Google: The Fishing Easter Egg

Google’s latest Easter egg may allow users to take part in a spot of fishing when there are no search results to display.

Yes... You read that correctly, in specific instances when there are no results to display in Search, when the “past hour” filter is applied, then as many users will already know, Google typically tells us that the “query did not match any documents”.

Google also reminds us to make sure words are spelt correctly and to try more general or completely different keywords.

But a growing number of users are finding something that is quite literally, a little more “fishy”. The reason is that when there is nothing to display for an entered query, the Search Giant is testing a rather quirky fishing game.

While many rush to recreate the conditions for the game to pop into action, many more have simply passed it off as a spoof, but it’s for real and here is the proof, courtesy of Techdows.com.

The game is interactive, with our little blue friend patiently waiting for a fish to bite. Users can help of course, a simple click on the bait may well help him in hos quest to hook a fish and put it safely into his virtual bucket.

Sometimes, the click might yield something a little more unexpected than a fish for his bucket though, with a shoe also reported to have been caught on more than one occasion.

Rest assured, no marine animals seem to be harmed in this light hearted game/Easter egg. It seems solely designed to lighten the mood when the Google SERP turns up empty...

Should users choose not to click on the bait and attempt to catch supper, our fishing friend will simply sing when idle.

The team at Techdows confirm that, when seeing the fishing animation for themselves, they weren’t signed in to a Google account but had problems reproducing the results in Chrome or Microsoft Edge, they did however manage to capture him using Firefox with private browsing turned on.

This is not the first time that Google has gone the extra mile to provide a little fun distraction for users in Search. Google Doodles are a regular and popular aspect of the Search Homepage now, promoting awareness and highlighting a diverse range of dates and anniversaries.

As far as games are concerned, users can play Pacman along with a range of other classic hidden gems such as Zerg Rush, Atari Breakout and a range of other games for those with an Android phone or tablet.

Does a spot of virtual fishing help to ease frustrations when SERPS draw a blank, have you been able to reproduce the conditions to see him for yourself?

Let me know and keep an eye out for more Google updates (both light hearted and otherwise).