Moonbait

Cast, hook and reel glowing fish in a 90-second night derby on today's pond, the same for everyone. Hook on the dip for Galaxy fish and hunt the Legend.

Moonbait is a 90-second night fishing derby on a moonlit pond. Every UTC day brings a new pond that is the same for every player: the same fish in the Shallows, Reeds and Deep, the same three lures, the same weight and mutation rolls in catch order, and one Legend hiding at a fixed landmark. Pick a lure to start, and it speeds up bites in its band. Then drag on the water to aim and release to cast. Fish shadows glow by rarity (teal for common, pale blue for uncommon, gold for rare, pink for epic), their size hints at their weight, and their ripples hint at the family. When a fish nibbles, wait. When it pulls back and lunges, a gold ring closes on the bob: tap right on the dip. Rarer fish give you less time, and a tap as the ring closes is a Perfect. Then reel on a ring: hold to swing your green arc clockwise, let go and it drifts back, and keep the fish inside it until the catch bar fills. Leave the fish outside too long and the line snaps. Each catch flips up a card with its species, weight and form, then you release it back into the pond. Points are weight x 100 x the form's multiplier: Shiny x2, Frosted x3, Gilded x5, Prism x10 or Galaxy x25. A Perfect hook raises the odds of a rare form by 1.5 times, three Perfects in a row double them, and at 0:45 left a 10-second Moonrise doubles them again. Every 15 seconds the day's Legend surfaces at its landmark for 4 seconds. Cast inside its glowing ring to draw a 30-60 kg bite with the tightest hook window and the wildest fight. The Fishdex collects 36 original species, each in 6 forms, plus 6 Legends. Past ponds back to October 1, 2026 can be fished again at any time. Every fish is caught and released, there is no shop or currency, and the forms are skill-shifted rolls from a fixed daily table, never purchases. On Goblin Arcade your Fishdex, Legends, best score for each pond and daily streak save automatically.

By Goblin Originals

How to play

Drag + release to cast, tap to hook, hold to reel / arrows + Space

Pick one of today's three lures to start the 90-second derby. Each lure makes fish bite 30% faster in one band: the Shallows at the rim, the Reeds around the lily pads or the Deep in the middle.

Drag on the pond to aim and release to cast. On a touch screen the aiming ring sits above your finger so you can see it, and it snaps onto a nearby fish. Keyboard players move the ring with the arrow keys and cast with Space.

When a fish nibbles, the bob just jiggles, so wait. When the fish pulls back and lunges, a gold ring closes on the bob and it dips hard with a splash: tap (or press Space) as the ring closes. Tapping too early scares the fish off, and tapping too late lets it go.

Reel on the ring: hold to swing the green arc clockwise and let go to let it drift back. Keep the fish icon inside the arc to fill the catch bar. While the fish is outside, the bar drains and line tension rises, and tension at maximum for 1.2 seconds snaps the line.

Tips

A tap as the ring closes, right on the dip, is a Perfect. It widens your reeling arc and raises the odds of a rare form by 1.5 times. Three Perfects in a row double the odds. The closing ring, the swish sound and the fish's lunge tell you when the dip is coming; waiting for the splash is too late for a Perfect.

Fish further out are heavier and rarer, but they bite slower. The Deep holds most of the gold and pink glows, and points are based on weight.

The day's Legend surfaces at the same landmark every 15 seconds for 4 seconds. Cast inside its glowing ring while it shows. It bites hard and fights hard, but it can weigh 60 kg.

Each family has its own fight: carp swim steadily, eels zigzag, puffers burst, and pike dart. Watch which way the fish is heading and start swinging early.

At 0:45 left, Moonrise doubles mutation odds for 10 seconds. A Perfect during Moonrise gives you the best chance at a Galaxy fish.

Can I play this night fishing game online for free?

Yes. Moonbait is an original browser fishing game that runs in the page, with no download, account or app needed. There is no shop, currency or paid roll of any kind.

Is the pond the same for everyone?

Yes. Everyone who fishes on the same UTC date gets the same pond: the same fish, lures, Legend landmark, and weight and mutation rolls in catch order. A challenge link opened the same day is an even race, so the better angler wins. Every pond since October 1, 2026 can be fished again under Past ponds. Your timing still decides which fish you land and whether a Perfect turns a roll into a rare form.

What are Shiny, Frosted, Gilded, Prism and Galaxy fish?

They are rare forms that multiply a catch's points: Shiny x2 (1 in 10), Frosted x3 (about 1 in 17), Gilded x5 (about 1 in 33), Prism x10 (1 in 100) and Galaxy x25 (1 in 400). Perfect hooks and Moonrise raise those odds, and the catch card of a rare form shows the real odds that catch had.

Can I play Moonbait on my phone?

Yes, in portrait or landscape. Drag to aim, lift to cast, tap to hook and hold to reel, all with one thumb. Buttons are at least 44 pixels tall.

Does Moonbait save my progress?

On Goblin Arcade it saves your Fishdex, the Legends you have landed, your best score for each of the last 60 ponds, your daily streak and your sound setting. A derby in progress starts over if you reload. Played outside the arcade, progress lasts only until the page closes.

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