New World Fishing Guide: How to Get a Fishing Rod & Catch Fish

In this guide, we’ll be running you through everything you need to know so you can get fishing in New World. That means we’ll talk you through how to craft a fishing rod, and then how to actually catch fish, so that pesky mini-game when you cast out your line won’t stop you from reeling in the catch.

Crafting a Fishing Pole/ Fishing Rod in New World

A fishing rod can be crafted from the Workshop Tier 2 that’s found in the first settlement you arrive at.

To craft a fishing rod, you’ll need the following materials:

• 1 Green Wood
• 1 Fibers

Green Wood can be obtained from harvesting any of the bushes you find out in the wild, while Fibers can be obtained by harvesting Hemp with your Harvesting Sickle tool.

Once you’ve got both of these, return to the Workshop and select the Wooden Fishing Pole from the ‘Survival Tools’ menu.

How to Go Fishing in New World

Now that you’ve got your fishing rod, open up your Inventory by pressing ‘Tab’ and then select the Wooden Fishing Pole from your ‘Tools’ section. Drag this into the ‘Fishing Pole Slot’ just to the left of your inventory.

Now head to any body of water. When you approach the edge, press F3 to automatically equip your Fishing Pole.

Choosing Bait

You’ll now be able to equip Bait by pressing ‘R’. Woodlouse Bait will give you a medium boost to catch better fish in Fresh Water, while Cheese Bait gives a small boost to catching better fish in Salt Water.

There are other baits, but these are likely the first two you’ll come across in New World. Select your bait with LMB.

Casting Out Your Line

Now you’re ready to cast your line out. Do this by aiming into the water and pressing and holding LMB. You want to cast it out as far as you can, by releasing LMB once the little line reaches the top of the gauge.

When your line is cast out, wait for ‘Ready’ to appear next to your float icon. The icon will also start bobbing around.

Hooking the Fish & Reeling It In – New World Fishing Guide

As soon as it says ‘Hook!’ press the LMB and you’ll hook the fish on.

Now all you need to do is press and hold LMB to reel the fish in. Don’t let the reel icon in the middle of the circle touch the edges and go red, however, otherwise you’ll snap your line and lose the fish.

Let go of LMB and to release some tension from the line, and then press and hold it down again to continue to reel it in when it’s green.

That’s everything you need to know on New World Fishing. For more tips, tricks and guides, head over to our wiki, or see more of our coverage on the game below.