diff --git a/player/fishing_rod_attachment.tscn b/player/fishing_rod_attachment.tscn
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4771285
--- /dev/null
+++ b/player/fishing_rod_attachment.tscn
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+[gd_scene load_steps=3 format=3]
+
+[sub_resource type="CylinderMesh" id="FishingRodMesh"]
+top_radius = 0.025
+bottom_radius = 0.045
+height = 1.2
+
+[sub_resource type="StandardMaterial3D" id="FishingRodMaterial"]
+albedo_color = Color(0.22, 0.12, 0.06, 1)
+roughness = 0.8
+
+[node name="FishingRodAttachment" type="BoneAttachment3D"]
+bone_name = "hand.R"
+
+[node name="FishingRod" type="Node3D" parent="."]
+rotation = Vector3(-0.785398, -0.007863, 3.141593)
+
+[node name="RodMesh" type="MeshInstance3D" parent="FishingRod"]
+position = Vector3(0, 0.42, 0)
+mesh = SubResource("FishingRodMesh")
+material_override = SubResource("FishingRodMaterial")
+
+[node name="FishingRodTip" type="Marker3D" parent="FishingRod"]
+position = Vector3(0, 0.95, 0)
diff --git a/player/player.gd b/player/player.gd
index 9660cef..7733766 100644
--- a/player/player.gd
+++ b/player/player.gd
@@ -18,6 +18,9 @@ const PlayerItemEffectsType = preload(
 const PlayerCoolerCapacityType = preload(
 	"res://progression/player_cooler_capacity.gd"
 )
+const FishingRodAttachmentScene = preload(
+	"res://player/fishing_rod_attachment.tscn"
+)
 
 const CHARACTER_IDLE_ANIMATION: StringName = &"idle"
 const CHARACTER_WALKING_ANIMATION: StringName = &"walking"
@@ -103,14 +106,6 @@ class ShowcaseCameraSnapshot:
 @onready var item_effects: PlayerItemEffectsType = %ItemEffects
 @onready var cooler_capacity: PlayerCoolerCapacityType = %CoolerCapacity
 @onready var _cast_origin: Marker3D = %CastOrigin
-@onready var _fishing_rod: Node3D = get_node(
-	"Visuals/CharacterRig/CharacterRig/Skeleton3D/"
-	+ "FishingRodAttachment/FishingRod"
-) as Node3D
-@onready var _fishing_rod_tip: Marker3D = get_node(
-	"Visuals/CharacterRig/CharacterRig/Skeleton3D/"
-	+ "FishingRodAttachment/FishingRod/FishingRodTip"
-) as Marker3D
 @onready var _catch_display: Node3D = %CatchDisplay
 @onready var _catch_sprite: Sprite3D = %CatchSprite
 @onready var _held_fish_display: Node3D = %HeldFishDisplay
@@ -151,14 +146,35 @@ var _network_target_visual_yaw: float = 0.0
 var _network_snapshot_ready: bool = false
 var _character_animation_name: StringName = &""
 var _sitting: bool = false
+var _fishing_rod: Node3D
+var _fishing_rod_tip: Marker3D
 
 
 func _ready() -> void:
+	_initialize_fishing_rod()
 	_target_zoom = clampf(_spring_arm.spring_length, minimum_zoom, maximum_zoom)
 	_spring_arm.spring_length = _target_zoom
 	_camera.current = local_control_enabled
 
 
+func _initialize_fishing_rod() -> void:
+	var skeleton := get_node_or_null(
+		"Visuals/CharacterRig/CharacterRig/Skeleton3D"
+	) as Skeleton3D
+	if skeleton == null:
+		push_error("Player character skeleton is unavailable.")
+		return
+	var attachment := FishingRodAttachmentScene.instantiate() as BoneAttachment3D
+	if attachment == null:
+		push_error("Fishing rod attachment could not be instantiated.")
+		return
+	skeleton.add_child(attachment)
+	_fishing_rod = attachment.get_node("FishingRod") as Node3D
+	_fishing_rod_tip = attachment.get_node(
+		"FishingRod/FishingRodTip"
+	) as Marker3D
+
+
 func _physics_process(delta: float) -> void:
 	if _network_interpolation_enabled:
 		_update_network_interpolation(delta)
diff --git a/player/player.tscn b/player/player.tscn
index df954fd..b3e7175 100644
--- a/player/player.tscn
+++ b/player/player.tscn
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-[gd_scene load_steps=18 format=3]
+[gd_scene load_steps=16 format=3]
 
 [ext_resource type="Script" path="res://player/player.gd" id="1_script"]
 [ext_resource type="Script" path="res://inventory/fish_inventory.gd" id="2_inventory"]
@@ -18,15 +18,6 @@
 radius = 0.45
 height = 1.8
 
-[sub_resource type="CylinderMesh" id="FishingRodMesh"]
-top_radius = 0.025
-bottom_radius = 0.045
-height = 1.2
-
-[sub_resource type="StandardMaterial3D" id="FishingRodMaterial"]
-albedo_color = Color(0.22, 0.12, 0.06, 1)
-roughness = 0.8
-
 [sub_resource type="QuadMesh" id="GroundShadowMesh"]
 material = ExtResource("12_blob_shadow")
 size = Vector2(1.15, 0.72)
@@ -68,22 +59,6 @@ rotation_degrees = Vector3(0, 180, 0)
 [node name="AnimationPlayer" parent="Visuals/CharacterRig"]
 autoplay = "idle"
 
-[node name="FishingRodAttachment" type="BoneAttachment3D" parent="Visuals/CharacterRig/CharacterRig/Skeleton3D"]
-bone_name = "hand.R"
-
-[node name="FishingRod" type="Node3D" parent="Visuals/CharacterRig/CharacterRig/Skeleton3D/FishingRodAttachment"]
-unique_name_in_owner = true
-rotation = Vector3(-0.785398, -0.007863, 3.141593)
-
-[node name="RodMesh" type="MeshInstance3D" parent="Visuals/CharacterRig/CharacterRig/Skeleton3D/FishingRodAttachment/FishingRod"]
-position = Vector3(0, 0.42, 0)
-mesh = SubResource("FishingRodMesh")
-material_override = SubResource("FishingRodMaterial")
-
-[node name="FishingRodTip" type="Marker3D" parent="Visuals/CharacterRig/CharacterRig/Skeleton3D/FishingRodAttachment/FishingRod"]
-unique_name_in_owner = true
-position = Vector3(0, 0.95, 0)
-
 [node name="CastOrigin" type="Marker3D" parent="."]
 unique_name_in_owner = true
 position = Vector3(0, 0.9, 0)