The Fisch 2nd Anniversary Event adds a special celebration in Moosewood with limited-time fish, Anniversary Pools, exclusive cosmetics, a new boat, and the Birthday Candle Rod. Most of the event is centered around collecting different anniversary fish and turning them in at the special cake.
There are a few details that can easily be missed, especially because not every event fish comes from the Anniversary Pools. Some can be caught globally, while others are only available from the temporary pools. Knowing the difference will make completing the event much easier.
How the Fisch Anniversary Event Works
Start by heading to Moosewood and finding the large Birthday Cake. An NPC outside the cake explains the basic event mechanic, although there is no traditional quest line that guides you through every step.
The main objective is to catch the limited anniversary fish and throw them into the icing pool inside the Birthday Cake. Each new species you submit lights another candle and unlocks the next milestone reward.
The important word here is “new.” Turning in the same fish again can still give you some Cupcake Bait, but it will not light another candle. You need different species to continue the main reward progression.
How to Find Anniversary Pools
Anniversary Pools are temporary fishing locations that appear around different ocean areas. A notification will appear at the top of your screen whenever one spawns, telling you where the pool has appeared. The pools can appear in several locations:
- Castaway Cliffs
- Forsaken Shores
- Roslit Bay
- Snowcap Island
Anniversary Pools spawn approximately once every hour and remain active for around 15 minutes. This gives you a limited window to travel to the location and catch the special fish inside.
When a pool appears, you will see the special event effects and fish swimming in the area. The pool can contain regular fish too, so do not expect every catch to be an anniversary species.
Anniversary Pool Fish
Several special fish can be obtained from the Anniversary Pools. Some of the notable catches include:
- Birthday Floppy
- Rubber Ducky
- Colossal Squid
- Birthday Leviathan
There are also other fish available in these areas, so you may need several attempts before finding the specific species required for your candle progression.
The best approach is to keep fishing whenever an Anniversary Pool appears and check your Bestiary to see which anniversary species you still need.
Anniversary Fish Are Not All From Pools
One of the most important details about the event is that the anniversary Bestiary is split between different sources.
Some event fish have Anniversary Pool listed as their source, meaning you need to fish inside one of the temporary pools. Other species are marked as Globally Obtainable, meaning they can be caught outside the pools.
This distinction matters when you are trying to complete the Birthday Cake progression. If you have already collected all of the fish from the current pool but are still missing species, check the Bestiary and look for fish listed as globally obtainable.
There are roughly two groups of event catches, with some coming from Anniversary Pools and others available globally. You do not need to wait for an hourly pool for every single species.
The Special Anniversary Leviathan
The event includes two different Leviathan entries that are worth paying attention to. One is available during the anniversary period through the Anniversary Pools, while another has a special availability window connected to the end of the anniversary.
The second Leviathan is especially important because its Bestiary description indicates that it becomes obtainable at the end of Fisch’s second anniversary through the Anniversary Pools.
Fisch originally released on October 5 at 2:00 PM Eastern Time, so players should pay attention to that anniversary timing. If you want to collect every limited fish, check the Anniversary Pools around the anniversary date rather than assuming everything is available from the beginning.
Birthday Cake Candle Rewards
Every time you submit a new anniversary fish to the icing pool, another candle on the Birthday Cake is lit. There are 11 candle milestones leading toward the final Birthday Candle Rod. The cake itself shows your progress, so you can physically see how many candles have been activated. The milestone rewards include a mixture of bait, cosmetics, furniture, a vehicle, and other event items.
Candle 1: Birthday Title and Cupcake Bait
The first milestone gives you the Birthday title along with Cupcake Bait.
The bait is especially useful because several anniversary fish prefer Cupcake Bait. Having some available can improve your chances of targeting the event species while fishing inside the Anniversary Pools.
Candle 2: Cupcake Bobber
The second candle unlocks the Cupcake Bobber and additional Cupcake Bait.
The bobber has a simple cupcake design and is mainly a cosmetic item for your fishing setup.
Candle 3: Lit Candle Lantern
After submitting three different anniversary fish, you unlock the Lit Candle Lantern.
The item has a birthday cake theme with a candle on top, matching the visual design of the main anniversary event.
Candle 4: Fish Cake
The fourth milestone rewards the Fish Cake.
This is primarily a fun event item that fits the anniversary theme. It is another collectible to add to your inventory as you continue working toward the main reward.
Candle 5: Anniversary Totem
The fifth candle is one of the more useful milestones because it gives you the Anniversary Totem.
The totem can be interacted with to summon an Anniversary Pool during the Fisch 2nd Anniversary Event. This means you do not always have to wait for the normal hourly pool spawn.
However, timing is important. Since natural Anniversary Pools already spawn on a regular schedule, you should avoid activating the totem immediately before another pool is about to appear.
Try to use it when there is enough time to take advantage of the additional pool instead of wasting the summon.
Candle 6: Birthday Cake Furniture
The sixth milestone gives you Birthday Cake furniture.
This reward is mainly aimed at players who enjoy decorating their aquarium or collecting event-themed furniture. It does not directly improve your fishing performance, but it adds another limited item to your collection.
Candle 7: Anniversary Popper Bobber
The seventh candle unlocks the Anniversary Popper Bobber.
This is another fishing cosmetic with a design based around the 2nd Anniversary celebration. It can be equipped as part of your fishing setup once obtained.
Candle 8: Party Hat Lantern
The eighth milestone gives you the Party Hat Lantern.
As the name suggests, this item uses the party hat design from the anniversary theme. It is another cosmetic reward that can be collected while progressing through the Birthday Cake.
Candle 9: Cake Cruiser
The ninth candle unlocks the Cake Cruiser, one of the larger rewards from the event.
The Cake Cruiser has a speed of 185, with 50 steering and 0.2 acceleration. It also has a large birthday-themed design with fireworks, a candle, and other visual effects.
The boat is particularly noticeable because of its size and event-themed animations. It is one of the main collectible rewards to work toward before reaching the final rod.
Candle 10: Birthday Cake Halo
The tenth milestone rewards the Birthday Cake Halo.
The accessory features a birthday cake design and includes Fisch-themed details. It is another cosmetic reward that can be equipped to celebrate the anniversary.
After reaching this milestone, you are only one candle away from the final reward.
Candle 11: Birthday Candle Rod
The final candle unlocks the Birthday Candle Rod.
To get the rod, you need to complete the anniversary fish collection required for all of the candle milestones. Remember that duplicate submissions do not light additional candles, so focus on finding species you have not turned in before.
The Birthday Candle Rod has the following statistics:
- Lure Speed: 60%
- Luck: 105%
- Control: 0
- Resilience: 35%
- Maximum Weight: 500,000 KG
The rod also has a unique passive that fits the birthday theme.
Birthday Candle Rod Passive
The candle on the Birthday Candle Rod gradually becomes lit as you catch fish. Each successful catch contributes toward lighting it further.
You need approximately five catches to fully light the candle. Perfect catches count for double progress, which can reduce the number of catches needed.
Once the candle is fully lit, it can interact with fish during the fishing process. When a fish is inside your control bar, the burning effect can remain active for a minimum of around three seconds.
This gives the rod a unique mechanic rather than simply being another fishing rod with different statistics.
Birthday Candle Mutation and Cake Drops
The Birthday Candle Rod can also interact with fish that receive the Birthday Candle mutation.
When you catch a fish with this mutation, a cake can drop as part of the rod’s special effect. The mutation has a 26% chance to occur based on the information provided for the event.
The cake drop contributes around 65% progress toward the candle’s progression bar, making these catches particularly useful when trying to keep the candle active.
This mechanic gives the Birthday Candle Rod an extra reason to keep fishing after you have already unlocked it.
Tips for Completing the Anniversary Event
The biggest mistake you can make is assuming that every event fish comes from Anniversary Pools. Check the Bestiary and pay attention to the listed source for each missing species.
For faster progress:
- Check the Bestiary before heading out.
- Fish in Anniversary Pools when they appear.
- Watch the notification at the top of the screen for pool locations.
- Remember that pools last around 15 minutes.
- Catch globally obtainable anniversary fish outside the pools.
- Turn in different species at the Birthday Cake.
- Save duplicate event fish for other purposes instead of expecting another candle.
- Use Cupcake Bait when targeting fish that prefer it.
- Use the Anniversary Totem carefully between natural pool spawns.
- Keep an eye on the special anniversary timing for limited fish.
The Fisch 2nd Anniversary Event is mainly about collecting different limited fish and using them to progress through the Birthday Cake. Once you understand that duplicate fish do not light additional candles and that anniversary catches come from both pools and global fishing, the event becomes much easier to complete.
The biggest reward is the Birthday Candle Rod, but there are plenty of other items to collect along the way, including the Anniversary Totem, Cake Cruiser, Birthday Cake Halo, Cupcake Bobber, and several themed lanterns.
Because the event is temporary, make sure you complete your Bestiary progress and light all of the candles before the anniversary celebration ends. The special fish with limited availability should also be checked carefully, especially around Fisch’s original October 5 release time.