Fishing

Overview

If you have a fishing pole equipped, you will get special noncombat encounters (or special options in choice encounters) in certain zones that yield fish, treasure and miscellaneous objects.

Fishing Equipment and Modifiers

You must have a fishing pole equipped in order to fish.

Various stats affect fishing, in addition to your fishing rank (profession level) — see below.

			Chance of
	Modifer	Yield	Deep	Surface	Fish	Objects
Weapons
new fishing pole	2
old composite rod	1
heavy fishing pole	1
Offhand Items
anniversary pocket mirror (with any fishing pole equipped)	2
inky sapphire	2
detached fish charm	1
sea sapphire	1				1
water sapphire	1
Gadgets
PDA w/Extreme Bass Player	2
PDA w/Extreme Bass XIII Player	2
Extreme Tackle Box	1
Effects
Fish Empathy	2
Ocean Voice	1
Effects (Lines)
High Test	1		1
Silk Line	1				1
Extended Line	-1		2
Effects (Lures)
Floating Lure	1			2
Reinforced Hook	1					2
Sinking Lure	1		2
Swimming Worm Bait	1		1		1
Tempting Hook	1				2
Jagged Hook	-1	1
Toxic Worm				1	1
Training Hook2	-2
Skills
Fishing (skill)		2
Specialized Fishing (*if you have another bonus of that type already)			1*	1*	1*	1*

You may only have one lure and fishing line active at a time.

Rank (Profession Level)

"Needed from last level" and "Total needed" indicate the number of times you get "better at fishing". Note that if you have an extreme challenge hook, you can sometimes get "much better at fishing", which presumably boosts you several points at once.
After "Comfortable", you will no longer improve fishing skill at the Waterfront and should move to the Tainted Shoreline, Ghost Ship, or the Dockside Sewers to improve fishing.

Rank Name	Rank	Needed from last level	Total needed
Just Starting	1	1	1
Learning	2	3	4
Amateur	3	5	9
Comfortable	4	7	16
Solid	5	9	25
Good	6	11	36
Professional	7	13	49
Advanced*	8	15	64

*Extrapolated from Chess. Not currently reachable.

History

+ show block

Before May 17th, 2010, the fishing skill had the following levels:
* Beginner
* Learning
* Good
* Practiced
* Well-learned
* Advanced
* Master
* Awesome
* Incredible
* Grand Master
* Beyond Reproach

The "Effects" line in the skill description used to read (?):

Increases chance of a good and large fishing bounty

Mechanics

WARNING - Most of this is speculation! This stuff is mysterious! There was a bug fix on 6 May 2019 which may also have changed things.

• Most fishing encounters are noncombat encounters, so chance of noncombat encounters will help you find opportunities to fish more frequently. (Some exceptions, like fishing in the Primeval Pit in Oldtown are from choice encounters.)
• Your Fishing Rank (beginner, solid, professional, etc.) influences the quality of fishing result you get. Your Fishing Modifier is added to your Rank to determine your effectiveness.
  • Amateur (3) fishing with a +2 Fishing Modifier gives the same results as Solid (5) fishing.
  • Each area has a "challenge level" — the waterfront is challenge level 2, the ghost ship is challenge level 5. Your rank+modifier is compared to the challenge level to determine how successful you are.
  • This also determines if you get better at fishing. If your rank+modifier is less than the challenge level, you get better at fishing more often.
• Fishing Yield influences the number of bites you get.
• Each catch is flagged with one more more attributes, e.g. "fish" or "deep object".
  • A given fishing encounter has a base mix of possible catches
  • For each level of increase to the chance of getting a given type of catch, one extra chance for getting a catch of that type gets added to the pool.  So if you've got a slight increase to deep fishing and a slight increase to the chance of fishing up objects, two extra copies of each deep object would get put into the pool.
  • Chance of Surface Fishing seems to cancel out Chance of Deep Fishing.

WARNING OVER

Fishing Spots and Catches

Note: Some areas have special fishing encounters that will only occur if the effect High Test is active.

In addition High Test fishing encounters tend to give strength XP:2 XP at the Docks, 3 XP at Tainted Shoreline, 4 XP at Massive Oil Slick, or 5 XP at Ghost Ship.

Dockside Sewers

Encounter: And They'd Be Right
Fishing — Level 2 Challenge
	Qualifiers				Notes
Possible Catches	Fish	Objects	Surface	Deep
lake bluegill	Y	-	?	?
eyeless eel	Y	-	?	?	Only while Etheric
brass knuckles	-	Y	?	?
crude ganger map	-	Y	?	?
dirty old trenchcoat	-	Y	?	?
disgusting paper	-	Y	?	?
filthy pistol	-	Y	?	?
frayed cable	-	Y	?	?
glimmering crystal chip	-	Y	?	?	Only while Etheric
headless doll	-	Y	?	?
lead pipe	-	Y	?	?
old kitchen knife	-	Y	?	?
riot baton	-	Y	?	?
smelly old pants	-	Y	?	?
soaked newspaper	-	Y	?	?
wriggling worm	-	Y	?	?
Notes: Without a line effect active you will sometimes receive filthy fishing line in addition to your catch.
High Test Results
Area Bonus of 2 Strength XP
crumbling masonry	Gives 4 XP Strength
manhole cover	Gives 4 XP Strength
Fight a Rat King	Gives standard Sewers drops.				Only while Etheric

Encounter: Your Move, Mammal
Seems to be the same as normal sewers?

Waterfront

Encounter: Docks Fishing
Fishing — Level 2 Challenge
	Qualifiers				Notes
Possible Catches	Fish	Objects	Surface	Deep
bait bluegill	Y	-	?	?
dock pike	Y	-	?	?
lake bluegill	Y	-	?	?
empty can	-	Y	?	?
filthy pistol	-	Y	?	?
high test fishing line	-	Y	?	?
kid's flippers	-	Y	?	?
knit cap	-	Y	?	?
pitted thermos	-	Y	?	?
smelly old pants	-	Y	?	?
soaked newspaper	-	Y	?	?
waterlogged PDA	-	Y	?	?
old composite rod	-	Y	-	-	Once per reset. Does not count toward your fishing yield limit.
giant pike	Y	-	?	?	Once per day, after flipping an unearthly coin at the Waterfront.
mud eel	Y	-	?	?	Once per day, after flipping an unearthly coin at the Waterfront.
High Test Results
Area Bonus of 2 Strength XP
lakebottom rock	Chance of receiving 2-3 fresh mollusk.
waterlogged crate	Chance of receiving 2-3 fresh mollusk.
Fight a lake serpent	Drops can include coin fish, 1 High Test result, and regular fishing results.				Once per day, after flipping an unearthly coin at the Waterfront. Only while Etheric.

Encounter: Hidden Fishing Spot
Fishing — Level 2 Challenge
	Qualifiers				Notes
Possible Catches	Fish	Objects	Surface	Deep
dock pike	Y	-	?	?
lake bluegill	Y	-	?	?
empty can	-	Y	?	?
filthy pistol	-	Y	?	?
high test fishing line	-	Y	?	?	Special result only here.
kid's flippers	-	Y	?	?
knit cap	-	Y	?	?
pitted thermos	-	Y	?	?
smelly old pants	-	Y	?	?
soaked newspaper	-	Y	?	?
waterlogged PDA	-	Y	?	?
lost hook	-	Y	-	-	Special result only here.
new fishing pole	-	Y	-	-	Special result only here.
Notes: While there appears to be a greater chance of receiving fish they are not guaranteed.
High Test Results
Area Bonus of 2 Strength XP
lakebottom rock	Chance of receiving 2-3 fresh mollusk.
waterlogged crate	Chance of receiving 2-3 fresh mollusk.

Tainted Shoreline

Encounter: Shoreline Fishing
Fishing — Level 3 Challenge
	Qualifiers				Notes
Possible Catches	Fish	Objects	Surface	Deep
lake bluegill	Y	-	?	?
lake perch	Y	-	?	?
lake squid	Y	-	?	?
damp seaweed	-	Y	?	?
empty can	-	Y	?	?
partially digested fish	-	Y	?	?
waterlogged shirt	-	Y	?	?
withered tendrils	-	Y	?	?
lake gulper	Y	-	?	?	Requires Toxic Worm active.
High Test Results
Area Bonus of 3 Strength XP
lakebottom rock	Chance of receiving 2-3 fresh mollusk.
Fight a terrible serpent	Receive a scarred fishing pole or high test fishing line in addition to its normal drops.				Only while Etheric.

Encounter: Wrinkled Fisherman
Fishing — Level 3 Challenge
	Qualifiers				Notes
Possible Catches	Fish	Objects	Surface	Deep
damp seaweed	Y	-	?	?
lake bluegill	Y	-	?	?
empty can	-	Y	?	?
partially digested fish	Y	-	?	?
withered tendrils	-	Y	?	?
lake gulper	Y	-	?	?	Requires Toxic Worm active.
High Test Results
Area Bonus of 3 Strength XP
lakebottom rock	Chance of receiving 2-3 fresh mollusk.
Fight a terrible serpent	Receive a scarred fishing pole or high test fishing line in addition to its normal drops.				Only while Etheric.

Encounter: Massive Oil Slick (Where the corpse or ghost ship was.)
Fishing — Level 4 Challenge
	Qualifiers				Notes
Possible Catches	Fish	Objects	Surface	Deep
freshwater eel	Y	-	?	?
lake bluegill	Y	-	?	?
lake perch	Y	-	?	?
lake squid	Y	-	?	?
damp seaweed	-	Y	?	?
empty can	-	Y	?	?
partially digested fish	-	Y	?	?
petrol sludge	-	Y	?	?
silverware remnants	-	Y	?	?
waterlogged shorts	-	Y	?	?
withered tendrils	-	Y	?	?
lake gulper	Y	-	?	?	Requires Toxic Worm active.
High Test Results
Area Bonus of 4 Strength XP
ancient treasure chest	Chance of receiving 2-3 fresh mollusk.
Fight a living sludge	Receive 3-5 lake squid in addition to its normal drops.				Only while Etheric.
Fight a terrible serpent	Receive a scarred fishing pole or high test fishing line in addition to its normal drops.				Only while Etheric.

Ghost Ship

Encounter: Ghost Ship Fishing
Fishing — Level 5 Challenge
	Qualifiers				Notes
Possible Catches	Fish	Objects	Surface	Deep
skullfish	Y	-	?	?	Unique item from this encounter.
damp seaweed	-	Y	?	?
lake pearl	-	Y	?	?
partially digested fish	-	Y	?	?
silverware remnants	-	Y	?	?
waterlogged sack	-	Y	?	?
withered tendrils	-	Y	?	?
High Test Results
Area Bonus of 5 Strength XP
ancient treasure chest	Chance of receiving 2-3 fresh mollusk.
heavy fishing pole
3-4 waterlogged sacks
Fight a terrible serpent	Receive a scarred fishing pole or high test fishing line in addition to its normal drops.

Construction Site

Encounter: Primeval Pit
Fishing — Level 3 Challenge
	Qualifiers				Notes
Possible Catches	Fish	Objects	Surface	Deep
bait bluegill	Y	-	?	?
puddle fish	Y	-	?	?
battered hammer	-	Y	?	?
construction mushroom	-	Y	?	?
frayed cable	-	Y	?	?
hefty wrench	-	Y	?	?
lead pipe	-	Y	?	?
OmniTech hardhat	-	Y	?	?
soaked newspaper	-	Y	?	?
High Test Results
Area Bonus of 3 Strength XP
filled toolbox

Parking Garage

Encounter: Mushroom Forest Of The Garage
Fishing — Level 5 Challenge
	Qualifiers				Notes
Possible Catches	Fish	Objects	Surface	Deep
deactivated ID	–	Y	–	Y
fountain trout	Y	–	?	?
mop	–	Y	?	?	Rare find
soaked newspaper	–	Y	Y	–
washed coins	–	Y	–	Y
water worm	?	?	?	?	Some condition - unknown.
wormeaten mushroom	–	Y	–	Y
High Test Results
Area Bonus of 5 Strength XP
fused clay	Chance of receiving 2-3 washed coins.
Fight The White Worm					Requires swimming worm bait.

Using Metallic Oil on the Waterfront or Tainted Shoreline

Encounter: Oily Lake Exploration (Head out fishing.)
Fishing — Level 2 Challenge
	Qualifiers				Notes
Possible Catches	Fish	Objects	Surface	Deep
lake bluegill	Y	-	?	?
lake perch	Y	-	?	?
lake squid	Y	-	?	?
silver darter	Y	-	?	?	Unique item from this encounter.
damp seaweed	-	Y	?	?
empty can	-	Y	?	?
partially digested fish	-	Y	?	?
waterlogged shirt	-	Y	?	?
withered tendrils	-	Y	?	?
High Test Results
Area Bonus of 2 Strength XP
chunk of a sunken boat	Receive 2-3 polysteel, 1-2 damp seaweed, and 1-3 fresh mollusk

Scuffed mining helmet

Encounter: Flooded Mine Shaft
Fishing — Level 4 or 5? Challenge
	Qualifiers				Notes
Possible Catches	Fish	Objects	Surface	Deep
fungal tendrils	?	?	?	?
eyeless fish	Y	-	?	?
cave salamander	?	?	?	?
High Test Results
Area Bonus of 4 or 5 Strength XP?
rock	5 XP?
manhole	manhole cover, 4 XP?