The red arrow in Fishing Planet means your gear was too heavy for the fish you caught, so you got reduced XP for that catch. In practice, the game is telling you your setup was overpowered for that fish, and lighter or better- matched tackle would usually give normal or better XP.

What it means

  • Red arrows = XP penalty for using heavy gear on a small fish.
  • Green arrows = bonus XP for using lighter gear that makes the catch more challenging.
  • No arrows usually means your setup is about right for that fish.

What affects it

The penalty is tied to your overall setup, not just one item, and players commonly mention rod, reel, and line together. The bigger the mismatch between your tackle and the fish size, the more likely you’ll see red arrows.

Simple example

If you land a small bass on heavy salmon-style gear, the game may show red arrows because the fish was too easy for that setup. If you catch that same fish on lighter tackle, you’re more likely to see green arrows or no penalty.

TL;DR: Red arrow = less XP because your gear was too strong for the fish.