...and now for a silent longplay of the Play For Points Mode. See you next Let's Play.
In "Play For Points" Mode, we play as a random fish for five turns. Picking the best decision before the timer runs out gives you the most points. If you eat a food you don't like, you get fewer points than if you ignored it, and if you ignore a food you do like, you lose points. After five turns, you play as a different fish.
Be careful when eating insects or Chub if your fish loves to eat them, as sometimes there can be a fishing hook. Sadly, there's no way to tell, so if you think there might be a fishing hook, you can always ignore it. There is also a chance that a predator fish can still chase you even if you pick the right escape option; there's nothing you can do if that happens. If you get eaten, it's game over.
The further you get in this mode, the less time you'll have. Be quick and remember what you need to do, and you'll be getting a lot of points here.
Blueback Salmon
The Blueback Salmon is usually on the shallow elevation of the screen. The only food it likes is plankton, and it doesn't eat any other fish. As a matter of fact, it is the only fish in the lake that eats plankton. If the other fish is a bigger fish, like a Dolly Varden or a Mackinaw Trout, you'll want to run away from it.
Eat: Plankton
Ignore: Algae, Bottom Organisms, Insects, Chub, Rainbow Trout, White Fish
Deep Escape: Dolly Varden, Osprey, Otter
Shallow Escape: Mackinaw Trout
Chase Away: none
Chub
The lake chub (known here as just a chub) is a pretty small fish that is usually caught for sport despite its size. It is usually in the shallow depths and is also used as bait for the Mackinaw Trout, and the Mackinaw Trout seems to like it. It is the only fish in the lake that eats algae, but it also eats insects, and it doesn't mess with any other fish. Most fish ignore the chub, but the Dolly Varden and Mackinaw Trout will eat it.
Eat: Algae, Insects
Ignore: Bottom Organisms, Plankton, Blueback Salmon, Rainbow Trout, Whitefish
Deep Escape: Dolly Varden, Osprey, Otter
Shallow Escape: Mackinaw Trout
Chase Away: none
Dolly Varden
The Dolly Varden is usually on the shallow elevation. It can east any fish except the Mackinaw Trout, and it can also Bottom Organisms. With this, the Dolly Varden is the second-most dangerous fish in the lake behind the Mackinaw Trout, proving that looks aren't everything.
Eat: Bottom Organisms, Blueback Salmon, Chub, Rainbow Trout, Whitefish
Ignore: Algae, Insects, Plankton
Deep Escape: Osprey, Otter
Shallow Escape: Mackinaw Trout
Chase Away: none
Mackinaw Trout
Unlike the other fish in the lake, this one is not only a deep sea predator who stays lower on the screen than the other fish, the Mackinaw Trout is not native to Odell Lake, and was introduced for the purposes of sport fishing. Due to its huge size, it eats mostly fish and the occasional Bottom Organisms, making it the only fish that can devour the Dolly Varden. Only the osprey and the otter can eat it, and the Mackinaw Trout can simply Ignore them in lieu of a Deep Escape, something no other fish in the game can do. Compared to other fish, this one is a beast.
Eat: Bottom Organisms, Blueback Salmon, Chub, Dolly Varden, Rainbow Trout, Whitefish
Ignore: Algae, Insects, Plankton
Deep Escape: Osprey, Otter (can also be Ignored by the Mackinaw Trout due to the Mackinaw Trout staying in the deep end)
Shallow Escape: none
Chase Away: none
Rainbow Trout
The Rainbow Trout only eats Bottom Organisms and Insects, and so does the Whitefish. Both the Rainbow Trout and the Whitefish eat the same foods, and because of that, they have to chase each other away in what is the only instance in the game where two fish directly compete with each other for food.
Eat: Bottom Organisms, Insects
Ignore: Algae, Plankton, Blueback Salmon, Chub
Deep Escape: Dolly Varden, Osprey, Otter
Shallow Escape: Mackinaw Trout
Chase Away: Whitefish
Whitefish
Just like the Rainbow Trout, the Whitefish only eats Bottom Organisms and Insects. The Whitefish has to chase the Rainbow Trout away in order to keep from going hungry. Interestingly, the Whitefish has to chase away the Chub (who completely ignores it otherwise) for the same reason. Unlike other fish, the Whitefish is at a random elevation; sometimes it is in the shallow elevation, other times it goes deep, and sometimes it's even in the middle. Other than that, the Rainbow Trout and the Whitefish play about 98% similarly.
Eat: Bottom Organisms, Insects
Ignore: Algae, Plankton, Blueback Salmon
Deep Escape: Dolly Varden, Osprey, Otter
Shallow Escape: Mackinaw Trout
Chase Away: Rainbow Trout, Chub