DREDGE Hooded Figures Guide: Fish Requests, Books, and Current Rules
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The current rule is simple: take your time
The four base-game Hooded Figures each ask for three fish and reward a book. Older guides may warn that a Figure can disappear if you wait too long. The current DREDGE Wiki records that the time limit was removed, so you can accept a request and finish it at your own pace. Do not treat a stale timer warning as a reason to ruin your cargo plan.
The figures are optional and their fish must be delivered, so catch them after you have a reliable dock route. Do not sell the requested fish on the way back; the pursuit needs the actual delivery.
| Figure | Map square | Requested fish | Book reward |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue | M7 | Blue Mackerel, Tiger Mackerel, Snake Mackerel | Haggling and Bartering |
| Gold | K2 | Red Snapper, Fangtooth, Blue Crab | Advanced Fishing |
| Purple | E9 | Tarpon, Horseshoe Crab, Barreleye | Pushing the Limit: Engines |
| Red | L14 | Cusk Eel, Sailfish, Frilled Shark | Nautical Engineering |
Pick the request that fits your current waters
Blue is the sensible first figure because its mackerel set belongs near the early route. Gold asks for a crab as well as fish, so leave a pot in the right depth and collect it before the other two catches take all the hold space. Purple and Red belong to later regional travel; choose them when your route already reaches those waters rather than crossing the map for a single request.
The books need time to read. A reward does not change the boat the second you hand in the last fish. Select the book in the cabin and let its progress complete through normal activity. That makes the useful question less about the largest numerical bonus and more about what you will do next: trading, rod fishing, engine travel, or nets and pots.
Keep each hand-in clean
Mark the Figure’s island, catch the required set, and take a direct return. Fish freshness and cargo geometry can still defeat an otherwise correct plan. If a requested fish has a day-or-night condition, catch it first, then make the remaining two around that clock rather than waiting at sea with every square full.
Hooded Figures are not the same as Recording Rarities. Rarities only require a catch and report; Figures require delivery. Use Recording Rarities for the four Exotic fish, and Regions and Fishing Types to match a target with its gear method.