It's time to troll the tranquil waters looking for that prize-winning bass in the first fishing game for the Nintendo 64. Players begin by entering their name and choosing either a male or female character to begin their career. Next, they can select one of three game modes: Championship, Custom Tournament or Fish for Fun.

Championship involves embarking on a series of tournaments set across six areas on Lake Arthur and the Butler Chain. Each tournament you win earns you points to purchase new fishing equipment and allows you to advance to the next competition. The number of fish you catch and their total weight are the standards by which you are judged in the tournament, and your overall ranking will appear on the Leader Board at the end of each day.

Custom Tournament allows you to fish on any of the six available regions opened in the Championship mode with an option to select the difficulty (beginner, amateur or expert), number of days (one to three), start and finish times, and the fish limit (from two to five). The conditions of each lake can also be determined before play, including the time of year, weather (fair or foul), recent weather and six water conditions, from clear and cool to dark and warm. Fish for Fun, as you might have guessed, lets you practice without having to worry about fish limits or competition.

Once you're ready to begin, you'll be taken to a screen that shows a view from behind your fisherman on board a motorboat. If you're happy with your current location, you can begin casting by pulling down on the analog stick to set the power, which is represented by a vertical meter at the right side of the screen. After setting the power, pressing "A" will begin the cast as well as reel in the lure at a fast speed. Players can also reel in the lure at a slower speed, steer the lure while in the water and manually set the hook.

Three different casts let you adjust to any type of situation found on the lake: sidearm, overhand and skip casts. If players would rather explore more of the lake, they can do so by driving the boat to different locations. A fish finder in the top right corner of the screen will help pinpoint fish underneath the water via radar.

Once the line is cast, the perspective will change to a split-screen view with your fisherman on top and the lure on the bottom. As you reel in the lure, you'll be able to see the fish swimming in the water and watch its struggle once it goes for the bait. Successfully reel in the fish and you'll witness your fisherman automatically reach down and bring it on board the boat. The size will be noted and the fish will be placed inside a live well for later viewing.

In-Fisherman Bass Hunter 64 also features a wide assortment of different lures, including authentic brands of surface lures, crank bait, jigs, soft plastics, spinner bait and buzz bait. The game automatically records progress to one of three built-in save files, so a Controller Pak is not required to play. Those owning the Rumble Pak accessory will be able to receive vibration feedback whenever the fish are biting!

In-Fisherman Bass Hunter 64 (Nintendo 64, 1999)