Fishin' Lakitu

Fishin' Lakitu are a variant of Lakitu that Mario (or Baby Mario) encounters in Super Mario World, Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3, and Yoshi's New Island. In the former, instead of raining Spinies down upon Mario, the enemy hovers above its target, dangling a 1-Up Mushroom at the end of a fishing pole. Should Mario grab this bait, the Fishin' Lakitu speeds up and throws Spiny Eggs. If the player defeats a Fishin' Lakitu, it will only throw Spinies after it respawns. In Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, they are present in Hookbill The Koopa's Castle, where they attempt to steal Baby Mario from Yoshi's back with a baitless fishing pole ending in a hook. If they snatch Baby Mario, the Countdown Timer will initiate the countdown. However, these Fishin' Lakitus fly away from Yoshi with their catch, making it harder to save him.

Fishin' Lakitu's pole is now one of Lakitu's major characteristics in various Mario spin-off games ranging from basketball to go-kart racing. In the Mario Kart series, for example, Lakitu carries his starting light and various signs, and rescues racers on the pole. A Fishin' Lakitu-based business (Lakitu Travel) even made an appearance in Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time.

A Fishin' Lakitu makes a cameo appearance in the background of the Yoshi's Island stage of Super Smash Bros. Melee and its version as a Past Stage in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Also, in Brawl, one appears as a Sticker, featuring artwork from Mario Kart 64.

Non-hostile Fishin' Lakitus appear in Super Mario Odyssey, where they are simply referred to as Lakitus. When Mario captures one with Cappy, he can use its fishing rod to fish in ponds, allowing him to receive Power Moons from fishing the largest Cheep Cheep. A Fishin' Lakitu can be found frozen in a glacier next to the Desert Oasis in the Sand Kingdom, and can be captured when unfrozen. In Bowser's Kingdom, a Power Moon can be earned by fishing Poochy.

The Fishing Boo is the Fishin' Lakitu's undead equivalent. Rather than an extra life, it dangles a deadly blue flame from its fishing rod.