The Starshell Rod is a Stage 7, event-exclusive fishing rod tied to Fischfest 2. It comes from Captain Conch on the Fischfest shores, and you earn it by working through a five-quest chain before removing its final restriction in a fresh server.
Quick answer: Talk to Captain Conch at the Fischfest docks, finish all five of his quests (ending with catching 3 Sunslashers), then head into the restricted fishing area and land the special event fish to unrestrict the rod.
Starshell Rod stats and passives
The rod carries mid-tier reeling stats with one standout trait: an infinite weight capacity, which lets it reel in any fish regardless of size. Its line distance reaches 40m, and its 0.1 control gives a reeling bar roughly 40% wide.
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Lure Speed | 85% |
| Luck | 180% |
| Control | 0.1 |
| Resilience | 25% |
| Max Kg | Infinite |
| Line Distance | 40m |
Its passive abilities focus on mutations and bonus progress while you fish. It has a 20% chance to apply the Starshell mutation and a 10% chance for any natural Fischfest 2 mutation. Shells fall onto the reeling bar every 4 seconds, and grabbing one adds +6% progress. Each catch also has a 5% chance to pour you one of five Tiki Hut drinks.
| Tiki Hut Drink | Effect |
|---|---|
| Coconut Cooler | +10% Resilience, +5% forced progress speed, +10% walk speed |
| Pineapple Punch | +25% Luck, +25% natural mutation chance |
| Sunset Smoothie | +10% XP, +10% fish size |
| Lagoon Lemonade | +15% Lure Speed, +10% progress speed |
| Sunburst Soda | +3 disturbance, +50 line distance |
Find Captain Conch first
The whole chain starts at Captain Conch, a limited-time NPC on the Fischfest shores. To reach him, head toward Moosewood Village, make your way to the shore near the Trade Plaza NPC, then jump on the purple clam to teleport into the Fischfest area. Captain Conch stands opposite the Tiki Hut, around the coordinates (-23950, 2590, -4490).
Keep pressing E to talk to him until he hands you the first quest. Everything from here loops back to him, so remember his spot.
The five quests, in order
Quest 1: Marina’s Troubles
Captain Conch sends you to Marina, who sits near the volleyball court. She asks you to track down three crew members, Tim, Jim, and Kim, scattered around Fischfest Island. Each one has a large blue star floating above their head. Speak to all three, then return to Marina.
Quest 2: Marina’s Supplies
Talk to Marina again and she hands over a gathering list. Clear every objective below, report back to her, then head to Captain Conch.
| Objective | Fastest method |
|---|---|
| Obtain 50 Fireworks | Buy them from the Traveling Merchant |
| Catch 25 Fischfest Fish | The Soul Reaper Rod speeds this up |
| Catch a Shiny Slushy | Keep fishing the event area until one appears |
| Catch 5 Water Balloons | Use Glitch Potions with Icy Fish’n Dots Bait |
| Catch Designer Shades | Check the shoreline, they wash up on the beach |
Quest 3: Gathering of Festivities
Captain Conch points you toward a few event NPCs before a broader task. Speak to each one, then finish five other Fischfest quests.
| Objective | Where |
|---|---|
| Drink Server | The drinks area |
| Sandy Finn | Near the crab quest |
| Blake | Event NPC section |
| Complete 5 Fischfest Quests | Any active event quests count |
Quest 4: Captain’s Challenges
This quest is all mini-games. Talk to each referee, finish their activity, then return to Captain Conch once all three are done.
| Mini-game | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Jet Ski Race | Finish the race |
| Beach Volleyball | Complete one full match |
| Sandcastle Game | Finish the activity |
Quest 5: Sunlit Savages
The final task is to catch 3 Sunslashers, and they only spawn while Tropical Sun weather is active. For quicker pulls, fish behind the waterfall using the Migu Rod with its passive turned off. Once you have all three, return to Captain Conch and he hands you the Starshell Rod.
Remove the Starshell Rod restriction
The rod arrives restricted. To make it fully usable, you need to catch one more event fish inside the gated fishing area beyond the gate.
Note: If another player has already caught the event fish in your current server, it will not spawn for you. Switch to a fresh server and try the encounter again.
How to confirm the rod is unlocked
You know the process worked once the cutscene finishes and the rod no longer shows its restriction. From that point, the Starshell Rod reels normally, applies its mutations, and drops shells and Tiki Hut drinks as intended.
Because it is tied to Fischfest 2, the rod is limited-time. Once the event closes, it may not be obtainable again unless it returns in a future update, so it is worth finishing the chain while the event is live.
