Fishing in Crimson Desert is already a test of patience, but losing a fish right at the final reel-in moment is a special kind of frustrating. The Claw exists specifically to fix that problem. This unique fishing rod automates the reel-in phase entirely, meaning once you've worn a fish down, it's yours. There are two ways to get it, and one of them is available surprisingly early if you know where to look.
What does The Claw actually do?
Before getting into the how, it's worth being clear on what The Claw does and doesn't do. It won't catch fish from start to finish on its own. You still need to cast your line, hook the fish, and tire it out through the normal minigame process.
What The Claw handles is the final reel-in step, which is the part most players fumble by pulling too hard or too fast. Once the fish is exhausted, The Claw takes over and brings it in automatically. That's the whole value proposition, and for anyone who's spent time grinding the fishing system in Crimson Desert, it's a significant quality-of-life upgrade.
The Claw item profile
Method 1: Patrigo the hidden merchant
If you've reached Chapter 3 and unlocked The Greymane Camp on Howling Hill, you'll gain access to a roaming merchant named Patrigo. He doesn't have a fixed shop stall. Instead, he wanders and tends to show up at your camp between 10:00 pm and 7:00 am in-game time.
The catch: Patrigo doesn't sell The Claw outright. You need to reach 100 Trust with him first. The most efficient way to do that is by giving him 20 copper pouches. Small-size copper pouches work fine and are the cheapest option. Once his Trust hits 100, he hands over The Claw as a reward rather than a purchase.
This method is reliable but slower, since it depends on Patrigo's spawn window and requires farming or purchasing copper pouches beforehand.
Method 2: The pier fisher west of the Steel Mountains
This is the faster route, and it works before Chapter 3 if you can reach the location. Travel south of Hernand to the fishing village just west of the Steel Mountains.
Before entering the village, make sure you have a mask equipped. Masks drop from Bleed Bandits or can be bought from Grimrak, who runs a back alley shop southeast of the church in Hernand. Don't skip this step. The mask is what lets you operate without immediately drawing attention.
If you attempt the steal without a mask, you risk incurring a bounty or fine that makes escaping the area significantly harder.
Once inside the village, follow the coastline along the rocky cliffs. You're looking for a small inlet carved into the cliff wall, marked by a waterfall and a short pier with a couple of fishers on it. The fisher standing closer to the village side of the pier is the one holding The Claw.
Here's how to get him to drop it:
- Equip your mask.
- Cast your fishing line close to where the fisher is standing on the pier.
- The proximity of your cast will startle him, causing him to drop The Claw.
- When he drops it, press LB/L1 on controller (or CTRL on keyboard) and select the steal option.
- Once you grab it, swim away immediately to avoid consequences.
If the fisher keeps dropping The Claw into the water instead of onto the pier, walk into him to nudge him away from the edge. A few gentle pushes toward the center of the pier will keep the rod on solid ground when he drops it.
What to do if The Claw falls in the water
This happens more often than it should. The fisher's panic animation sometimes sends the rod off the edge of the pier rather than onto the boards. If it lands in the water, it's gone for that attempt and you'll need to reset.
The fix is straightforward: before triggering the scare, position yourself next to the fisher and physically walk into him to push him a step or two toward the center of the pier. It takes a little patience, but once he's away from the edge, the drop lands on solid ground consistently.
Is The Claw worth the effort?
For players who fish regularly in Crimson Desert, yes. The automated reel-in removes the single most failure-prone step in the whole process. You still do the active work of the minigame, but the payoff is guaranteed once you've put in the effort to tire the fish out.
The pier method in particular takes maybe 10 to 15 minutes once you know the location, which makes it one of the better time-to-reward ratios for any unique item in the game. If you're building out your fishing setup or want to farm specific fish types efficiently, The Claw should be one of your first stops.
For more Crimson Desert guides covering combat, items, and exploration, browse the full guides section at GAMES.GG to keep building out your playthrough.