# Idle Fishing Tips: Why Tidehaul Pays Nothing Until You Tap

> Idle fishing tips from four Tidehaul games: two games without taps stayed at $0 for 90 seconds, while tapping the water earned $58 and $40.

- Source: https://yesthisgame.com/blog/idle-fishing-tips/
- Published: 2026-11-09, updated: 2026-11-09
- Author: Yes This Game (the team that makes the games on the site)

## Key takeaways

- Two games without any taps showed $0 at 30, 60 and 90 seconds.
- Tapping the water every 1.2 seconds gave $16, $36 and $58 in the first game.
- The second tapping game gave $6, $25 and $40 at the same times.
- The first upgrade costs $1000, so steady tapping is the way to reach it.

**The first idle fishing tip is to keep tapping: in [Tidehaul](https://yesthisgame.com/tidehaul/) two games without taps still showed $0 after 90 seconds, while two games with taps on the water reached $58 and $40.** The boat does not pay by itself.

## How the game works

Tidehaul is a fishing game seen from above, in a tall, phone-style column. A fisherman sits in a wooden boat among orange fish, and a bird and a tuna pass by now and then. The money counter at the top rises with every catch. The Upgrade button at the bottom opens a shop with a hook for $1000, speed for $2000 and deep water for $500000.

## What we measured

We played in a test browser at 1280 by 800 pixels, with a software renderer that runs the game slowly. In each game we read the money counter after 30, 60 and 90 seconds. We played two games without touching the water and two games tapping a random spot on the water every 1.2 seconds.

*Money after 30, 60 and 90 seconds*

| Game | 30 s | 60 s | 90 s |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| No taps, game 1 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| No taps, game 2 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Tapping, game 1 | $16 | $36 | $58 |
| Tapping, game 2 | $6 | $25 | $40 |

Two games per method in one test browser, with a software renderer; these are directions, not rules.

![Bar chart of money in Tidehaul after 30, 60 and 90 seconds: no taps stayed at 0 dollars, tapping reached 58 and 40 dollars](https://yesthisgame.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/tidehaul-money-chart.png)
*Money after 30, 60 and 90 seconds, with and without taps.*

## What is on the screen

The top shows the money counter. The boat, the fisherman, the line and the orange fish fill the middle. The Upgrade button sits at the bottom, and the shop shows three upgrades with prices and Buy buttons. An X closes the shop.

## 4 tips that follow from the numbers

- **Keep tapping.** Two games without taps never left $0 in 90 seconds.
- **Tap steadily.** Tapping every 1.2 seconds reached $58 and $40 in 90 seconds.
- **Plan for the hook.** It costs $1000, so expect a long session before the first upgrade.
- **Check the price first.** Speed costs $2000 and deep water $500000, so open the shop only to look.

## Where to try it

Try it yourself in [Tidehaul](https://yesthisgame.com/tidehaul/). For another one-touch game where timing counts, [Pawswing](https://yesthisgame.com/pawswing/) has a cat swinging on a rope.

## Frequently asked questions

### How do you catch fish in Tidehaul?

Tap the water with the mouse or your finger.

### What happened without taps?

The money counter stayed at $0 for 90 seconds in two games.

### What happened with taps?

Tapping every 1.2 seconds gave $58 and $40 after 90 seconds in two games.

### What does the first upgrade cost?

The hook costs $1000; speed costs $2000 and deep water $500000.

### How do you open the shop?

Press the Upgrade button at the bottom of the screen.

### Does Tidehaul work on a phone?

It is a tall column built for touch; we tested it with a mouse.

## Games in this guide

- [Tidehaul](https://yesthisgame.com/tidehaul.md): Play Tidehaul online: tap the water to bring in fish from a wooden boat, watch your money grow and open the Upgrade shop for a hook and more.
- [Pawswing](https://yesthisgame.com/pawswing.md): Play Pawswing online: press and hold to swing a cat on its rope, let go at the right moment and fly across the gap to the next cliff.
- [Hoplane](https://yesthisgame.com/hoplane.md): Play Hoplane online: hop a frog across grass, roads, railway and river with the arrow keys, dodge slimes and spiked wheels and keep three hearts.