How to catch a Monster Hunter Wilds Whopper

The challenge to catch a Whopper in Monster Hunter Wilds as part of Kanya's quest, The Catch of a Lifetime, is a funny one. Unlike the other fishing sidequests in MH Wilds, this one gives you a choice of which fish to catch, as a Whopper isn't a breed, it's just a general classification for the largest size of fish, and there are several species of aquatic endemic life that fall into that bracket like the Great Trevally, the Gastronome Tuna and the Gajau. We'll show you how to catch them both in our guide on how to get the Whopper in Monster Hunter Wilds, as well as the unique fishing mechanics that play into these special seafaring behemoths.

Whoppers have their own unique fishing mechanics that kick in once they've bitten the line, wherein you need to exhaust them before you can reel them in. Here's how it works:

1. Once the fish bites the hook, press R2/RT to start the minigame.
2. The goal now is to stop the line from reaching too much tension. Match the Whopper's movements with the analog stick to minimise line tension: if it goes left, you go left too. If it goes right, you also go right.
3. Eventually the fish will temporarily stop moving when it's exhausted. Rapidly press up and down on the analog stick to reel it in.
4. If the fish jumps in the air, follow its movements with the analog stick as normal, then press R2/RT at the height of the jump to restrain it and exhaust it again.
5. Once the fish is reeled in to be close enough to the shore, it'll automatically get dragged onto the bank and will be caught!

Whopper locations in Monster Hunter Wilds

There are multiple fish that count as Whoppers in Monster Hunter Wilds, but it seems all of them can be found in Area 17 of the Scarlet Forest, usually around the churning water (though not exclusively). Below we'll list the different Whopper fish and what lures/bait you need to catch them:

• Great Trevally: Tuff Joint Bait
• Gajau: Duster Rigs
• Gastronome Tuna: Tuff Joint Bait
• Goliath Squid: Tentacle Jigs (and only shows up at night)

Goliath Squid are the rarest and you won't even have the Tentacle Jigs if you're at this specific point in the quest chain, so definitely use the Tuff Joint Bait as a rule just to draw any whopper from the water and complete the side quest. If the flying Harpios are diving into the water, clear them out with your Slinger to stop them from scaring away the fish first!

Looking for new forms of life in the Forbidden Lands? Check out the location of the Monster Hunter Wilds Gillopod here, or discover the incredibly rare Monster Hunter Wilds Sandstar here!

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