Palworld’s fishing mini-game allows you to catch Pals without any Pal Spheres. Introduced in the Tides of Terraria update, you can fish them straight from the ocean. All you need is a fishing rod, some bait, and a bit of practice with the surprisingly tricky mini-game.
Learning how to fish in Palworld is well worth the effort, as it’ll not only yield new Pals, but also plenty of random loot, including technique manuals, Pal Reverse items, rare ores, keys, coins, and crafting materials. Here’s how to get a Fishing Rod, find Fishing Spots, build your own Fishing Pond, and more.
How to get a fishing rod and bait in Palworld
First things first, you need to get a fishing rod. The Beginner Fishing Set becomes available at Technology Rank 15 and requires two Technology Points to unlock. To craft it, you’ll need a High Quality Workbench (or better) and the following materials:
- 10 Paldium Fragments
- 3 Pal Fluids
- 8 Ingot
- 8 Fiber
Image: Pocketpair via Polygon
But just the rod isn’t enough; you should also craft some Simple Bait. Luckily, this recipe is included in the Beginner Fishing Set, so you don’t need to spend additional Technology Points. A stack of 10 Simple Bait requires the following materials:
- 2 Pal Fluids
- 4 Red berries
- 2 Flour
Beware that the Beginner Fishing Rod is quite difficult to handle, especially when trying to catch rare fish (more on that below), so it’s best to upgrade to a higher-quality Fishing Rod when you’re able. Likewise, higher-quality bait will improve your chances of catching a fish. Here are the required Technology Ranks to unlock better Fishing Rods and Fishing Bait on the Technology tree:
- High Quality Bait: Technology Rank 22
- Intermediate Fishing Rod: Technology Rank 29
- Deluxe Bait: Technology Rank 38
- Advanced Fishing Rod: Technology Rank 45
- Alluring Bait: Technology Rank 52
While there are many fishing spots in Palworld, there’s a great location just south of the Tower of the Rayne Syndicate near the Plateau of Beginnings. It’s easy to reach if you’re a new player. If you’re a bit further in the game, you might want to try Fisherman’s Point, a village south of Mount Obsidian, which offers a far larger pool of fish. Here’s where to find both locations:
Image: Pocketpair via Polygon
See the fish-shaped shadows in the water? These are the fish (random Water-type Pals) you can catch. Equip your newly crafted fishing rod, just like you would equip a weapon, and hold the aim button (right mouse button on PC, LT on console).
Image: Pocketpair via Polygon
Hover over the fish you’d like to catch, and try to bring the green plus sign as close to the fish as possible before casting (the left mouse button on PC or RT on a controller).
Image: Pocketpair via Polygon
After a few seconds, you will see a double yellow exclamation mark, which means the fish has taken the bait! Pull the lure (same button as before) to start reeling it in. Beware; if you don’t pull the lure quickly enough, the fish will disappear.
Image: Pocketpair via Polygon
Once you’ve pulled the lure, the fishing mini-game begins. See the green bar with the yellow fish icon in the middle of your screen? The yellow fish symbol will move along the bar, and your job is to follow it with the bright-green bar. Press the left mouse button or RT to push the green bar further to the right, and release it to let it fall back towards the left.
Image: Pocketpair via Polygon
If the fish symbol is within the green area, the circular meter above the bar will fill up. When it’s full, you’ve successfully caught the fish. If the fish evades the green bar for too long, the fishing attempt will fail.
Beware that this mini-game is quite difficult when you’re fishing with the Beginner Rod. A better fishing rod will broaden the green bar, thus making it far easier to complete Palworld’s fishing mini-game!
Fishing Spots in Palworld
Although the fish and items you get are randomized, not all fishing spots are created equal. The higher the Fishing Spot’s rarity level, the rarer and larger the fish and valuables. Beware that catching a rare fish is harder, so it’s best to stick with Beginner or Intermediate Fishing Spots if you only have a Beginner Fishing Rod.
To check a Fishing Spot’s rarity level, press the aim button and it will be displayed on your screen.
Image: Pocketpair via Polygon
Beginner Fishing Spots appear in the early-game map areas, such as the Plateau of Beginnings, whereas Intermediate and Advanced Fishing Spots are found in mid-game areas, such as Deep Sand Dunes and the Land of Absolute Zero.
Master Fishing Spots offer the rarest fish and valuables, but you’ll have to visit the Scorched Ashland or Feybreak to find them. For example, there’s a Master Fishing Spot south of the Shield Dragon Tunnel teleport waypoint, in the small pond above the waterfall.
Image: Pocketpair via Polygon
Now that you know the difference between the various Fishing Spots, it’s important to recognize special types of Pals by looking at their fish shadows. Here’s how to tell the difference between a normal fish and an extraordinary one:
- Blue line: These are the common fish types. You will catch an ordinary Pal. Most Beginner Fishing Spots only contain this type of fish.
- Purple sparkles: You will catch an Alpha Pal.
- Purple sparkles and purple glow: Not only will you get an Alpha, but the Alpha will have the Lunker passive: +20% increase to water attack damage, +20% increase to ice attack damage, and +20% increased defense.
- Green sparkles: The Pal will have a Rainbow Skill (a rare passive ability).
Image: Pocketpair via Polygon
Remember, the types of fish that appear in a given Fishing Spot are randomized, but the Master Fishing Spots have a far better chance of spawning purple and green sparkles.
How to get a fishing pond in Palworld
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If you don’t feel like fishing manually, you can build a Fishing Pond inside your base and farm fish passively. You can unlock a Fishing Pond at Technology Rank 31 and a Large Fishing Pond at Technology Rank 55 (only the Large Pond can spawn large Pals). The Fishing Ponds require Pals with the “Handiwork” skill to operate.
Once you’ve built a pond, interact with it and choose whether you want to target a small, medium, or large fish shadow, resulting in a smaller or larger Pal type (note that this doesn’t affect their rarity, just their species). This requires Simple, High Quality, or Deluxe Bait, respectively. Wait for your Handiwork Pal to finish fishing, and you’ll obtain a random fish of the size you selected.
To give you an idea, fishing for smaller Pals may yield a Fuack or a Kelpsea, whereas fishing for medium Pals may yield a Surfent or Finsider. Among the largest fish-Pals are the Ghangler Ignis and Dumud Gild.
How to use the Fishing Magnet in Palworld
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If you’re after valuables rather than fish, be sure to use the Powerful Fishing Magnet to collect flotsam in the open ocean. The flotsam appears everywhere along the shoreline, so it shouldn’t be hard to find, but the Powerful Fishing Magnet requires Technology Level 61.
Take the Powerful Fishing Magnet, your Fishing Rod, and a swimming mount with you (a flying mount doesn’t work). Approach the flotsam and hold the interaction button to start the mini-game.
It’s a bit different from the normal Palworld fishing game, as you will see a circle with a yellow pin that moves around. Whenever it hits the green bar, you must press the interaction button. If you press at the right time, you will collect the scavenged materials. If you’re too early or too late, you can try again.
