Small World Toys Magnetic Fishing Game, Catch of The Day Shark Fishing Toy for Kids Ages 3+, Includes Kids Fishing Pole and 1 Shark for Toddler Bath Toys, Water Fish Toys for Pools & Tubs

This is a great toy. As a first-time father, I have bought far too many toys in the last few years, always looking to find a new all-star toy that will truly make me feel like I got my money's worth. For the youngest years, it's that unavoidable Sophie the Giraffe Vulli Sophie the Giraffe Teether. And those crinkly fabric books. Then there's the foam blocks Edushape Educolor Building Blocks, Set of 30, which are good for years of fun. Then Legos. Probably also include the Plasmacar PlasmaCar Bluein that category, if you have an open floorplan with tile like we do.I'd rank this fish up there with those others. My son is 2, and is fascinated by it. I have to help him maneuver the 'bait' into the fish's mouth, but he loves it every time the fish clamps down on it and starts swimming furiously. We eventually 'fight' the fish long enough that we can pull him in and let him go, at which point he starts swimming lazily around in a broad circle again. At first I thought that was a design flaw, but then realized it's brilliant - the fish will eventually come back around if you miss him the first (or fifth) time.Over the summer, we had some other kids over at various times, including an 18-month old, 4-yo, 5yo, 7yo, and 9yo. All of them thought it was fun and wanted a turn. I don't think this submersible electronic fish will last until my 2-yo is 9, but I do expect he will want me to replace it whenever it dies. And at this price, I happily will.

UPDATE: did stop swimming, but after a few tough drops on tile floor. Kids love so much we bought another. I am attaching a "filet" photo of the broken one for curiosity sake. It's quite ingeniously designed and I found that the battery compartment does have sufficient gasket, but you have to screw it in tight enough (not always easy with tiny screws).Ours worked as described right out of the box (after batteries added) and worked shockingly well. Used in a large bathtub with grandson sitting on the side "fishing." I believe the perceived difficulties of catching in other reviews are actually part of the design. The goal is to coordinate raising/lowering/moving the bait so that the fish will swim into it, the magnets "catching." The mouth opens and closes to add a bit of randomness (and, I'd say the realism). My grandson quickly adapted, placing the bait ahead of the fish and reeling slowly after a catch. We've been careful not to drop the fish as it is hard plastic and I'm trying to keep the pole out of the water which might explain having no non-working issues.I have to add that the wiggling tail/fins and the design make the fish shockingly realistic flopping on the end of the line :-) He's of a size you'd throw back in real life, but big enough to be exciting to a 3 yr-old.

Misleading product advertising. It is not meant to be a water toy. The seal doesn’t protect the battery component at all!My toddler used one time in the tub. Dried out as recommended but it was ruined after one use.Complete waste of money.

Bought this for my son since he likes fishing and I was looking for something to teach him how to use a real fishing pole. This is as close to the real thing as I could find without it being flimsy or easily breakable. The two lures don't really change in difficulty level (it's magnet based, and a relatively strong magnet), and the fish seems sturdy enough to hold up to abuse. I didn't have any issues with the fish falling off the hook, which I was surprised about because the fish is somewhat heavy. The reel has a "cranking" sound to it like a real one, and the string is thick enough to stand up to multiple wet/dry states.Two things to point out with this - As I said the magnet is relatively strong, and the fish is pretty big. Because of that, if you want to play with this in the bathtub, be prepared for some difficulty and kids getting frustrated. The lure easily attaches to the tub because of how strong the magnet is, and the fish being big means it swims in a circle (which tends to mean along the edges of the tub). So you're trying to catch the fish along the edge of the tub with a magnetic lure that easily attaches to the tub edge. This toy is better suited for small pools because of that.

I ordered this early for my sons bday in late Aug. The fish stopped swimming after 3 days because the button will turn on if you hold it, but wont stay on for the bass to swim in water. Its a bummer because we have a lil angler and all summer long all he wants to do is fish. Unfortunately, i missed my window to be able to return/exchange. Really wish stuff lasted longer, not all kids have the attention span of a goldfish, which is how long this bass survived for. He played with this for a few hours-HOURS- everyday until the on/off button gave up the ghost.