How to Fish in Crimson Desert

In Crimson Desert, you don’t get tutorials every time a new feature is introduced or while learning new abilities. Instead, the game wants you to explore the world and observe the random NPCs to see if they have anything interesting to teach you. Similarly, fishing in Crimson Desert is one of those skills in Crimson Desert that you need to learn by yourself. Once you figure it out, it will surely feel relaxing and rewarding. So, here’s a helpful guide on how to fish in Crimson Desert, so that you don’t feel lost while playing the game.

How to Learn Fishing in Crimson Desert

As you start playing Crimson Desert, you will not have the skill to fish in the rivers and other waterbodies. And, it doesn’t even unlock by completing any quest or visiting a trainer. Instead, you have to follow the steps below to learn fishing in Crimson Desert:

• Head to any riverbank on the Crimson Desert map and look for fishermen NPCs actively doing their job.
• When you get close, you get a prompt in the lower right corner of the screen telling you to observe them by pressing and holding the L1 key.
• So, do the same, to pop up a transition where you learn the skill of fishing.
• After a few seconds, a prompt is displayed on the screen showing you the benefits of fishing in the game.
• Click on Continue, and you will have obtained the basic fishing rod.

This reflects a core mechanic, as no menus and Crimson Desert skill trees are required here, and you learn something purely by observing.

How to Fish in Crimson Desert: Controls and Tips

One important thing to note here is that you will not get any fishing rod after learning that skill. To get one for free, visit the NPC named Anabelle in the city of Hernand and interact with her. It will initiate Anabelle’s request quest, and you’ll also get a basic fishing rod for free.

Once you’ve got your first rod, head over to the nearby rivers or streams, mostly found in the southern parts of the Hernand territory. Fishing in Crimson Desert has a slight learning curve, but you’ll learn how to get the hang of it after following the steps below:

• Open up the equipment wheel by pressing the F2 key or the left D-pad key and use the arrows (or L2/R2) to cycle through to your fishing rod.
• Now, move close to the stream and hold the Q key (or L2) to aim. You can then release the key to cast your rod in the water. Make sure that the cast is neither too far nor too close, and absolutely not aimed at the rocks.
• Wait for a few seconds till you hear a splash and notice the bobber dip inside the water. Once it does, press the right mouse button (or R2) to hook the fish.
• Now, do not reel in the fish immediately. Instead, focus on controlling and pulling your rod in the opposite direction of the fish using your left stick. So, if the fish goes left, you pull the rod to your right and vice versa.
• Watch the surface of the water. When the fish gets tired, there will be no bubbles, and then, you can reel it in using the right stick.
• If bubbles start appearing again, you’ll have to repeat the process of controlling first, and reeling in the fish next, until you catch it.

Alternatively, you can also jump into the river and simply hold the pickup button (or square/X on controller) to catch a fish without using the fishing rod. However, do note that the water should be shallow in this case, and you will mostly get insects like dragonflies with this method.

Use of Fishing in Crimson Desert

Fishing is more than just a recreational activity, because you can cook the fish in a cauldron to serve two main purposes:

• It restores stamina and health that is crucial during combat.
• You can sell the cooked fish for a significantly high price early in the game.

Fishing becomes one of the best early-game money-making methods. You can further use a high-performance fine fishing rod for better efficiency in catching fish and make more money.

Where to Get Fishing Rods and Fish in Crimson Desert

There are multiple ways to get a fishing rod in Crimson Desert, and not all of them require spending money. Here’s how you can get the fishing rods early in the game:

Fishing Rod Locations in Crimson Desert

• The first and very basic fishing rod can be obtained by initiating the Anabelle NPC quest at the city of Hernand. This is a free rod, and you don’t need to spend money on it.
• Next, you can buy better fishing rods at the Provisioner’s Shop in the city of Hernand. This shop is located right in front of the Blacksmith in Crimson Desert. It will cost 15 copper to buy a rod here.
• Then you can visit the Back Alley Shop and talk to Grimrak NPC to purchase the Fine Fishing Rod blueprint for 10 Silver. Take the blueprint to the Blacksmith NPC along with 10x Fine Timber, 10x Iron Ore, 3x Thick Hide and 10x Feather to craft this item.
• Lastly, one of the best rods in the game can be obtained from research quests at Pororin, located to the southeast of Hernand Highlands. It is called the Pororin Rod and can be the next best upgrade to get the legendary fishes in Crimson Desert.

Fish Locations in Crimson Desert

There are around 51 varieties of fish in Crimson Desert, and you will mostly find all of them by fishing in the nearby rivers. In addition to these, you will find 5 Legendary rarity fishes that are related to quests, puzzles, and can even sell for 10 silver on average. Here’s where you can get the legendary fishes:

• Clockwork Fish: On a small lake to the southeast of Tashkalp in Crimson Desert.
• Coelacanth: To the west of the Cliff of Despair in Deleysia
• Golden Carp: On a small lake to the east of the Argent Peaks in Pailune
• Golden Coelacanth: Beside the waterfall located to the south of Forebearer’s Barrens in Pailune.
• Golden Tench: In the stream located to the southwest of the Mountain of Frozen Souls, located at the very south of Hernand.

And that completes the guide to fish in Crimson Desert. So, what have you thought about learning the early skills in Crimson Desert? Tell us in the comments below.