Hook, Line and Ledger: An Overview of the New Fishing System

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It’s finally here—the feature we’ve been waiting for since 2018: fishing in Appalachia.

I’m not a fan of real-life fishing (I know, very un-Australian of me), but the moment I tried it on the PTS, I was hooked.

The minigame is simple to pick up, the fish look fantastic, and there’s no shortage of new rewards and challenges to complete—plus four new NPCs to meet!

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The first question on your mind is probably: Where do I get a fishing rod?

To unlock your fishing rod, you’ll need to complete a short introductory quest called “Casting Off.”

You can start the quest in one of two ways:

Head to Vault 76 and read the flyer on the barrel near the spawn point.

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Or, fast travel to any location in the Mire. This will trigger a prompt directing you to check your Pip-Boy radio. Tune in to the new broadcast and follow the instructions—it will eventually lead you to Fisherman’s Rest.

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Speak to the Mysterious Fisherman to begin the quest. Once completed, you’ll be rewarded with your very own fishing rod.

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If you're someone who enjoys the lore, there’s something for you too—Fisherman’s Rest is scattered with notes and holotapes that offer insight into the story behind the Mysterious Fisherman and the area itself. Keep an eye out as you explore; there's more going on beneath the surface than just fishing.

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Once you have your fishing rod and bait in hand, it’s time to start fishing!

Fishing is available in all types of water—including lakes, ponds, rivers, and even toxic or irradiated water. If your character can stand in it, and it’s deep enough, you can fish there. You’re not restricted to clean or specific fishing zones.

When you're in a suitable spot, the option to “Fish” will appear.

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If the water isn’t deep enough, the “Fish” prompt will be greyed out.

To begin fishing, you’ll need to long-press on the “Fish” button to start the animation. On Xbox, hold down the X button; on PlayStation, hold down Square. Once the animation finishes, your character will enter the fishing pose, and your HUD will change to display four options across the bottom of the screen.

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After selecting your bait, press the Cast button to throw your line into the water. You can scroll left or right to choose between Common, Improved, or Superb bait, but keep in mind that you can’t change your bait while your line is already in the water—so make your selection beforehand.

The Toggle Camera option lets you cycle between three different angles. Personally, I prefer the first one because it gives a clearer view of the water ripples and the bobber, which helps with timing. If you want to stop fishing, the Exit button will take you out of the minigame at any time.

Once your line is cast, a radar-style display appears on the right side of your screen. Your bobber will float until a fish notices the bait and takes a bite. When this happens, the line will pull slightly, and that’s your cue to press A on Xbox or X on PlayStation to hook the fish and begin the second part of the minigame.

At this point, your goal is to use your joystick or mouse to keep the fish icon inside the catch zone on your radar.

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If the fish drifts outside the zone, the cone will turn red, which means you're at risk of losing the catch.

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Some fish are easy to manage and stay within the zone, while others will fight back aggressively, pulling hard and darting around the screen. It’s not uncommon for certain fish to break free, especially early on.

The good news is that as you upgrade your rod with different hooks and reels, it becomes easier to keep fish within the catch zone. These upgrades improve various aspects of the minigame, such as line strength, reel-in speed, and reaction timing, making fishing feel smoother and more manageable.

How long a catch takes depends on the type of fish you’ve hooked. Some will be quick and easy, while others—especially rare or tougher species—can be drawn-out battles. If the fish escapes, you’ll lose your bait, so every bit of gear helps.

If you’re wondering whether your SPECIAL stats affect your ability to catch certain fish, the answer is no. Fishing success is determined entirely by your gear (hooks and reels), the weather conditions, and the type of bait you’re using. That’s it.

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The fishing rod in Fallout 76 has four modifiable slots, allowing you to enhance its performance and personalize your fishing experience.

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Reels

Reel mods improve how quickly and efficiently you can land a fish. They primarily boost reel rotation speed and reduce the chance of a fish escaping during the minigame. These upgrades are unlocked by completing specific Lifetime Challenges.

There are 4 Reels to unlock:

• Mark 1 Reel
• Mark 2 Reel
• Mark 3 Reel
• Mark 4 Reel

Hooks

Hook mods offer various quality-of-life enhancements. Depending on the mod, they can make your line stronger, increase the size of the catch zone, reduce the time it takes for fish to bite, or speed up the catch process. These are obtained through the Pip-Boy Daily quest “Big Fish in a Small Pond.”

There are 5 Hooks to unlock:

• Advanced Drag
• Attractive Hook
• Improved Bearing
• Stabilized Gear Ratio
• Steady Handle

Bobbers and Skins

These are purely cosmetic customizations that can be unlocked by completing challenges or progressing through the Scoreboard. While they change the appearance of your bobber or rod, they do not impact fishing mechanics or spawn rates in any way.

I cover each of these in more detail in my full guide, which you can find here.

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Once you’ve cast your first line and landed a few catches, there’s still plenty more to reel in. Make your way back to Fisherman’s Rest each day and check in with Captain Raymond to take on the Pip-Boy Daily quest: Big Fish in a Small Pond.

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Each time you speak with him, you’ll be sent to a different region of Appalachia to fish. You’re not locked to a specific location—any fishing spot within the assigned region will do. And it doesn’t matter which fish you catch either; as long as you bring in seven, you’re good to go.

This daily quest offers more than just XP and bait. You’ll have a chance to earn CAMP plans, hook mod blueprints, fishing bait, and display items—many of which are tradeable, droppable, and keep dropping even after they’re learned. Perfect for plan collectors or anyone wanting to gift them to new players.

And don’t forget about the lifetime fishing challenges tied to this activity. These unlock even more CAMP rewards and cosmetics, and they’re tracked per character—so if you’re running alts, make sure each one gets a chance to participate and claim their haul.

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There are a total of 39 fish and 12 Axolotls to catch across Appalachia.

Each species has its own unique spawn conditions, which can vary based on fish type, weather, and the bait you use. Some species are also tied to Lifetime Challenges and reward milestones, making them essential for completionists.

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Image Credit: zafiel999 via Bethesda Game Studio Discord

Axolotls are handled a bit differently. Only one Axolotl type spawns each month, and always in just two specific regions. For example, the Banded Axolotl is available only during June, and only in The Mire and Toxic Valley.

Here’s a breakdown of the fish in each category:

Generic Fish – 8 to catch

• Brook Silverside
• Sunscream
• Chain Pickerel
• Smoky Salmon
• Ridge Trout
• Redbelly

Walleye

Yellow Bullhead

Common Region Fish – 7 to catch

• Alpine Sawgill
• Bog Sawgill
• Muddy Sawgill
• Noxious Sawgill
• Sooty Sawgill
• Static Sawgill
• Timber Sawgill

Uncommon Region Fish – 14 to catch

• Armoured Spinefish
• Ashen Ambusher
• Bloodwhisker
• Blisterfish
• Bluefin Zapper
• Bog Lurker
• Deathjaw
• Gulpy
• Kanawha Piranha
• Leatherback
• Potbelly Kelt
• Purple Radpole
• Spikesnapper
• Stormswimmer

Glowing Fish – 7 to catch

• Glowing Gulpy
• Glowing Kanawha Piranha
• Glowing Ambusher
• Glowing Spinefish
• Glowing Stormswimmer
• Glowing Potbelly Kelt
• Glowing Bog Lurker

Local Legend Fish - 3 to catch

• Ryl-Tkannoth, Maw-Begotten
• Wavy Willard
• Organ Grinder

Axolotl – 12 to catch

• Charcoal Axolotl
• Pink Axolotl
• Clay Axolotl
• Dotted Axolotl
• Purple Axolotl
• Banded Axolotl
• Scaled Axolotl
• Striped Axolotl
• Shadow Axolotl
• Spotted Axolotl
• Speckled Axolotl
• Stone Axolotl

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Fish serve more than just a decorative purpose in this update. While players can proudly mount their catches on display in their CAMPs, fish can also be broken down into Fish Bits at a cooking station. These Fish Bits are then used to craft the new dishes.

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The number of Fish Bits you get depends on the type and size of the fish.

• Small Fish – 1 Fish Bit
• Medium Fish – 2 Fish Bits
• Large Fish – 5 Fish Bits
• Glowing Small Fish – 2 Fish Bits
• Glowing Medium Fish – 4 Fish Bits
• Glowing Large Fish – 10 Fish Bits
• Local Legends – 25 Fish Bits
• Axolotl – 25 Fish Bits

For those using the Super Duper perk card, it does apply when crafting Fish Bits, which means you can potentially get even more from each catch.

Importantly, fish themselves do not decay — so you can safely hang them up without worrying about spoilage. However, both Fish Bits and the cooked dishes made from them will spoil over time, just like other food items in the game.

There are three new fish-based recipes included with the update:

• Fish and Tatos is a Carnivore-only dish that grants +5% XP for 30 minutes.
• Grilled Fish can be consumed by both Carnivores and Herbivores and provides a boost to your fishing efficiency.
• Fish Chowder is a hunger-slowing dish designed for Carnivores, reducing hunger drain by 25% for 30 minutes.

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Don’t forget about Linda-Lee!

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Feed Linda-Lee, and she’ll quite literally cough up legendary weapons and armor in return. It might be dripping with fishy saliva, but hey—one Wastelander’s gooey gift is another’s treasure.

To use her Chum Trough, you’ll first need to craft Fish Bits at any cooking station using the fish you catch. The type and size of the fish determines how many Bits you receive, with rarer catches like Axolotls and Local Legends yielding the most. Equipping the Super Duper perk can help stretch your ingredients further.

Just remember—fish themselves don’t spoil, so it’s best to hold onto your catches and cook them into Bits all at once. Once crafted, Fish Bits will begin to spoil, so either drop them off quickly at the Chum Trough or store them in a Cryo Freezer or Fridge to keep them fresh.

Once you’ve got some ready, head to the Chum Trough and choose how many Bits you want to feed Linda-Lee. The system tracks your total over time, so even small contributions count. Every time your total contributions reach 25 Fish Bits—even if it’s across multiple feedings—you’ll automatically receive a legendary item in your inventory.

Progress is tracked individually, and there’s no limit to how much you can feed in a day. With a reward pool that includes a mix of weapon and armor types across multiple star tiers, there’s always a good reason to keep fishing.

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Challenges and Rewards

There’s a wide variety of new rewards coming with the Gone Fission update—and the best part is, they’re all earned just by fishing. Whether you’re a casual fisher or a dedicated angler, you’ll unlock new CAMP items, fishing rod mods, backpack skins, and exclusive player titles simply by participating in the new fishing system.

Rewards are distributed across two main systems: Lifetime Challenges and the Pip-Boy Daily quest, each offering its own pool of unlocks. It’s important to note that Lifetime Challenges and progression-based quests—such as unlocking the Mark Reel upgrades—are per character, not account-wide. This means each character must complete their own challenge milestones to access rewards like reel mod plans.

While you can complete these challenges on Custom Worlds, any physical reward items, like the Mark Reel plans, won’t carry over to Adventure Mode. So if you’re aiming to unlock gear you can actually use in public sessions, you’ll need to earn them there as well.

Lifetime Challenges

These permanent objectives reward you for catching different types of fish, completing regional checklists, and hitting milestone totals. All rewards must be earned separately on each character.

• Plan: Fish Display Plaque
• Plan: Mirelurk Plushie
• Plan: Angler Plushie
• Plan: Crab Boat Plushie
• Plan: Flamewood Float
• Plan: Twin Timber Float
• Plan: Red Tide Float
• Plan: Festive Float
• Plan: Crimson Stripe Float
• Plan: Skyfire Float
• Plan: Pin Bobber
• Plan: Reclaimed Ship Chandelier
• Plan: Quantum Bobber
• Plan: Makeshift Rod
• Plan: Mark 1 Reel
• Plan: Mark 2 Reel
• Plan: Mark 3 Reel
• Plan: Mark 4 Reel
• Plan: Kelp Curtain
• Plan: Fisherman's Cooking Station
• Plan: Scuba Tank Backpack Skin
• Player Title Suffix: Axolotl
• Player Title Suffix: "Of the Month"
• Player Title Suffix: Captain
• Player Title Suffix: Lunker

Pip-Boy Daily: Big Fish in a Small Pond

Captain Raymond’s daily quest sends you to a specific region to catch 7 fish and record your progress. Once completed, you’ll earn one of the rewards below.

• Plan: Curved Fish Display
• Plan: Attractive Hook
• Plan: Improved Bearing
• Plan: Advanced Drag
• Plan: Stabilized Gear Ratio
• Plan: Steady Handle
• Plan: Chum Trough
• Plan: Drowned Box Lamp
• Plan: Drowned Chesterfield Chair
• Plan: Drowned Chesterfield Sofa
• Plan: Drowned Coffee Table
• Plan: Drowned Fancy Desk
• Plan: Drowned Flood Light
• Plan: Drowned Presidential Desk
• Plan: Drowned Signal Lantern
• Plan: Eel in a Bottle
• Plan: Fishing Rod Display
• Recipe: Fish and Tatos
• Recipe: Fish Chowder