Fishing Guide: How to Catch Fish

Fishing is the main activity of the Hunter's Call Trading Company in Sea of Thieves, it allows you to obtain a variety of fish and junk items. Read on to learn how to fish, how to use bait, and what you can do with the catch!

How to Catch Fish

Cast the Fishing Line

Aim your fishing rod at any body of water and cast your fishing line in that direction. Hold the button to cast the line further.

Wait for a Fish to Bite

Wait for a few seconds and a fish will approach the tackle. The name of the fish will appear and you'll most likely see it jump out of the water once before getting hooked.

Pull in the Opposite Direction

Once the fish gets hooked, it will swim in a direction to get away. Pull the fishing rod in the opposite direction using the directional buttons to tire it out. The fish will continuously change directions during this step so watch out.

Failing to pull the rod in the opposite direction for a few seconds will allow the fish to get away. This may take some time to get used to.

Reel the Fish In When It's Tired

The fish will get tired and stop swimming for a time when you keep pulling the rod correctly. Use this window of time to reel in the fish closer to you. The fish will swim away again after a while.

If you're feeling fancy, you may also reel in the fish for a brief moment every time it changes direction. Take caution though, the line will snap if you keep pulling while it's swimming away.

Repeat Until Caught

Repeat the process of pulling and reeling enough times until the fish gets close enough to you to reel it in for the catch. Once caught, you can grab the fish from the fishing line into your inventory.

Use Bait to Catch Rare Fish

You are able to use bait to attach onto your fishing tackle to attract and catch rarer fish. This can be done by using the radial menu and selecting the bait to use. There are three different kinds of bait you can use for your tackle.

Bait can be dug out from the ground using your shovel or bought in bulk supplies as Bait Crates from the Merchant Alliance NPC or the Hunter's Call NPC at any outpost/seapost.

Fish In Different Locations

There are many different types of fish that can be found all over the Sea of Thieves. Depending on the conditions such as the region and location where you fish, freshwater (ponds) or seawater, and weather, you'll be able to find different kinds.

Trophy Fish

Fish can appear as both a regular and trophy variant. Trophy fish are larger, rarer, and much harder to catch than the regular counterparts. However, they are more valuable and will earn you more gold and reputation.

How to Use Caught Fish

Cook Fish and Use as Recovery Items

Cook fish using a stove to increase their sell value and improve their healing effectiveness when consumed. Eating raw fish will recover less health and could make you sick. Eating fish cooked to perfection will provide health regeneration after taking damage.

The quality of the cooked fish depends on how long you leave it on the stove. Wait for the fish to turn golden brown before taking it to cook it to perfection. Trophy fish will take a lot longer to cook just right than regular fish.

Raise Hunter's Call Reputation and Earn Commendations

The primary way to earn reputation for the Hunter's Call Trading Company is to turn in fish to them at any seapost. Fishing will also be the primary focus of Hunter's Call commendations.

Cooking the fish you catch before turning them in will net you higher gold and reputation values. However, you should be careful when cooking fish because overcooking will cause them to get burnt and lose its value.

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