Powerful/Precision Hookset tooltip is needlessly confusing

[Nyalia]

On a related note, how DO these abilities work? For every fish, does one work 100% of the time giving you the catch rate you would have without the debuff, and the other act exactly like "Hook" 100% of the time? Or is it random which is going to work and which isn't? Is there any visual indication that it worked or didn't work? Are there any fish where both work every time? Does Patience have any impact on collectable fish?

Also, one annoying semi-bug: If you cast while the buff/debuff are up, both effects apply to the cast even if they wear off before the fish bites. However, if they wear off before the fish bites, you cannot use Powerful/Precision Hookshot because you don't have the buff up.

This is especially annoying when you want to mooch and the buff is getting low. You can either mooch immediately knowing that if you get a bite, you will likely fail to reel in the mooched fish, or you can wait until the buff wears off before mooching, but since you can't drink cordials without canceling the fishing, you may not be able to reapply the buff without losing your mooch. It's just really awkward when that happens, and it happens for me pretty often, especially when I'm going for something that takes a triple mooch.

[Vandril]

On a related note, how DO these abilities work? For every fish, does one work 100% of the time giving you the catch rate you would have without the debuff, and the other act exactly like "Hook" 100% of the time? Or is it random which is going to work and which isn't? Is there any visual indication that it worked or didn't work? Are there any fish where both work every time? Does Patience have any impact on collectable fish?

This is what I've gathered from the usage of these skills, and others' information seems to coincide with my own:

Powerful Hookset and Precision Hookset seem to work depending on the animation that plays when you catch the fish. For example, the "lightweight fish" animation where you just pull your rod twice then catch the fish are only effected by Precision Hookset and not Powerful Hookset. The heavier and legendary fish animations where you pull your rod to the side at least once are only effected by Powerful Hookset and not Precision Hookset.

Both Precision and Powerful Hooksets simply ignore the Inefficient Hooking status with the right types of fish. It's not a 100% chance to catch the fish, but the same as using Hook normally without Patience up. Granted, using the wrong Hookset for the type of "reeling animation" (light, heavy, or legendary) that the fish you hook causes will cause that Hookset to NOT ignore Inefficient Hooking. The idea is that you learn what types of animation play for the fish you are trying to catch, and any fish you need to mooch to catch it, then use the corresponding Hookset in order to efficiently catch your HQ fish with Patience.

[Nyalia]

Powerful Hookset and Precision Hookset seem to work depending on the animation that plays when you catch the fish.

Ah! Thank you! That makes sense now. So, you don't actually need to learn the motions of the fish you're going for - the way the pole moves when you hook it shows you which button to press, by what you said. If it moves only slightly (light), it's Precision. If it moves 45 degrees (heavy) or 135 degrees (big/legendary), use Powerful.

Interesting that Precision costs more GP - I'd think the one that worked for the harder to catch fish (ie: Big/Legendary) would be more expensive, but that doesn't appear to be the case.

[Locet]

Powerful Hookset and Precision Hookset seem to work depending on the animation that plays when you catch the fish.

I don't think this is true, I use Precision Hookset when catching Thaliak Caiman, and they hit the line pretty hard, and pulls rod to both sides

[LlenCoram]

I don't think this is true, I use Precision Hookset when catching Thaliak Caiman, and they hit the line pretty hard, and pulls rod to both sides

It's "generally" true. So far all the fish I've been catching have been sticking to "precision for light, powerful for medium/heavy tugs." It's known that there are exceptions though.

[Niytshade]

Could also just be catching the big fish with skill alone. The tooltips for both Precision and Poweful Hookset say "Has no effect on some fish." I know generally that means the fish will get away but it's also possible you are just catching it through RNG