Fishing

Every world places groups of fish at random in rivers and lakes. A group shows up as splashes on the surface, and more splashes mean more fish. Noise scares a group off for a while, so clear zombies and keep the car engine off before you settle in.

Each fish you land takes one fish out of the surrounding area (about 40 by 40 tiles). An area that goes five days without a catch refills, and groups drift to new spots every day (one source). If the bites dry up, move along the bank.

Two Build 41 habits are gone: spear fishing was removed, and Fishing skill no longer adds a flat bite chance per level. Skill now decides how big a fish can be, how much junk you hook and how accurate your cast is.

1. Hold a rod in both hands and attach bait or a lure. A bare hook mostly catches junk.
2. Aim within about 15 tiles and left-click to cast.
3. Put the bobber at least 8 tiles from the shore and more than 3 tiles from yourself. Close to the bank, waits roughly double and big fish get rare; a bobber right next to you triples the wait. Piers and docks get you to open water.
4. When a fish bites, a tension meter appears. Hold left mouse to reel, and hold right mouse to give slack whenever the needle drifts toward red.
5. Leave the needle in the red too long and the line snaps.

Line quality matters: twine wears out fastest and premium fishing line slowest. Predator species only bite while the line is kept slightly tight.

Bait: worms are the best all-rounder. Opened dog food suits catfish. Small bait fish and tadpoles pull in the big predators. Jig and minnow lures work on most species and are rarely used up.

Rods turn up in garages, sheds and bait or fishing shops. At Fishing 4 you can make and repair your own; at 1 you can forge hooks; at 5 you can make chum base; at 6 you can make a fishing net. Angler magazines and the Fishing Guide occupation can teach some of these early.

Build 41 had a flat winter penalty by month. Build 42 uses the actual air temperature instead, so a mild November day still fishes well and a frozen January morning barely does.

There are 21 species, from little bait fish and sunfish up to muskellunge, flathead and blue catfish, paddlefish and the alligator gar, which needs level 10. The full species-by-level list comes from PinDrop (one source); some older guides still show the Build 41 fish (pike, trout), which are out of date.

Starting skill: the Fishing Guide occupation gives +3, and the Angler and Former Scout traits give +1 each.

A fishing net (10 twine and 5 wire, Fishing 6) sits in the water and catches small things while you do something else: bait fish, frogs, crayfish, mussels and tadpoles. Catfish only come if you add chum. Each hour it has roughly a 1 in 8 chance of a catch, counting up to 20 hours. After about 15 hours it starts risking a break, about 1 in 5, so check it every half day.

Chum is bait you throw into the water. It pulls a fish group toward that spot for a limited time, which is the best way to make a pier productive.

Use Slice Fillet with a sharp knife or meat cleaver. A fish gives two fillets plus guts, and sometimes roe. The recipe has no skill requirement and gives 10 Butchering XP (game files). More on knives and meat on the butchering page.

Whole fish stay fresh 4 days and rot after 8; fillets stay fresh 2 days and rot after 4 (game files). Cook fish before eating, and put spare fillets in a fridge or freezer. See cooking and nutrition for preserving.

Opinion Fishing is the most reliable long-term food in Knox Country. It never runs out, it is quiet, and a level 6 angler on a pier at dawn eats better than most farmers.