Worm

One worm, one more cast that can end in a fish. The game names it as bait first and only then admits you could eat it in desperate situations, and that order is right. A fish feeds you far better than the worm that caught it.

Picture a fresh spawn on the coast: a rock, a torch, and someone's shack already up on the hill behind you. A handmade fishing rod costs little, but it catches nothing without bait, so your worms set how long you can stay on the rocks. Pull too hard while a fish fights and the line snaps, taking the worm along. Reel calmly and the stack goes further.

Back at base they have a second job. A survival fish trap gives better odds of a small trout the more bait it holds, and grubs count as bait there too. Twenty-five worms fit in one slot, so a single slot covers an evening with the rod or a properly loaded trap.