Talk:Fishing Rod

Sporadic damage
After doing a bunch of tests, I have found that while Fishing Rod does damage depending on the distance the fishing rod is cast (also depends on if you are in the air or on the ground), the sporadic nature of the damage makes it impossible to determine the range at which it does the most damage. I CAN say, though, that the move is more powerful if Isabelle hooks the opponent after missing them (i.e. when you manually reel in the fishing rod).

To make matters more complicated, some characters take damage differently than others. Personally, I think it has to do with the size of the character's hurtbox. Some characters occupy a different amount of space than others, which might affect how far the fishing rod travels before grabbing them. It's just a theory, though, so I can't say for sure. I will continue to look into it for now. Thecontributor22 (talk) 01:26, August 5, 2020 (EDT)
 * I managed to find a Reddit link about someone who has had conducted similar tests with Fishing Rod. The link is right here.Thecontributor22 (talk) 12:56, August 5, 2020 (EDT)
 * I did some quick tests and I'll agree with your theory. I did tests against Mega Man because when he holds a small item or crouches he is perfectly still. I got similar damage when the hook got his foot as when it got his thigh despite being slightly further, and moving further still got the foot but did different damage (can't remember how much, forgot to write it down). Similar stuff happened when hitting the top of his head vs his face. I'd also recommend testing against Kirby when he uses Stone, probably the pink box version, if you want another un-moving target. --CanvasK (talk) 15:36, August 5, 2020 (EDT)

Counters, Reflectors, and Passive Shields
The hook has a strange interaction with reflectors and counters. Just like a regular shield, the hook won't grab through them. However, unlike regular shields, the hook won't bounce off and will still keep going. For characters whose reflecting moves only cover their front (Ness' f-smash, for example), that means that the hook can potentially catch them from behind... provided that the hook is far enough behind them. The hook acts like a projectile of sorts, meaning it will cause certain refecting moves to make the sound they make when reflecting things (like Fox's Reflector). However, it doesn't change ownership. Passive shields, however, are much like the regular shields: the hook will bounce off of it. Thecontributor22 (talk) 20:50, August 15, 2020 (EDT)
 * I almost forgot to mention that the only counters that Fishing Rod CAN ignore is Counter Throw, Witch Time, and Revenge.

Thecontributor22 (talk) 17:07, August 16, 2020 (EDT)