The Part Rod, also called the Base Part rod, is a developer rod added to Fisch in the Music Venue update. It is handed out by the Base Part NPC inside the Music Venue area, and the questline asks you to deliver three increasingly specific catches that all share the new "part" mutation theme. The rod itself ships with zeroed-out stats and a unique reeling bar, which is the joke at the center of its design.
Quick answer: Unlock the Music Venue with a Chaotic relic, talk to the Base Part NPC, then deliver an exploded tire, a part rock, and a live part-mutated blue whale to receive the Part Rod.
Requirements before starting the Part Rod quest
The Part Rod questline lives inside the Music Venue, which is a gated area near Crystal Cove. You cannot speak to the Base Part NPC until you have entered that venue, so handle the access requirement first. You will also want a few flexible rods and baits in your inventory because each quest stage uses different gear.
| Requirement | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Chaotic relic | Unlocks Music Venue access from Crystal Cove |
| Boom Ball rod | Used with Garbage bait to reel up the exploded tire |
| Garbage bait | Targets junk catches like tires for stage one |
| Dave's rod (or similar low-tier rod) | Pairs with Part bait to land the part rock at Sunstone |
| High-luck rod | Speeds up the part-mutated blue whale catch |
| Tempest totems and Sundial totems | Force whale spawns and storm conditions |
Stage 1: Deliver an exploded tire
Step 1: Talk to the Base Part NPC inside the Music Venue and accept the first request. The NPC asks for an item without naming it directly, but the target is an exploded tire.
Step 2: Equip the Boom Ball rod and Garbage bait, then travel to the Sunstone trash cave area where junk fish spawn. Cast and shake the line aggressively to push the catch toward a tire roll.
Step 3: Keep fishing until a tire spawns with the Exploded mutation. The Boom Ball rod gives roughly a 50/50 chance to apply the Exploded mutation on a tire, so you usually only need a few attempts. Return to the NPC to hand it in and receive 500 Part bait as a reward.
Stage 2: Bring back a part rock
The next request is a "part rock," which is simply a rock catch carrying the new Part mutation. Part bait, given to you after stage one, is what applies that mutation, so you do not need any rare modifier or relic for this step.
Step 1: Travel to Sunstone and head into the small cave where the sundial totems are sold. This area is the intended spot for the catch.
Step 2: Switch to a low-tier rod such as a Training rod or Dave's rod, and equip Part bait. Lower-tier rods make rock catches more common, which is what you want here.
Step 3: Fish until you land a rock with the Part mutation, then return to the NPC. Turning it in awards a much larger stack of Part bait for the final stage.
Stage 3: Catch and release a part-mutated blue whale
The last step is the longest because blue whales are weather-gated. The NPC asks for a live blue whale infused with the Part mutation, brought back alive and then released as part of the handoff.
Step 1: Force whale-friendly conditions by spamming Tempest totems at the start of an in-game day, and use Sundial totems to manage time. Whales spawn in deep water once the storm and time conditions line up.
Step 2: Equip a high-luck rod with Part bait and head out on a boat to the open sea. A rod with strong luck modifiers and the Master Line keeps the fight manageable. Stay near the spawn area and watch for whale silhouettes on the surface.
Step 3: Hook a blue whale and check for the Part mutation before reeling fully. Once you land one with the correct mutation, return to the Base Part NPC and turn it in. The dialog confirms the unlock and the Part Rod enters your inventory.
Part Rod stats and behavior
The Part Rod is intentionally a "blank" rod. Every base stat reads zero, including lure speed, luck, control, resilience, and max kg. The reeling bar is unique to the rod and visually different from standard bars, which is part of the gimmick.
| Stat | Base value |
|---|---|
| Lure speed | 0% |
| Luck | 0% |
| Control | 0 |
| Resilience | 0% |
| Max kg | 0 |
| Mutation | Applies Part mutation consistently |
Despite the zeroed sheet, the rod reliably applies the Part mutation to catches, which makes it useful for quests that ask for low-tier or junk-style fish. It also tends to surface garbage catches, so it doubles as a tool for those collection objectives.
Enchanting the Part Rod
Because the rod has no built-in stats, enchantments do most of the heavy lifting if you want it to be playable. Using an Exalted relic is the standard route for high-tier enchant rolls.
The Hercuin enchant works particularly well, since it adds a large strength bonus along with control and progress speed. With Hercuin applied, the reeling bar widens noticeably and progress speed climbs, turning the rod from a novelty into a workable catcher. Other relevant enchant rolls like Immortal can stack luck and progress speed if you prefer a luck-leaning build.
How to know it worked
You will see an explicit "you have unlocked Part" confirmation in the NPC dialog after handing in the blue whale. The Part Rod then appears in your rod inventory and can be equipped immediately. Any leftover Part bait stays usable for other catches that benefit from the mutation.
If a stage fails to register, the most common causes are turning in a catch without the required mutation (an ordinary tire, rock, or whale instead of an exploded or part-mutated one) or attempting the whale handoff after the catch has already died. Re-catch the missing variant and return to the NPC to resume the questline.