Fishing is one of the great pleasures of Animal Crossing: New Horizons. It’s also a good way to make money. Here’s everything you need to know about catching fish.
You’ll be doing a whole lot of fishing in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, so it’ll probably help if you know the ropes. First, you’ll need to have a fishing rod. You can craft one yourself with just a few twigs. Head over to Resident Services – the tend where you find Tom Nook. He has a workbench which you can use to craft a ‘flimsy fishing pole’. Flimsy tools only last a little while, but you’ll be able to upgrade to better tools later on.
Once you’ve got your rod in hand you’ll want to head towards a body of water and look for a dark fish-shaped shadow in the water. Fish can show up in the ocean, the river, or even the small ponds on your island, so check everywhere.
Once you’ve spotted a dark shape, you’re ready to try fishing! Equip your fishing rod and press ‘A’ to cast your line into the water. Lining up your bobber with the fish is tricky, as Animal Crossing: New Horizons is rather fussy about where it can be placed. Landing directly on a fish is no good; you’ll want to be directly in the fish’s line of sight – but not too far away.
You’ll know when you’ve cast the line right, as the fish will start making its way towards your bobber. A fish usually nibbles at it two or three times, before biting on and dipping under the water. It’s at this point you want to press ‘A’ in order to reel the fish in. Don’t press anything while the fish is nibbling, because you’ll scare it away and come up empty-handed.
Not every fish nibbles the line – some grab on straight away, so be sure to watch the water carefully while fishing. Others nibble four or five times before latching on, so always be poised to press the ‘A’ button at the right moment.
You’ll not always catch a fish – there are a few stones, lost boots or tin cans floating around in Animal Crossing: New Horizons’ waters – but keep at it, and you’ll get some valuable fish in no time.
Looking for more Animal Crossing: New Horizons how-tos? Visit our full guides round-up here.
