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No. A developer-marked account answered in a Steam discussion: “The maw doesn’t eat live bait.” The confusion often comes from “large bait,” which the discussion clarifies is bait made by throwing a medium fish back—not a large live fish.
What “large bait” means
In the Steam discussion, a player first read “large bait” as a large fish. Another commenter clarified that the term means bait produced by throwing a medium fish back. That terminology does not mean the Maw requires a large live fish.
How Bulbfish fits into Maw strategies
Bulbfish is relevant to some Maw-catching advice, but those are specific tactics described by community guides—not evidence that the Maw eats live bait generally.
Use the Bulbfish already in the Maw’s mouth
A Steam guide published and updated in November 2021 recommends catching and using the Bulbfish in the Maw’s mouth. It warns that a different Bulbfish can trigger the Maw’s aggravated state. The guide lists a huge hook and Power Rod; it describes a Sinker and other attachments as likely, conditional, or mode-dependent rather than universally mandatory. Read the Steam guide.
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Present another Bulbfish after it finishes eating
A game-specific wiki search result describes waiting for the Maw to finish eating before presenting another Bulbfish, and recommends a huge hook and a rod that can reach the Maw’s depth. This is corroborating guide-level advice, not a developer confirmation that every Bulbfish or setup works in every mode. See the Maw wiki page.
What the sources establish
The clearest answer remains the developer-marked reply in a January 2015 Steam discussion, quoted as: “The maw doesn’t eat live bait.” The thread identifies the reply as “Cat5Games – Casey.” Read the Steam discussion.
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The guides add practical Bulbfish tactics, but they do not turn live bait into a general requirement. The developer reply dates to 2015 and the detailed Steam guide to 2021; the available sources do not establish whether a later game update changed the mechanic.
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