In this Fishing Guide for The Elder Scrolls Online we are going to take a look at the basic fishing mechanics that the game offers. Fishing itself is not really difficult but it requires preparation and some understanding of how it works to do it properly.
For starters, you automatically get a fishing rod, so you don't have to look for one yourself. However, you will have to get different baits and you have to find the right fishing hole, there are several different water types in ESO.
Fishing also offers a lot of great rewards, for example such as Perfect Roe from skinning fish, which is very rare and sells for a very high price or can be used to craft experience potions or buff-food.
Master Angler (Master Fisher)is the all famous achievement that everyone is trying to get, it requires a lot of patience but you will be rewarded. Once you have the achievement you can obtain the Fishing Vessel and place it in your home to show it off to your friends!
How do I Fish?
You will have to find a fishing hole, when you are somewhere at a lake or a river you might see some water splashing, that is a fishing hole! You can see an example of this in the picture below.
Once you found a fishing hole you can press and hold E to select the bait of your choice. Once you selected the bait you can release the wheel and press E quickly to start fishing. Once the rod shakes you can press E again to pick up the loot!
Fishing Bait
Baits can be acquired from most of the creatures around the world, for example rats, butterflies, beetles or crawlers. While fishing you sometimes also get baits. Baits can also be gathered while you are farming flowers in the world.There are total of 9 fishing baits.
- Insect Parts
- Crawlers
- Guts
- Simple Bait
- Fish Roe
- Minnow
- Chub
- Shad
- Worms
You can find a more detailed explanation on all different baits and how/where to use them in the Types of Bait Fishing Guide.
Types of Water
There are a total of 7 different types of water. Foul, River, Lake, Saltwater, Spawning, Mystic and Oily. All of these have different fish that might spawn and you need to use a different bait.
- Foul
- River
- Lake
- Saltwater
- Spawning (Quest related)
- Mystic (Mimics saltwater)
- Oily (Mimics foul water)
You can find a more detailed explanation in the Types of Water Fishing Guide.
Skinning Fish
Once you caught a fish it will appear in your inventory and you then can skin the fish by using the action "use".
Conclusion Basic Fishing Mechanics
Fishing offers a lot of different rewards and achievements that all will be explained in the next guides. Overall fishing isn't difficult, all you need to understand is that there is four different types of water that require different baits to get fish!
