New World: How to Catch a Snail

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Human Made

Penned by Joel Stadler

I have loved video games before I even knew what they were. I also love writing (am working on becoming a successful fantasy author), anime, tablet... Read more

Reviewed by Austin Carroll

After so many New World guides, some might think I’m fishing for topics. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. Today, I’m answering a question I’ve seen asked several times in-game. More specifically, I’m going to teach you how to catch a snail in New World.

You’d think it be easy, what with their known abysmal movement rate. But I’m here to tell you that it’s not quite as simply as all that. So no more beating around the bush. Let’s just escargot for it and get into all things snail in New World.

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Why Catch Snails in New World?

Before we talk about how to catch snails in New World, we should go over why you would want to in the first place. There are three primary reasons for doing so. First, you want to get into fishing for some reason. Second, you need some of that sweet, sweet snail slime. And third, there is a quest which compels you to do so.

“Baited” Quest

In New World there is a fishing related quest called “Baited” that requires you to catch a clam and a snail. It’s a side quest that rewards you with the basics like exp, gold, azoth. It is also one of many fishing quests. So if that is what you are after, then it is worth doing. It is also worth noting that completing this quest chain is required to get one of the four legendary fishing poles

To acquire the baited quest, you simply need to talk to Dena Ruby north of the Everfall Watchtower after you’ve completed the “Fishing Basics” quest. Once done, you simply need to fish for a clam and a snail, and you are good to go.

Bait and Snail Slime

The other reasons to catch snails — aside from progressing along the fishing quest chain — is for the resources the snail itself provides. First off, a snail can be used as fishing bait. In New World, different types of bait are better or worse for catching specific fish, so you have reason to use most types of bait.

Snails are also valued in New World for their slime. Yes, I’m not kidding. This is a game that cares about everything from plant fibers to which type of paper you use, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that snail slime is also a resource you need to keep track of. Its purpose? Snail slime is a magical reagent, and it is needed when doing alchemy.

Where to Catch Snails in New World

Now that you know why you might want snails, let’s start talking about how to catch them. Since you will be fishing for snails, the first thing to go over is where you need to fish to find them. In New World, you can’t just cast your line into any old body of water and hope to get what you want. The snail is a freshwater sea creature. This means that if you want to catch snails, you need to go to a lake or a river to catch them.

Fishing Equipment

One of the lesser-used tools in New World is the fishing pole. But just like your skinning knife, woodcutter’s axe, or pickaxe, the fishing pole can be upgraded. If you want to catch a snail, using your basic fishing pole is fine. Of course, the more you upgrade it, the better your chances of catching that elusive slowpoke are. And if you actually plan to do your fair share of fishing in New World, then you’re going to want to upgrade your fishing pole anyway.

Best Bait for Snails

As mentioned above, the type of bait you use matters when fishing in New World, just like in real life. Two of the best types of bait for increasing your chances of catching a snail are Woodlouse Bait and Firefly Bait. In order to get these, you’ll need to harvest them from briar plants, bulrush plants, and bushes so you can craft the appropriate lures. Luckily these plants and shrubs are all littering the ground in the overworld, so acquiring the proper bait will not be a problem in the slightest.

Fishing Basics in New World

Not to be confused with the quest of the same name, you’ll need to know the basics of how fishing works in New World if you want to catch your snail. Just like in real life, fishing in New World is slow and requires a lot of patience. Fortunately, it is rather easy. Just be patient, and you should get your snail without too much trouble.

Here’s how it works: once you have your fishing pole of choice equipped (and you’re at a suitable fishing spot), the game will give you a command prompt. Press the appropriate button and bam — the fishing minigame has begun. You will start by casting your line. You can toggle the depth at which you cast your line, which matters for certain types of fish. For the snail, you don’t need to cast your line out too far.

Once you have a bite on your line, you will get another command prompt to reel the catch in. This is where you have to be really slow and take your time. You may be tempted to button mash, but don’t do it. While that might serve you well in other areas of New World, here it is a bad idea.

You have to slowly reel in the snail; otherwise, it will escape your fishing line. Again, the game is trying to emulate realism. So take your time and you’ll be fine. Of course, that doesn’t mean you will catch a snail the first time you try. Any fishing you do in New World can take multiple tries, especially since they’re an uncommon item (Aquatic Snail). But with the steps mentioned above, you’ll have your best chance and catch those snails in no time.

So there you have it, explorer. Enjoy your fishing and may the snails be with you.

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We hope you found our guide on how to catch a snail in New World useful! If you have any other questions or want us to cover something else, leave a comment below.

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