When you’re out on the lake, fishing isn’t as easy as baiting the hook and casting the rod. You first have to use your on-boat sonar and knowledge of weather conditions to choose which type of bait is appropriate for the situation. At the same time, you have to keep an eye on the rangefinder to keep tabs of where groups of fish are, and any obstacles that may be in your way. Next, you have to make sure the fish don’t realize you’re in the area (otherwise they won’t take the bait). Again, if you know what you’re doing, this is probably second nature, but for those just wanting a fun fishing game, this is a bit too much.
Casting is just as confusing as everything else you’ve done up to this point. Casting is handled similar to the kicking meter in football games or the swing meter in old-school golf games. Overall, casting isn’t that hard, but the meter goes a little too fast –- making it one of the more exciting aspects of the game. However, this also adds to the game’s already frustrating difficulty level. Once the hook is in the water, you have to retrieve, which is how you get the fish interested. In addition to just pulling the lure back, you can also snap, jerk and twitch the line to increase the chances of the fish seeing the bait. When you get a bite (which can take some time), a message pops up and a fight begins between you and the fish. Fighting is simply trying to keep a certain amount of tension in the fishing line by monitoring the speed and position of the rod. Tension is represented by an icon that will turn colors depending on how much fight the fish has in him. If the icon turns red, the line may be about to snap, while a blue icon means the hook may not have set correctly.
As I sit here watching the sport fishing show on ESPN while waiting for NFL Countdown, it is becoming apparent to me that there is an audience for Pro Fishing Challenge. Pro Fishing Challenge isn’t that bad a game; it’s just caters to a very small audience. For the rest of the game-playing audience (a few of which who have probably never seen the sun), the game is way too in-depth to be any fun. If you’re an angler who is unable to make it out to your favorite fishing hole, Pro Fishing Challenge may be for you. Otherwise, your money would probably be better spent on new lures or rods.