For her side special move, Fishing Rod, Isabelle pulls out a fishing rod. The move can be smash-inputted to increase its range. The move serves as a command grab against opponents. If Isabelle successfully catches an opponent with the hook, she will reel them in, then throw them in one of four different directions, depending on the input. Tossing them forward or backward can be used to setup into edgeguards, throwing them upward can KO, and Fishing Rod's downward throw can combo into aerials. Because Fishing Rod is a command grab with decent range, it is an effective tool against Banjo & Kazooie's Wonderwing side special. Fishing Rod can also be used as a tether recovery move as well, giving Isabelle a secondary recovery option to go with her Balloon Trip up special move.
However, the move has a major weakness; it is one of the two only hit grabs in Ultimate—the other being Buster Wolf, one of Terry's two Super Special Moves. This means that it is unusually negated by shielding, unlike all other grabs. Additionally, the hook can also be reflected, which also negates the move as well.