If you’ve wandered the rainy streets of Fontaine’s Court of Fontaine looking for unmarked side quests, you’ve probably stumbled past A Long Shot Genshin Impact without even noticing. I missed this tiny quest three times before a friend pointed out the unmarked NPC huddled near the fishing dock, and I’m so glad they did – it rewards a unique namecard, 40 primogems, and a funny little story about a local fisherman who’s way too stubborn for his own good. Most players skip this quest entirely because it doesn’t pop up on your map, and the trigger conditions are far less obvious than most routine side content. This guide breaks down everything you need to know to unlock, complete, and get every reward from this easily missed content.
How to Unlock A Long Shot Genshin Impact Without Wasting Time
The biggest barrier to starting this quest is that it has no map marker, so you won’t get a notification that it exists unless you actively seek out the right NPC. First, you need to have completed the Archon Quest Chapter IV: Act I “Prelude of Blancheur and Noirceur” to access the part of Fontaine where the quest NPC spawns. You don’t need to finish any other side quests or world quests to qualify, despite what some outdated forum posts might claim.
The NPC in question is Marcellus, a gruff old fisherman who stands near the north fishing dock in the Court of Fontaine, right next to the stone stairs leading down to the water. He has no exclamation mark above his head, so he blends in with all the other random NPCs scattered around the city. To trigger the quest, you need to talk to him three separate times over two in-game days. The first two times, he’ll brush you off and say he’s too busy focusing on his fishing to chat. On the third interaction, he’ll finally open up about his 20-year quest to catch a rare fish called the Luminescent Bass, and ask for your help.
You’ll also need to have at least level 3 fishing unlocked and have the Fontaine-specific fishing rod in your inventory, otherwise he won’t agree to let you help him. You do not need to complete any other side quests to unlock this content, even if you see other players mention prerequisites that don’t exist. That’s all you need to do to trigger A Long Shot Genshin Impact, no extra hoops to jump through. A lot of players assume hidden quests require hours of prerequisite content, but this one is surprisingly accessible as long as you know the small trick of talking to Marcellus multiple times.
Step-by-Step Walkthrough for Completing the Quest
Once you accept the quest from Marcellus, he’ll explain that regular bait won’t work for the Luminescent Bass, so you’ll need to craft a special glow bait first. You’ll need to collect three rare ingredients to make the bait, none of which are sold in regular shops around Fontaine. The list of required items is short, but you’ll need to travel to a few different spots to collect them:
- 3 Glowing Moss Clumps, collected from the dark caves near the Hydro Eidolon shrines in the southern Beryl Region
- 2 Starry Algae strands, found only in the deep underwater areas near the Fountain of Lucine, where the bioluminescent plants grow
- 1 Spicy Crab Roe, purchased from the small seafood vendor that sets up shop near the Court of Fontaine’s main market between 10:00 and 18:00 in-game time
Once you have all three ingredients, head to any crafting bench to make the Glow Bait. You’ll only get one serving of the bait per craft, so don’t waste it on regular fishing spots. Next, you’ll need to travel to the hidden fishing spot west of the Court of Fontaine, tucked between two small cliffs right off the main road. The Luminescent Bass only spawns during two specific conditions: it has to be between 22:00 and 04:00 in-game time, and it has to be raining. If it’s not raining when you arrive, you can adjust your in-game weather or wait 10 to 15 real minutes for the rain cycle to kick in.
When you cast your line with the Glow Bait equipped, the Luminescent Bass will bite within 30 seconds, no grinding required. The Luminescent Bass has a 100% spawn rate if you use the correct bait and visit the spot during the right time and weather conditions, so you won’t have to grind for hours to catch it. Once you catch it, head back to Marcellus to turn it in. Do not cook the fish or use it for any other recipes, or you’ll have to catch a second one to turn in for the quest.
All Rewards You Can Earn From This Hidden Quest
For a quest that takes less than 20 minutes to complete, the rewards are surprisingly generous, especially for players who care about exclusive collectibles. First, you’ll get 40 primogems immediately after turning in the fish, which is always a welcome addition for saving up for limited banner pulls. You’ll also get 3 Hero’s Wits, 5 Mystic Enhancement Ores, and 20,000 Mora, all of which are useful for leveling up new characters and weapons.
The most sought-after reward is the “Lucky Angler” namecard, which is exclusive to this quest and can’t be earned anywhere else in the game. It has a dark blue background with a glowing fish illustration, and it’s a great way to show off that you’ve found some of the game’s most hidden content to other players in your friend list or co-op sessions.
If you come back to visit Marcellus seven in-game days after completing the quest, he’ll also give you a special permanent gadget called the Fisherman’s Lucky Charm. The Fisherman's Lucky Charm is permanent, so it’s a game-changer if you spend a lot of time fishing for ascension materials or event rewards. It increases your chance of catching rare fish by 15% whenever it’s equipped, which cuts down on grinding time for fishing-related tasks significantly. You can only get this gadget if you give Marcellus the fish instead of keeping it for yourself, so don’t choose the dialogue option that lets you keep the catch if you want all the rewards.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Playing Through the Quest
I’ve helped dozens of friends complete this quest over the last few months, and I’ve seen the same small mistakes cost players hours of extra time over and over again. The most common mistake is only talking to Marcellus once before giving up. He’s intentionally unresponsive the first two times you talk to him, so if you only get the short “I’m busy fishing” line, just teleport away, wait a few in-game hours, and come back to try again.
Another frequent mistake is using regular bait at the hidden fishing spot. Even if you visit at the right time and it’s raining, the Luminescent Bass will never spawn if you don’t have the special Glow Bait equipped, so don’t waste your time sitting there waiting for a bite if you forgot to craft the bait first. You can always fast travel back to a crafting bench to make it if you forget, so it’s not a huge setback, but it’s annoying to make the trip for no reason.
Some players also run into bugs where the fish won’t spawn even if they meet all the requirements. This usually happens if you’ve been hanging around the fishing spot for too long before adjusting the time or weather. If you run into bugs where the fish won't spawn, simply teleport away from the spot, adjust your in-game time by 24 hours, and come back, and the spawn should reset properly. This fix works for 99% of the bug reports I’ve seen for this quest, so you won’t have to wait for a game patch to fix the issue.
A Long Shot Genshin Impact is one of those tiny, unmarked side quests that makes exploring Teyvat feel so rewarding, even after you’ve finished all the main Archon and story quests. It doesn’t take more than 20 minutes to complete once you know the unlock conditions and steps, and the rewards are well worth the small amount of effort you’ll put in. Next time you’re wandering around Fontaine with nothing to do, swing by the fishing dock and say hi to Marcellus – you won’t regret taking a few minutes to help him out with his decades-long goal. Even if you don’t care about fishing, the free primogems and exclusive namecard are more than enough reason to add this quest to your to-do list.