ModsFinder

There's Always a Bigger Fish

by Cassian

Fishing rods gain biome-specific catches, three bait types and four hooks in There's Always a Bigger Fish, a Fabric and NeoForge mod for Minecraft Java Edition.

FabricNeoForgeClient and serverCustom license1.21.1 – 26.3

What it does

The mod reworks fishing so that each biome yields its own fish, and a new fishing rod replaces the vanilla one. Bait is attached to the rod before a cast, and better bait brings rarer fish. Worms are the basic bait and come from Composters, while Leeches are the second tier and drop from Drowned. Fishing below Y-32 can return unique results, including a depth-dwelling Cave Fish.

The mod runs on the client and on the server, so both need it. It requires Fabric API on Fabric and Modefite - Item Definition Backport on either loader. EMI, McQoy and Reliable Recipe Viewer (RRV) are optional; McQoy is suggested for configuration and EMI or RRV for looking up recipes. Files target 1.21.1 – 26.3, and snapshot builds are published as well.

Key features

  1. Biome-specific catches

    Each biome has its own set of fish, so a fishing trip depends on where the player casts.

  2. Bait and hooks

    Three bait types and four hooks combine with special effects that shape each cast.

  3. Depth catches

    Casting below Y-32 can return unique fish, such as the Cave Fish that lives deep underground.

  4. Lavashoe Crab

    A crab design inspired by a community creation was added with that artist's permission.

Compatibility

Latest build for each game version and loader.

No stable releases
Every published file is a beta or alpha build.
26.x5 of 5 versions with builds
26.31.2.5+26.3-fabricNot available
26.21.2.4+26.2-fabric1.2.4+26.2-neoforge
26.1.21.2.4+26.1.2-fabric1.2.4+26.1.2-neoforge
26.1.11.1.1+26.1.2-fabric1.2.2+26.1.2-neoforge
26.11.1.1+26.1.2-fabric1.2.2+26.1.2-neoforge
1.21.x8 of 8 versions with builds
1.21.111.0.5+1.21.11-fabricNot available
1.21.101.0.4+1.21.10-fabricNot available
1.21.91.0.4+1.21.10-fabricNot available
1.21.81.0.3+1.21.8Not available
1.21.71.0.1+1.21.8Not available
1.21.61.0.1+1.21.8Not available
1.21.51.0.3+1.21.51.0.1+1.21.5
1.21.11.2.4+1.21.1-fabric1.2.5+1.21.1-neoforge
ReleaseBetaAlphaNot available

This mod also publishes snapshot builds. Snapshots are not shown in the matrix.

Requirements

Dependencies declared by the latest file for each loader.

Required 1

Fabric APILightweight and modular API providing common hooks and intercompatibility measures utilized by mods using the Fabric toolchain.
Required

Optional 2

McQoyDependencyless* config screens! An in-game editor for Kaleido-based configs - with no setup required.
Optional
Reliable Recipe Viewer (RRV)A recipe viewer for the latest versions of Minecraft, rebuilt from EIV and designed to be configured.
Optional

How it compares

Full comparison

Fishing Frenzy runs on client and server, is open source under the MIT License and has files for 1.21 – 26.2. Fishing Frontier is server required with client optional, is not open source, is licensed under the GNU Lesser General Public License v3.0 only and covers 1.21 – 26.2. Diverse Fishing is also server required with client optional, but it is not open source, carries All rights reserved and targets 1.21.5 – 1.21.8.

ModLoadersGame versionsEnvironmentUpdated
There's Always a Bigger FishFabric and NeoForge1.21.1 – 26.3Client and server2026-10-06
Fishing FrenzyFabric and NeoForge1.21 – 26.2Client and server2026-09-04
Fishing FrontierFabric, Forge, NeoForge and Quilt1.21 – 26.2Server required, client optional2026-07-22
Diverse FishingFabric, Forge and NeoForge1.21.5 – 1.21.8Server required, client optional2025-09-06

Questions

Does There's Always a Bigger Fish require Fabric API?

Yes. Fabric API is a required dependency on Fabric, and Modefite - Item Definition Backport is required on both loaders.

Does the server need the mod?

Yes. The mod is client and server, so the server and every player need it installed.

Which loaders and versions are supported?

Files exist for Fabric and NeoForge across 13 release versions, covering 1.21.1 – 26.3.

Can the mod's code be reused?

The mod's source code is under the MIT license, but the bundled assets are unlicensed and all rights are reserved by their authors.

In the catalog

There's Always a Bigger Fish is one of 29,952 Game mechanics mods on ModsFinder, and one of 19,630 Game mechanics mods for Fabric. 8,071 mods support Minecraft 26.3.

Game mechanics mods29,952Fabric modsMods for 26.38,071

More from Cassian

All projects
Farmer's Delight Refabricated1.20.1 – 26.3ClickThrough Plus1.18.2 – 26.3Alloyed1.19.2 – 26.3Reliable Recipe Viewer (RRV)1.21.8 – 26.3Villager Trading Plus1.20 – 26.3Item Descriptions1.19 – 26.3

Similar mods

Better Third Person1.16.4 – 1.21.8Sounds1.20 – 26.3Cut Through1.18.2 – 26.3Bad Wither No Cookie - Reloaded1.12.2 – 1.21.10Carpet1.14.4 – 26.3Client Tweaks1.12.2 – 26.3

What the author says

This mod reworks fishing mechanics, adding new biome-specific fish to catch and a new fishing rod that can have bait attached! If you are thinking about using the code or assets from There's Always a Bigger Fish, please note the mod's licensing. All assets of There's Always a Bigger Fish are unlicensed and all rights…
Cassian, on the Modrinth page

Official listing

Owner
Cassian
Published
2025-05-28
Updated on Modrinth
2026-10-06
Facts verified
2026-10-15

Tags

Game mechanicsAdventureFood
Open on ModrinthCompare