Fishing frustrations, elusive groupers, a shiny new rod upgrade, and a very foggy late-night encounter with a suspicious rock. Day 4 of the Dredge permadeath run tests both my patience and my sanity.
Missed day three? Find it here: Dark Waters: A Dredge Survival – Day Three
The Great Grouper Hunt (That Wasn’t)
The morning plan was simple: head out early, catch fish, finally land that mysterious Black Grouper, and pretend I’m not on the verge of bankruptcy. But the sea, as always, had other plans.
I head straight out and find several fishing spots—most of which give me the “you need better equipment” message. Apparently, my starter rod wasn’t cutting it. Still, I manage to pull up 7 blue mackerel and a lone grey eel. Not exactly the haul I was hoping for, but at least the cooler wasn’t empty.
Somewhere along the way, my studies in Sustainable Fishing pay off: book finished, and now I have a 10% chance of not reducing fish stocks every time I catch something with a rod. You’d think that would make me feel better about the environment. It mostly makes me feel better about my wallet.
By 4:36 PM, I pull back into Greater Marrow, snagging one last mackerel on the way in. Still no sign of a Grouper, though I’m starting to question whether they’re actually real or just a fishmonger fever dream.
After selling my haul, I decide it’s time for some serious gear. I visit the Shipwright, sell off my old Simple Skimmer, and upgrade to a shiny new Weighted Line. The installation takes 3 hours, which means by the time I’m ready to head out again, it’s already 7:39 PM.
Unionised Fish and Fog – And Maybe Rocks?
Determined (or possibly just stubborn), I head back out into the night. With my new line, surely the elusive Grouper will finally show itself.
Spoiler: it does not.
Between 7:39 PM and 2:20 AM, I catch absolutely nothing. It’s like the fish all formed a union and declared tonight a strike. The only thing I catch is frustration.
With the fog rolling in thick, visibility drops to near zero. I briefly spot some shiny things off in the distance—potential treasure, or more likely, a quick route to a Madness Strike. I wisely decide not to push my luck.
And then there was the rock.
At one point, something comes into view near the edge of my light. It had that familiar red tinge that usually means my panicked brain is starting to see things that aren’t there. But as I moved closer and got it fully under the light, the red vanished and it looked completely normal.
So was it real?
Probably.
Maybe.
Hopefully.
For the sake of my Madness Strike counter, I’m calling it real. But let’s just say the boat was very carefully steered around it, just in case.
I pull into dock and call it a night. Day 4 closes with no Grouper, a slightly better rod, one near-debate with my own sanity, and a growing suspicion that the fish are mocking me.
Daily Summary
- Fish Caught: 7 Blue Mackerel, 1 Grey Eel
- Madness Strikes: Still just one
- Damage Taken: None (rock judged real – no collision)
If you’d like to know more, please check out: Dark Waters: A Dredge Survival
For more information on the rules, please check out: Dark Waters: Dredge Permadeath Rules & Survival Guide
Survivor Incognito 