Crustacean Mix is a rare bait in Fisch that makes grinding The Deep’s bestiary dramatically easier, and I’ve been farming it since it arrived in the Version 1.96.0 update. You get Crustacean Mix by opening Deep Tackle Boxes, which you earn from the Bounty Tracker’s quests in Deep City or pull up while Magnet fishing in the Outer Deep. Every box rolls a 60% chance for this bait — a huge buff from the original 33% in the Version 1.97.0 patch. Below I cover both farming methods, the Merchant Rod alternative, the bait’s stats, all nine fish that prefer it, and the traps I see players fall into.
Crustacean Mix in Fisch — Quick Facts
| Quick Facts | Details |
|---|---|
| Bait | Crustacean Mix (Rare) |
| Stats | 90% Preferred Luck, 65% Universal Luck, 15% Lure Speed, 5% Resilience |
| Main source | Deep Tackle Boxes (~60% chance per box) |
| Cost | Free — bounty rewards or Magnet fishing in the Outer Deep |
| Backup method | Merchant Rod passive (50% random bait, owners only) |
| Fish that prefer it | 9 |
| Added in | Version 1.96.0 |
How to Get Crustacean Mix in Fisch?
There are only two ways to farm this bait: open Deep Tackle Boxes or fish them up yourself. Unlike most baits, no merchant stocks it and regular bait crates never roll it, so don’t waste your C$ elsewhere.
1. Complete Bounty Tracker Quests in Deep City
This is the fastest, most reliable method — five boxes guaranteed per run.
- Open the Fisch GPS and set your coordinates (XYZ) to 486, -2255, -11790 to reach Deep City.
- Find the Bounty Tracker NPC standing next to the bounty board, facing the Lower Deep.
- Sign a Deep Bounty. Contracts only request fish from The Deep (everything except Monstrous Cusk), and each fish must be caught after you accept the contract.
- Deliver the catch before the contract expires — you get 30 minutes per contract, and you can hold up to five at once.
- Collect your reward: five Deep Tackle Boxes per completed bounty, plus C$, XP, and random materials. The rarer the request, the better the payout.
Each Deep Tackle Box unloads 2-6 baits, and every roll has a 60% chance to be Crustacean Mix, so you’ll average one bait roughly every 2.4 boxes. Run all five contract slots in one loop and you’ll open 25 boxes before you even need a break.
2. Fish Deep Tackle Boxes in the Outer Deep
Deep Tackle Box is also a Rare crate in the Outer Deep bestiary, and you pull it up like a fish:
- Equip Magnet bait — it’s the crate’s only preference, and weather, time, and season don’t matter.
- Out of Magnets? The Magnet Rod from the Terrapin Island merchant (15,000 C$) replaces Magnet bait entirely.
- Don’t stack Luck for this: the crate’s catch rate isn’t affected by luck stats at all.
The Outer Deep sits on the right side of The Deep’s main marker — head out of the temple and swim right to the small pocket of land. Every box you reel in pays 240 XP, and the “misses” still stockpile Bio-Infused Coral and Luminous Flakes, two of the best abyssal baits in the game. Bonus: the crate isn’t required to complete the Outer Deep bestiary, so treat every pull as pure profit.
3. Use the Merchant Rod’s Passive (Owners Only)
The Merchant Rod hooks a random bait alongside your catch with a 50% chance, and Crustacean Mix is in its pool — only limited-time baits are excluded. The catch: this rod is a collector’s item now. It cost 20,000 E$ in the Whale Interior and was made unobtainable in a past update. If you own one, park yourself in The Deep and let the passive work. If you don’t, skip this method and focus entirely on the Bounty Tracker.
All 9 Fish That Prefer Crustacean Mix in Fisch
The bait’s 90% Preferred Luck boost targets exactly nine fish, most of them Deep bestiary entries — so every cast doubles as bounty progress and bestiary completion:
| Fish | Weather | Time | Season | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dwarf Pea Puffer | Rain | Day | Summer | Skycrest |
| Formosa Seabass | Clear | Day | Summer | Outer Deep |
| Lepidion | Clear | Day | Summer | Lower Deep |
| Long-Barbel Snailfish | Clear | Night | Autumn | Gloomy Crevice |
| Longnose Spiny Eel | Rain | Night | Spring | Gloomy Crevice |
| Nkosi Pygmy Pipehorse | Foggy | Night | Spring | Outer Deep |
| Stout Blacksmelt | Foggy | Day | Winter | Lower Deep |
| Blackcap Basslet | Clear | Night | Summer | Skycrest |
| Geode Grouper | Clear | Day | Spring, Summer | Calm Zone |
Prioritize the Nkosi Pygmy Pipehorse and Stout Blacksmelt — at 1,200 and 1,300 C$ per kilogram, they’re the priciest targets on the list. And even when you’re chasing off-list catches, the 65% Universal Luck quietly lifts every other cast, so the bait never feels wasted in The Deep. Targeting fish by their preferred bait is a whole skill in itself; my DJ Spinopus guide breaks down the same method with Snare bait, and our FischFright 3 bestiary table shows how quickly full-table knowledge speeds up completion.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Buying Aquatic Tackle Boxes. The 750 C$ shop crate near the Outer Deep entrance is a different box — it never contains Crustacean Mix.
- Letting contracts expire. A bounty dies 30 minutes after signing, so don’t sign five and go AFK.
- Stacking Luck for crates. Luck boosts fish catches, not the Deep Tackle Box’s pull rate — save the enchant slots for your bounty fish.
- Expecting crustaceans. Despite the name, no crabs or lobsters are involved: it’s bait for nine Deep bestiary fish.
- Ignoring the 40% “misses.” Bio-Infused Coral (30%) and Luminous Flakes (10%) rolls are premium baits, not trash — bank them for Deep grinding.
Pro Tips for Faster Farming
- Farm with a fast rod. Lure Speed cuts cast-to-catch time on bounty fish; our Boglin Branch rod guide covers one of the strongest recent rods and its enchant pairings.
- Wait for the weather window. The most valuable targets need Foggy (Pipehorse at night in Spring, Blacksmelt by day in Winter) — a timed session beats blind casting.
- Loop contracts, not boxes. Five signed contracts equal 25 boxes per loop, which beats pulling crates one cast at a time.
- Sell your duplicates. The Deep Tackle Box registers as a Rare catch with a 450 C$ base value — once your bait bag is full after a big loop, selling extras is free money.
FAQs
What is the drop chance of Crustacean Mix in Fisch?
Deep Tackle Boxes roll a 60% chance for Crustacean Mix — buffed from 33% in the Version 1.97.0 patch — so you average one bait per 2.4 boxes opened.
How many Deep Tackle Boxes do Bounty Tracker quests give?
Every completed bounty pays five Deep Tackle Boxes alongside C$, XP, and random materials, and you can run five contracts simultaneously.
Can you buy Crustacean Mix in Fisch?
No. No merchant sells the bait and regular crates never roll it — Deep Tackle Boxes from bounties and Magnet fishing are the only sources.
Which rod can give you Crustacean Mix?
The limited Merchant Rod: its passive hooks a random bait with 50% of catches. The rod itself is no longer obtainable, so this method is owners-only.
Is Crustacean Mix good in Fisch?
Yes — 90% Preferred Luck, 65% Universal Luck, and 15% Lure Speed make it one of the strongest baits for The Deep, and it costs nothing but bounty runs.
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