terraria fishing guide

Terraria Fishing Guide – Cast a Line

When you start a game in Terraria, much of what you have to do is on-the-fly learning. From recognizing that you should use an ax to cut a tree or a pickaxe to mine some stone, right up to exploring the crafting options. The Terraria Fishing Guidein the game does not exactly do a terrible amount of guiding.

However, much like learning that using wood can make walls, you will soon see the option to craft your very first fishing pole.

Having a fishing pole itself won’t be enough to start fishing. You’ll now need to get some bait. Purchasing the bug net from the Merchant and snatching up some of the many insects that inhabit the world of Terraria will be enough to start with.

Once you have bait and a pole, any water space of at least 75 tiles or honey space of at least 50 tiles can be fished in. You equip the fishing pole as you would a weapon, click attack and you’ll cast the line. Wait until you see the line being tugged on, click again and you may have caught something.

That’s fishing…but that’s not all fishing is in Terraria. In this indie game, no simple thing is ever really simple.

Let me dive in to help guide you through the many things you can get, and how you can get them, from casting a line into the waters of Terraria.

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Fishing Power

Fishing Power

The first thing to know is how to improve your chances of a rare catch. To do this, you must determine your Fishing Power.

Fishing Power is determined by the fishing power of your current Fishing Pole and the Bait you’re using. You can also use a Fishing Potion if you’ve acquired one to raise it temporarily.

Other Items and Equipment that can positively affect your Fishing Power are:

  • Angler Tackle Bag: +10 Fishing Power, Fishing Lines Never Break, Lower Bait Consumption Rate
  • Lavaproof Tackle Bag: +10 Fishing Power, Allows you to fish in lava with any pole
  • Angler Earing: +10 Fishing Power
  • Angler Armor: +5 Fishing Power per piece.
  • Chum Bucket: +11/+17/+20 you can stack up to three Chum Buckets in the water at once, but each only has ten uses.

Certain times of day and weather can also affect your Fishing Power

  • Cloudy: +10%
  • Rainy: +20% (Additional Bonus due to also being Cloudy)
  • Full Moon: +10%
  • Blood Moon: +10% (May fish up a dangerous enemy)
  • Gibbous Moon: +5%
  • Crescent Moon: -5%
  • New Moon: -10%
  • 4:30AM-6:00AM: +30%
  • 9:00AM-3:00PM: -20%
  • 6:00PM-7:30PM: +30%
  • 9:15PM-2:40AM: -20%

The very last factor to consider when trying to get the best catches possible is the size of the body of water you are fishing in.

Anything smaller than 300 tiles of water will cause a fishing penalty. The minimum of 75 tiles is -75% and moving upwards from there.

How do I Get the Fishing Equipment?

The Lavaproof Tackle Bag must be crafted with the Angler Tackle Bag and a Lavaproof Fishing Hook(which also allows fishing in lava). The Lavaproof Fishing Hook is found in Obsidian Chests or Obsidian/Hellstone Crates.

Chum Buckets are dropped by Blood Moon Fishing enemies.

Fishing, Crate, and Sonar Potions can be crafted via Alchemy or rewarded.

Most fishing items and equipment are gained only by completing the Angler’s Quests. He gives them out at random, and you may have to complete many to get one with certain milestone exceptions.

To find the Angler can often be as easy as going out to the edges of your map and searching for him floating asleep in the water in the Ocean Biome or on the beach. He is however very rarely found in the underworld. Wake him up by talking to him and he will move into an empty house, provided you have one.

Fishing Quests

Fishing Quests

Once you have added the Angler to your town, you can talk to him to receive a quest almost immediately.

The Quests the Angler gives you are random, as most of the rewards. He’ll ask you to go catch him a rare fish and give you a clue about which biome it is in, and then if possible, you’ll have to take your fishing pole and bait and go try and fish that special fish up.

Don’t worry, if it is in a Biome you can’t currently get to or you fail to catch the fish, the Fishing Quest resets at 4:30 AM each day. This also means that if you didn’t bring him the rare fish before it resets, you will not complete the quest.

If you have the fish but fail to bring it to the Angler in time, don’t discard it, place it in a nearby chest or something similar as you may get a Quest for it again in the future, and can easily just pluck it from that chest to hand it to the Angler.

The Angler’s Quest can have you fishing in all surface, sky, and underworld Biomes. He will not give you a quest for a Corruption or a Crimson fish in a world that didn’t start with one of these Biomes. You can speak to the Angler after receiving a Quest to learn which Biome you need to fish in.

There is no special bait to catch any of the fish in the Fishing Quests. You need only take the best you have and start fishing.

Fishing Quest Rewards

Some rewards are guaranteed depending on the number of quests you have completed.

  • 5 Quests Completed: Fuzzy Carrot. Mount. This Giant bunny negates fall damage.
  • 10 Quests Completed: Angler Hat. +5 Fishing Power. Helm.
  • 15 Quests Completed: Angler Vest. +5 Fishing Power. Body Armor.
  • 20 Quests Completed: Angler Pants. +5 Fishing Power. Leggings.
  • 30 Quests Completed: Golden Fishing Rod (Randomly given out again at 1/250 chance after the 75th Quest)

I suggest completing these pre-Hardmode, but it isn’t a problem if you forget, because the number of Fishing Quests completed is unique to each of your characters.

This means you can take a character you have in a Hardmode world and bring them to a new world to continue completing Fishing Quests under easier circumstances without resetting the number of Quests they have completed.

Numerous other items can be rewarded at random upon completing a quest for the Angler. Most of which are decorative and can be placed, except for the following.

  • Golden Bug Net: 1/80 Chance
  • Fish Hook: 1/60 Chance
  • Minecarp: 1/60 Chance
  • High Test Fishing Line: 1/40 Chance. Can’t be obtained if it or its upgraded item is in your possession.
  • Angler: 1/40 Chance. Can’t be obtained if it or its upgraded item is in your possession.
  • Tackle Box: 1/40 Chance. Can’t be obtained if it or its upgraded item is in your possession.
  • Fisherman’s Pocket Guide: 1/30 Chance. Can’t be obtained if it or its upgraded items(PDA, Fish Finder, Cell Phone) are in your possession.
  • Weather Radio: 1/30 Chance. Can’t be obtained if it or its upgraded items(PDA, Fish Finder, Cell Phone) are in your possession.
  • Sextant: 1/30 Chance. Can’t be obtained if it or its upgraded items(PDA, Fish Finder, Cell Phone) are in your possession.
  • Mermaid or Fish Set: 1/40 Chance.

While some of these items are mostly good for better fishing, acquiring the Weather Radio, Sextant, and Fisherman’s Pocket Guide is necessary to unlock one of the best items in the game; the Cell Phone.

Other useful items that can be obtained from Quests require you to be in Hardmode and have completed a certain number of quests already.

  • Hotline Fishing Hook: After the 25th Quest. 1/100 Chance. Allows you to fish in Lava.
  • Fin Wings: After the 10th Quest. 1/70 Chance. Same flight time as Fairy Wings.
  • Bottomless Water Bucket: After the 10th Quest. 1/70 Chance. A bucket with endless water.
  • Super Absorbent Sponge: After the 10th Quest. 1/70 Chance. Can soak up endless amounts of water from the map.

Aside from these drops the Angler also rewards you with coins upon completing a quest. The more Quests you complete, the more coin you will get until a final cap of ten gold coins per quest. This is a pretty nice amount of coin in addition to the items.

Lastly, he has a high chance to give out Fishing Bait, the more quests you’ve completed the better quality of bait you’ll receive. A max of 7 Master Baits is possible at once.

If no items were received you will always get 2-5 bottles of a fishing-related potion.

  • Fishing Potion: +15 Fishing Power
  • Crate Potion: +10% chance to get a Crate when Fishing
  • Sonar Potion: Shows you the name of what you are going to pull up.

I recommend always using a Sonar Potion when fishing so as not to waste your bait or your Chum Bucket uses pulling up something you’d rather not have.

Is Fishing Only Good for Completing the Angler’s Quests?

Not at all. There are many other items and useful things you can pull up fishing all on your own, Quest or not.

A Plethora of Fish

A Plethora of Fish

Aside from being able to sell caught fish for a bit of money, most non-Quest fish can be crafted near a Cooking Pot or Cauldron into some of the following food items.

 

  • Cooked Fish: Well Fed for 8 minutes.
  • Sashimi: Plenty Satisfied for 8 minutes.
  • Cooked Shrimp: Plenty Satisfied for ten minutes.
  • Lobster Tail: Plenty Satisfied for ten minutes.
  • Seafood Dinner: Exquisitely Stuffed for four minutes.
  • Shucked Oyster: Well Fed for ten minutes. Only obtainable from Oysters in an Oasis Biome.

Other fish can be used to help craft Potions via Alchemy to make some of the Game’s most useful potions.

  • Armored Cavefish: Caught underground in any Biome except Desert. Used for Endurance Potion.
  • Chaos Fish: Caught underground in the Hallow. Very Rare. Used for Teleportation Potion.
  • Crimson Tigerfish: Caught anywhere in the Crimson. Used for Heartreach Potion.
  • Damselfish: Caught in the sky of the Forest or Ocean Biome. Used for Calming Potion.
  • Double Cod: Caught in the sky or surface of a Jungle Biome. Used for Ammo Reservation Potion.
  • Ebonki: Caught anywhere in the Corruption. Used for Wrath Potion.
  • Falrefin Koi: Caught in Lava in any Biome. Very Rare. Used for Inferno Potion.
  • Frost Minow: Caught anywhere in the Snow Biome. Used for Warmth Potion.
  • Hemopiranha: Caught anywhere in the Crimson. Used for Rage Potion.
  • Obsidifish: Caught in Lava in any Biome. Used for Inferno Potion or Potion of Return.
  • Princess Fish: Caught anywhere in the Hallow. Used for Love Potion.
  • Prismite: Caught anywhere in the Hallow. Used for Lifeforce Potion.
  • Specular Fish: Caught underground in any Biome except the Desert. Used for Recall Potion or Wormhole Potion.
  • Stinkfish: Caught underground. Not in Corruption, Hallow, or Desert. Used for Stink Potion.
  • Variegated Lardfish: Caught underground in the Jungle Biome. Used for Summoning Potion.

If you get submerged in any water you will no longer be fishing, and while fishing you certainly cannot attack. Because of this, it is a good idea when fishing in dangerous locations to keep some minions summoned and equip a shield that gives you knockback immunity.

Fishing up Weapons

Several unique weapons can be fished up, some even quite useful.

  • Purple Clubberfish: A sword fished in the Corruption.
  • Reaver Shark: A pickaxe fished in the Ocean Biome.
  • Rockfish: A hammer fished underground.
  • Sawtooth Shark: Only chainsaw available pre-Hardmode, fished in the Ocean Biome.
  • Swordfish: A spear fished in the Ocean Biome.
  • Frost Daggerfish: A throwing weapon fished in the Snow Biome.
  • Bomb Fish: A sticky bomb fished from anywhere.

Once you enter Hardmode some new fish/weapons appear that are useful in Hardmode and somewhat easier to obtain early on than other Hardmode weapons that are not as strong.

  • Toxicarp: Fished from anywhere in the Corruption. Ranged with infinite ammo that causes poison.
  • Bladetongue: Fished from anywhere in the Crimson. An auto-swing sword that launches projectiles and causes Ichor.
  • Crystal Serpent: Fished anywhere in the Hallow. A magic weapon that causes plenty of splash damage for only 9 mana.

Useful Catches!

Aside from weapons, food, and potions, you can acquire any of these items that can not be obtained through other means.

  • Frog Leg: Accessory. Fished Anywhere. Increases Jump Speed, Grants Auto-Jump, and lessens fall damage.
  • Balloon Pufferfish: Accessory. Fished Anywhere. Increases Jump Height/Speed.
  • Zephyr Fish: Pet. Fished Anywhere. Extremely Rare.
  • Honeyfin: Caught in Honey. It Heals 120HP, stacks like a health potion.
  • Oyster: Only in the Oasis Biome. It’s a Grab Bag that has Pearls and/or Shucked Oysters.
  • Advanced Combat Tactics: Caught during the Blood Moon. Usable only once per world. Extremely Rare.
  • Bottomless Lava Bucket: Caught in Lava. Tool. Endless Lava. Extremely Rare.
  • Lava Absorbent Sponge: Caught in Lava. Tool. Endless Lava Removal. Extremely Rare.
  • Demon Conch: Caught in Lava. Tool. Teleports you to the Underworld. Extremely Rare.
  • Scaly Truffle: Mount. Caught from overlapping ice and Hallow, Crimson or Corruption. Hardmode Only. Extremely Rare.

Whenever fishing for items without a Sonar Potion, you can end up wasting a lot of time and bait. Although you don’t need to complete the Angler’s Quests to fish any of the items I’ve listed up until this point, it makes getting these things much easier and saves a lot of time to have completed a minimum of 30 Quests.

Thus granting you the Angler Armor Set and the Golden Fishing Rod.

Don’t Forget the Crates

One of the things you can catch while fishing is a Crate. Depending on the Biome you are in and your Fishing Power, your chance of getting special crates can increase. These crates can drop ore, money and random items once opened. They can also be placed as decoration. The names of the Crates change during Hardmode.

  • Wooden/Pearlwood Crate: Anywhere. Common.
  • Iron/Mythril Crate: Anywhere. Uncommon.
  • Golden/Titanium Crate: Anywhere. Very/Extremely Rare.
  • Jungle/Bramble Crate: Jungle Biome. Rare.
  • Sky/Azure Crate: In the Sky. Rare.
  • Corrupt/Defiled Crate: Corruption. Rare.
  • Crimson/Hematic Crate: Crimson. Rare.
  • Hallowed/Divine Crate: Hallow. Rare.
  • Dungeon/Stockade Crate: In the Dungeon. Rare.
  • Frozen/Boreal Crate: Snow Biome. Rare.
  • Oasis/Mirage Crate: Desert/Oasis Biome. Rare.
  • Obsidian/Hellstone Crate: Lava. Common.
  • Ocean/Seaside Crate: Ocean Biome. Rare.

Many of these crates hold unique pet items, and the Obsidian/Hellstone crate holds a Lava Shark Mount item: Super Heated Blood. This Mount can be ridden in Lava without taking ANY lava damage. In addition, you can find the Enchanted Sundial in a crate. This item lets you speed up time!

When fishing for crates, a higher Fishing Power increases the chance for the rare Crate grans and a Crate potion almost doubles your rate of fishing a Crate up even though it is listed as only a +10% increase to finding a crate.

You can Fish up Enemies!

This is usually only true during the Blood Moon. However, there is one important enemy that can be fished up in the Ocean Biome.

Duke FishronDuke Fishron

This is one of the hardest bosses in the game. Using a Truffle Worm as bait in the Ocean Biome will ALWAYS summon him up. Although a Truffle Worm is a Hardmode item, if you bring one to a pre-Hardmode world, you can still summon Duke Fishron. Don’t be fooled by the Truffle Worms’ high fishing power, it’s won’t catch any other fish.

If you are well enough equipped, Killing Duke Fishron does grant you some great items, but this difficult fight is not needed to advance in the game.

Junk Items

  • Old Shoe
  • Seaweed
  • Tin Can

Fishing can spawn junk items. If you are fishing these up, find a bigger amount of liquid to fish in or increase your fishing power. They have no use in the game, cannot be placed, and sell for no money.

What’s the Easiest Way to Fish?

Build a little shack with a small opening at fishing spots in each Biome, underground and in the sky; pre-Hardmode, so you can fish free of enemy assaults. Make sure to get your Fishing Power up by catching good bait with the Bug Net and completing Fishing Quests early on and you should see plenty of good results from fishing.

Fishing Poles

Fishing Poles

Here’s a list of all the Fishing Poles, their Fishing Power(FP), and how to obtain them.

  • Wood Fishing Pole: 5 FP. Crafted with wood(8).
  • Reinforced Fishing Pole: 15 FP. Crafted with any steel bar(8).
  • Fisher of Souls: 20 FP. Crafted with Demonite Bar(8).
  • Fleshcatcher: 22 FP. Crafted with Crimtane Bar(8).
  • Scarab Fishing Rod: 30 FP. Found in a Mirage/Oasis Crate.
  • Chum Caster: 25 FP. Dropped by a Wandering Eye Fish/Zombie Merman. x2 chance to catch enemies during a Blood Moon.
  • Fiberglass Fishing Pole: 30 FP. Found in a Bramble/Jungle Crate or an Ivy Chest.
  • Mechanic’s Rod: 35 FP. Sold by the Mechanic when the Angler is nearby.
  • Sitting Duck’s Fishing Pole: 40 FP. Sold after Skeletron had been defeated by the Traveling Merchant.
  • Hotline Fishing Hook: 45 FP. Can Fish in Lava. Random Reward in Angler Quests.
  • Golden Fishing Rod: 50 FP. From the Angler Quests(30).

Tips for Fishing in Terraria?

-Using fallen stars and worms you can craft Enchanted Worms to use as great bait.
-Build a big lake near your town or make a small town (3 NPC’s) near the Ocean, just don’t summon Duke Fishron there.
-The Frog Leg can be used with sailfish boots to craft the Amphibian Boots, these are good for Boss Fights.
-Tiles blocking a lake opening on the surface subtract from its overall size for Fishing Power calculation.
-Don’t use ladybugs as bait, it gives you bad luck. Luck is an actual variable in the game and bad luck affects fishing.
-Keep a Garden Gnome near your favorite fishing spot on the surface to increase your luck while fishing.
-Since worms spawn on rainy days in Forests when rain hits the grass. It’s a great time to catch them for bait.
-If you catch a Lavafly or a Magma Snail, you can use them as bait to fish in Lava with any fishing rod.

FAQs

Question: Is Fishing Hard in Terraria?

Answer: No, it’s one of the easier things you can do in the game. Like everything, this does change depending on where you fish, but generally, it’s easy.

Question: How do I Get a Truffle Worm?

Answer: A Truffle Worm can be obtained in Hardmode only and only underground in a Glowing Mushroom Biome. They will flee from you into the ground and disappear, so try to nab them quickly if you see one.

Question: What’s the Best Fishing Rod in Terraria?

Answer: The Golden Fishing Rod. It has the highest Fishing Power of 50% and is not difficult to acquire.

Question: What is the Best Fishing Bait in Terraria?

Answer: Master Bait, with a bait power of 50%.

Question: Is Fishing Worth it in Terraria?

Answer: Yes. It can supply you with good items, weapons, and tools as well as give you the crafting components for the Cell Phone.

Reap the Benefits of Fishing

From unique furniture and useful accessories to early obtainable high-level weapons and tools. Several items can only be found from fishing, and it’s also a good source of gold.

You can collect high-level ore and even bars from fishing up crates without needing to brave the dangers of the deep caverns. Fishing in Terraria is more often than not a worthwhile endeavor.

Craft Your Adventure in Terraria’s Pixelated Realm | GOG

Embark on a boundless adventure in the pixelated sandbox world of Terraria, where you can dig, build, and explore to your heart's content. With endless possibilities for creativity and discovery, join millions of players in crafting your own epic journey.

Check Price Buy at Amazon
We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
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