Tips & Tricks For Fishing In Animal Crossing: New Horizons

How to get a fishing pole

You can’t catch fish without a pole! Luckily, there are a few different ways to get your hands on one of these handy tools. You can gather sticks and craft a fishing pole at a DIY workbench if you have the recipe. Otherwise, you can use in-game Bells to buy a fishing pole. Now that you have a fishing pole, you can go look for some fish!

How to spot fish in the water

There are three locations where you can catch fish: rivers, ponds, and the ocean. When you’re out fishing, try to walk slowly near the water--running might scare away your fishy friend. When you spot a shadow in the water, it’s time to grab your fishing pole. The size and shape of the shadow may give you a hint about which type of fish it is. If the shadow has a fin, it might be a shark!

How to cast your line

Press the A Button to cast your line so the bobber lands in front of the fish. Positioning yourself in right way can be tricky! If the bobber is out of the fish’s sight or floats past the fish without it noticing, you can press the A Button to pull in your line and try again. You can cast your line from different spots around your island, like off bridges, cliffs, waterfalls, or even the airport pier.

How to reel in your catch

Once the fish starts to nibble the bobber—and it can nibble up to five times—you can watch and listen for clues that it’s time to reel it in. Press the A Button right when the bobber goes under, making a “kerplunk” sound. Timing is everything, so be careful not to reel in too soon. If you pull the bobber back in before it goes under, then the fish will swim away.

How to see what’s in season

There are different fish to catch depending on the time of day, the season, and the weather. To see which types of fish you’ve already caught, you can check out the Critterpedia via your in-game Nook Phone to see when you might be able to catch more of that kind of fish in your waters.

ESRB Rating: Everyone with Comic Mischief