How to Obtain the Sinking Lure in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Background: Why the Sinking Lure is special in Lake Hylia's Fishing Pond

In Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Lake Hylia's Fishing Pond is where the Sinking Lure can be found and used after Link has spent time breaking the pond's fishing records. The Sinking Lure is not an ordinary fishing item. It is a prohibited item, and the Fishing Pond Man will not be particularly happy if Link uses it. The lure still matters because it lets Link reach fish that are normally hard to catch, especially the Hylian Loach.

Unlock stage: The 50cm Heart Piece and 60cm Golden Scale prizes

The lure does not appear until Link has won one of the Fishing Pond's main prizes. There are two prize routes:

• Heart Piece Prize: catch a fish that is 50cm or more as Child Link.
• Golden Scale Prize: catch a fish that is 60cm or more as Adult Link.

Both routes matter because they control when the Sinking Lure can spawn. If Link wants to look for it during the child timeline, he needs to have completed the 50cm fish challenge. If he wants to look for it during the adult timeline, he needs to have completed the 60cm fish challenge. The 60cm challenge can be done without having unlocked the Heart Piece earlier as a child.

The recommended order is to complete Child Link's 50cm challenge first, then complete Adult Link's 60cm challenge, then return to the child timeline to search for the Sinking Lure. That order is cheaper: entering the Fishing Pond costs 10 Rupees as Child Link, but 30 Rupees as Adult Link. Since finding the lure may require several visits, the lower child entry fee saves Rupees. It also helps keep track of what has been done and not done in the area.

Spawn stage: Four possible locations, three confirmed spots

Once the Heart Piece and/or Golden Scale is unlocked, the Sinking Lure has a chance to spawn in one of four different locations when Link enters the Fishing Pond. If Link has completed both prize challenges, the lure can appear in either Child Link's or Adult Link's version of the pond.

The spawn is random and not guaranteed. Link may need to exit and reenter the Fishing Pond multiple times before the lure appears, which is why the 10 Rupee child entry cost is important.

The three confirmed locations listed in the guide are:

• sitting in the small waterfall on the southern side of the Pond;
• sitting beneath a submerged tree trunk in the northern half of the Pond, beside the tree trunk Link can stand on and fish from;
• floating at the end of a thin, submerged tree branch in the southern half of the Pond, in front of the tree trunk Link can stand on and fish from.

Use stage: Sinking to the bottom and catching the Hylian Loach

The Sinking Lure works as its name suggests. When attached to the fishing rod in Lake Hylia's Fishing Pond, it makes the hook sink to the very bottom of the Pond. That lets Link catch fish that are lurking at the bottom instead of waiting for them to come to the surface.

This is especially useful for Hyrule's rarest fish: the Hylian Loach. The Hylian Loach spends a lot of time at the bottom of the Fishing Pond and only comes up to the surface at specific times of day, such as dawn or dusk. If Link fails to catch it at the right moment, he may have to wait quite a while for another attempt. The Sinking Lure reduces that problem by reaching the fish where it usually stays.

There is a catch. The Sinking Lure is prohibited. If Link turns in a generic fish caught with the lure, the Fishing Pond Man will tell him off and will not give a prize. The exception is the Hylian Loach. When Link catches the Hylian Loach, the Fishing Pond Man still tells him off for using the prohibited item, but he is so surprised by the fish that he rewards Link with a Purple Rupee.

Version stage: The lure behaves differently from the Nintendo 64 original

The Sinking Lure is not a permanent inventory item. It is taken from Link when he leaves the Fishing Pond. If he wants to use it again, he must find it again.

The remake changes one small interaction from the original Nintendo 64 game. In the original, Link could approach the Fishing Pond Man while holding the Sinking Lure. The Fishing Pond Man would thank Link for honesty and allow him to continue using the item, although fish caught with it still could not be turned in for prizes. In the remake, the Fishing Pond Man does not mention the Sinking Lure until Link hands over a fish caught with it or leaves the Fishing Pond. At that point, he takes the lure from Link.

Current stage: A temporary lure tied to repeated pond visits

The practical stage of the Sinking Lure is temporary: it is found after a fishing prize, used inside Lake Hylia's Fishing Pond, and then taken away when Link leaves. For players seeking more help with Link's adventure, related guide topics include the Fishing Pond, Gold Skulltula Tokens, Empty Bottles, Great Fairy locations, and the Ocarina of Time walkthrough. Image credit: Nintendo/Eurogamer.