To see a level progression chart and other related information, go to Level Progression.
Bait recipes are available on the Cooking page.
Fish cuts and other fishing related items are available on the Items page.
Check out these great fishing tips courtesy of Drakkhen at the Heartwood Angler Alliance Discord Server!
¶ I'm new, I don't know what to do!
The quickest way to get casting is to head Northeast from the starting spawn of Oakwood and go North of the pond--if you run into boars, you went too far. Speak with NPC Yorvick and buy a Basic Fishing Rod for 100g and some Worms for 4g/ea. You may also choose to craft a rod instead and collect worms from the ground for starter bait. There's a nice worm gathering spot just North of the bank, just look for the dirt patches.
¶ Can you craft other baits?
Yes, the most basic recipe being a "meatball". The ingredients are (1 small game meat + 1 gin berry). The small game meat is dropped from various mobs, the most common being the bunnies. The berries are picked from bushes with visible red berries on them. Take these to the "Range"/cooking station that is located just past the "Swine Pits" (boars); just go north from there and it will be in the middle of the 2nd Oakwood town. You cannot, however, craft "bait kits". You must purchase these from Yorvik for 5g each.
¶ Do different baits attract different fish?
Yes, in fact, they do. For example "worms" and "meatballs" attract a lot of "white meat" fish like minnows, pebblefins, shimmerlings and catfish. Fish paste, the next tier bait attracts a lot of "orange meat" fish like salmon and trout. For the most part, higher tier baits yeild larger fish which means more XP.
¶ What else can I do with the cooking skill?
If you have the necessary cooking level, you can create "offerings" that summon elite mobs (i.e. Elder Stag, Razorback, Blight and Stone Jaw) and bosses (i.e. Canis and Overseer) at their appropriate alters. You can purchase the recipes for the bosses from Zil in StoneGlade and the recipe for Stone Jaw from Yeddy once you have finished the quest.
¶ Do different areas have different fish?
This one is not necessarily a yes, but your probability of catching certain types of fish, in conjunction with the bait you choose will affect this. For example, near the bottom of waterfalls many players have reported an increase in the amount of clams they catch using bitter pellets.
¶ What is fishing strength?
Fishing strength determines the amount of "tension" that a player can handle, displayed on the gauge that appears above the bobber. The higher the fishing strength, the faster you will be able to reel fish in and there will be less of a chance to snap your line with large fish. Acquiring the Angler set will greatly help you in this area. (Angler hat and boots from fishing, Vest and pants from tailoring).
¶ Why won't Yeddy talk to me?
You must be level 10 fishing before he will interact with you. At this point you will be able to start the Salty Anthology quest; the three pages can be obtained from bottles and combined to create it. Note that you can collect the pages prior to level 10 fishing. You must fish/buy the bottles yourself as the pages are untradable.
¶ What are scales, barbs and pearls for?
They are used to craft a variety of new items that include 3 unique shields (recipes are available for purchase after completing Yeddy's quest), 4 unique weapons (obtained from the item "message in a bottle") and used to craft various rods with the carpentry skill.
¶ Why do I keep getting so much junk?!?
This is a bit tricky but there is one piece of advice that I can offer. Don't cast your line into the same area if you are collecting junk from it and there is notable downtime between your "bites". This leads into the next question... Which is an important one.
¶ What are Hotspots?
Hotspots are areas where you will catch fish very fast with minimal to no trash collected. They can last a few minutes or close to an hour depending on varying factors. If you notice short lengths inbetween you getting "bites" KEEP CASTING TO THAT SPOT! You will know when it ends, the time will be long inbetween casts again and you will start collecting junk.
¶ OK I think I got this now, so what do I do with Trophy fish?
The choice is ultimately yours, You can cut them up if you wish, but there is no evidence at this point that supports you will get anything special from doing this. They are also good for entering into community fishing competitions, although they may restrict entires to a specific timeline (the date caught shows when you open the menu for the fish). There may even be rumors that you will be able to display them once player-housing is implemented!