The Meteoric Rod is one of the new pieces of fishing equipment added to Fisch in the Astral Observatory update, which went live on August 22, 2026. It stands out with a jagged, dark gray crystalline body streaked with glowing purple cracks, sharp edges, and floating purple energy orbs. More importantly, it comes with a meteor-based progress mechanic that rewards you for dodging falling rocks during the catch minigame.
Quick answer: Travel to Northern Expedition, find Meteor Maniac Matthew on the three-tier platform near the Avalanche Rod camp, and finish his first two quests, Anomaly Investigation: SPACE CANDY and Anomaly Investigation: METEORS GALORE. Completing the second quest hands you the Meteoric Rod.
Meteoric Rod stats and passive
The Meteoric Rod leans on high Luck and a meteor-dodging mechanic rather than raw control. Every catch triggers meteors that can add or subtract progress depending on how you play the minigame.
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Lure Speed | 75% |
| Luck | 175% |
| Control | 0.05 |
| Resilience | 25% |
| Max Kg | 550,000 kg |
| Line Distance | 75 m |
| Mutations | 20% chance for Cragged |
The progress mechanic works like this. Every 4 to 6.5 seconds a single meteor drops onto the minigame, up to five meteors per catch. Each meteor covers about 13% of the minigame width. Dodging a meteor grants +10% progress, while letting one hit your control bar costs you 15% progress instead. Timing your movement around those meteors is the key to fast catches with this rod.
Getting to Meteor Maniac Matthew at Northern Expedition
Meteor Maniac Matthew is the NPC who hands out the two quests tied to the rod. He sits at Northern Expedition, close to the spot where the Avalanche Rod and Pickaxe are sold.
Note: The telescope activation questline for Astronomer Vega runs alongside this. If you are working through it, you will pass through the Mineshaft to gather Battery Casings by fishing the glowing purple pool, then get pointed toward this same snowy area.
Quest 1: Anomaly Investigation: SPACE CANDY
The first quest asks for three items. Each one comes from a different activity, so plan around the events you need.
| Objective | How to get it |
|---|---|
| Cosmic Relic from Fallen Stars | During a Starfall event, find Fallen Stars and break them with a pickaxe. |
| Moonstone | A Gemstone that drops from Meteors, the Personal Aquarium, and the Daily Shop. |
| Solarblaze or Nova Frozen Walnut | Catch a Frozen Walnut at Overgrowth Cave. The Solarblaze mutation comes from the Wicked Fang Rod, and the Nova mutation comes from the Rod of the Singularity. |
Quest 2: Anomaly Investigation: METEORS GALORE
The second quest is the longer of the two and is what finally awards the Meteoric Rod. It mixes a pickaxe cleanup task, a special catch, and a batch of gemstones.
| Objective | How to get it |
|---|---|
| Clean up fallen meteors around Northern Expedition | Use a pickaxe to clear the meteor debris scattered across the area. |
| Catch and return a Quartz Glass | An Exotic item caught at the Astral Observatory of Northern Expedition. |
| Five Solarblaze Stalactites | Use the Wicked Fang Rod with Magnet bait to fish these up. |
| Ruby, Amethyst, Opal, Lapis Lazuli, Moonstone | Gemstones obtained from Meteors, the Personal Aquarium, and the Daily Shop. |
Tip: The five gemstone types can be slow to gather if you rely only on Meteors. Check the Daily Shop each day and keep an eye on your Personal Aquarium, since both give you a steady, low-effort way to fill in whatever gems you are missing.
Confirming you unlocked the rod
Once every objective in Anomaly Investigation: METEORS GALORE is checked off, return to Meteor Maniac Matthew and turn in the quest. He hands over the Meteoric Rod, and it appears in your inventory ready to equip. From there you can cast it and watch the falling-meteor mechanic play out on your first catch, which is the clearest sign the rod is working as intended.
