Weather and fish signs
The sea in Reel changes as you play. Each region has its own weather, the day turns to night and back, and fish give themselves away with signs on the water. Everyone in a room sees the same weather, the same time of day and the same signs, so you can point them out to each other.
Weather
Section titled “Weather”Each of the four regions has its own weather, which changes every so often between clear, rain, fog and storm. Every water in a region shares that region’s weather. Each region leans its own way:
| Region | Usual weather |
|---|---|
| Sheltered Bay | Mostly clear |
| Coral Reach | Clear or rain |
| Storm & Ember Waters | Mostly storms and rain |
| Outer Waters | Fog and storms |
Weather changes which fish bite:
- Rain: fish that show the birds and ripples signs bite more often.
- Fog: fish that show the glow and sparkle signs bite more often.
- Storm: storm-born fish and fish that show the lightning sign bite more often, and fish with auras turn up more often.
- Clear: no change.
Your display shows the current weather and what it favours. Each species’ page in your catch booklet shows its favourite weather once you’ve caught it.
Storm waves also slow boats down, unless your boat has the Sure Footing upgrade.
Day and night
Section titled “Day and night”The whole world shares one day-and-night cycle, from dawn through daylight and sunset to night, which comes round often. Night matters for a few things:
- the glow fish sign only appears at night;
- some bait and lures work better by day and others at night (see Bait and lures).
Water clarity
Section titled “Water clarity”How far you can see into the water depends on where you are and the weather:
- In shallow water you can see right through to the ground.
- In deeper water you can see only a few metres down.
- Rain and fog make the water murkier.
- Stormy water is nearly opaque.
This changes the fight too: in clear water you can watch a hooked fish swim under the surface, while in murky water it shows itself mostly by its bubbles, rings and splashes, and a diving fish can vanish from sight.
Fish signs
Section titled “Fish signs”Every species belongs to one sign group. A sign on the water marks a hotspot, where the fish of that group bite much more often and a little faster.
| Sign | What you see |
|---|---|
| Birds | Seabirds circling and diving |
| Ripples | The surface boiling and rippling |
| Bubbles | Columns of bubbles |
| Fins | Fins circling and cutting the water |
| Steam | Vents of steam and warm shimmer |
| Lightning | Lightning striking one spot, only in rain or storm |
| Glow | A patch of glowing water, only at night |
| Sparkle | Crystal glints on the water |
| Spout | A huge water spout and a whirlpool, rare and only in the Outer Waters |
Your catch booklet shows which sign a species makes once you’ve caught it.
Hotspots
Section titled “Hotspots”- Hotspots come and go on a schedule that everyone in the room shares. Each island area has one or two at a time, and they move on after a few minutes.
- You can see signs from a long way off. Upgrades and perks let you spot them from even farther: the boat tree’s Keen Eye, the Spotter pet perk and the Spyglass.
- Bring friends. With a few captains casting in the same hotspot it becomes a frenzy: the water boils white, more birds come and fish leap, and the fish are bigger and more likely to have auras. With a crowd it goes giant: a huge shadow circles under the surface, and each captain there is guaranteed one giant-sized fish.