How to go fishing - New World

Learn how the fishing mechanic works in New World so you can start catching fish, feeding yourself, and completing quests.

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New World includes fishing, which already makes it a winner in a lot of players’ books. For those that want to go fishing, learning how this mechanic works and how best to use it is a critical first step. The fishing system is intuitive and easy to master, so you’ll be filling your pockets with fish, trinkets, and other things you reel in out of the waters.

How to go fishing

new world fishing controls
There are only a few fishing controls to learn in New World.

Before you can go fishing, make sure you take the time to craft a fishing rod. You won’t be able to catch fish without one. With that out of the way, you can start becoming a skilled angler. Now go to any body of water in the world. You can either fish by the shoreline where you first started or find a pond near a settlement – the choice is yours. Make sure you add your friends and go fishing with them to make the experience even better.

Once you find the water, understanding the fishing controls is your next step. There are only a couple of buttons responsible for fishing:

  • F3 – Pull out fishing rod
  • R – Choose and apply bait
  • Left-click – Cast and reel in

Before you cast out, and even attempt catching a fish, it’s a good idea to put bait on the hook. This will help you catch bigger and larger fish – though you might still reel in a soggy boot.

Casting, hooking, and reeling

new world fishing casting reeling hook
Releasing the button at the maximum height will result in the perfect cast, allowing you to cast into deeper water.

The last fishing control mentioned above, casting and reeling, is the most important. To cast out, you must click and hold left-click. A bar will appear and a node will travel up and then down a single time. Release left-click to cast out – the higher the node, the better your cast will be. If you time it right and the node is at the very top, you can get a maximum cast.

new world fishing line tension icon
If the icon goes red, your line will break, resulting in you losing your catch.

Now, wait until the on-screen prompt tells you to “Hook!” and then left-click again. This will hook the fish and you can hold left-click to begin reeling in the fish. Be careful at this point, as a tension meter will be in the center of the screen, if it stays red for too long, the line will break and you’ll lose your catch. Release left-click to reduce the tension on the line until the icon squishes back down to green and then continue reeling in. The fish will try to swim away when you’re not reeling.

new world catch fish
Use bait and a perfect cast to catch bigger and better fish in New World.

When the circle fills and the fish is close to your character, you will successfully catch whatever was on the line! Sometimes it will be a fish you want and need while other times you’ll catch a trinket or some other piece of junk. Everything has its value though, and you might find something to sell.

Going fishing in New World is a relaxing way to fill up on food supplies and acquire some new items and goodies. The fishing controls are easy to grasp, you’ll just need to spend some time collecting bait, practicing the perfect cast timing, and then you can chill out and become a master angler. Read over the Shacknews New World page while you fish for some more helpful tips.

Guides Editor

Hailing from the land down under, Sam Chandler brings a bit of the southern hemisphere flair to his work. After bouncing round a few universities, securing a bachelor degree, and entering the video game industry, he's found his new family here at Shacknews as a Guides Editor. There's nothing he loves more than crafting a guide that will help someone. If you need help with a guide, or notice something not quite right, you can message him on X: @SamuelChandler 

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