Fishing

Getting started

• The rod. You get a fishing rod during an early story mission. Until then, you can take one from an NPC, but only a few basic baits work.
• Where. Rivers, lakes, ponds and swamps. Some species live almost anywhere and others live in one habitat.
• Eagle Eye. With the rod out, Eagle Eye makes every fish glow and shows its shape, so you can identify the species before you cast.
• Cast close. Aim as near the fish as you can and as far from other species as possible.

Bait and lures, by size

The game lists a "preferred" bait for each species, but players have tested this: in practice, fish respond to a bait's category by their size. Community

• Small fish take bread, corn, cheese or live bait (worms, crickets, crayfish). They ignore lures.
• Medium fish take live bait or lures, and bread, corn or cheese if no small fish are near. Use a lure when small fish keep stealing the bait.
• Large fish take lures, and live bait if no medium fish are near. They ignore bread, corn and cheese.
• Legendary fish take only special lures, sold at the Lagras bait and tackle shop after you start the "A Fisher of Fish" stranger mission.

The fight

• Fish nibble before they bite. The bigger the fish, the longer it nibbles. Wait until it pulls, then hook it.
• Pull the rod the opposite way the fish swims. Reel in only when the fish stops splashing, or the line may snap.
• Large and legendary fish can pull line out. Lock the reel, but release every couple of seconds so it does not snap.

After the catch

• Release it. Letting a fish go raises your honor, and releasing a legendary fish lets you catch it again.
• Keep it. Small and medium fish go in the satchel. Large ones must be carried in your hands or on a horse, one at a time on the horse.
• Cook it. Cooked fish restores your cores. Small and medium fish must be broken down first. Large fish are cooked at a campfire while you hold them.
• Donate or sell. Pearson takes fish for provisions, and perfect whole fish raise honor. Butchers pay well for sockeye salmon and steelhead trout.
• Legendary fish cannot be sold, cooked or donated. They are sent to Jeremy Gill from a post office.
• Without a rod. Only a small game arrow keeps a shot fish in good condition. Dynamite takes fish in bulk but ruins their quality and lowers honor.

Health and honor

Catching with a rod gives Health XP: 10 for small fish, 20 for medium and large, and 30 for a legendary. Catch and release is a steady way to raise honor.

Fishing is part of Master Hunter rank 8 and Survivalist ranks 1, 5, 9 and 10. Challenges