done in under ten minutes:
First, travel to the Great Desert Oasis. Talk to Clyde and ensure you have at least 10–15 Higgledy-Piggledy Bait in your inventory. If you don't have the "Fishing Research" documents yet, buy them now; they make the fish bite faster and stay on the hook longer.
Second, stand on the pier and look for the ripples that aren't tiny but aren't massive splashes. Cast your line directly into those medium-sized disturbances.
Third, pay attention to the struggle. If the fish feels like it's barely pulling, it's probably a Mudskipper or a Sea Bass. If it’s a Medium struggle, you’re in the right spot. Once you land it, the game will record it in your encyclopedia. If it’s not the catfish, just keep going—there are only a handful of medium fish in that pool, so the math is in your favor.
Finally, once the catfish is caught, check your fish list in the menu. If that was your 20th or 25th fish, go talk to Clyde immediately to claim your rewards. Don't wait until the end of the game, as some areas become inaccessible toward the final act, and you don't want to be locked out of the Ocean Maid suit because you forgot to turn in a quest.
This fish is a stepping stone. Get it, log it, and move on to the bigger prey waiting in the deeper waters.