Hook, Line and Ledger: An Overview of the New Fishing System - Gone Fission in Fallout 76
- Duchess Flame
- Jun 12
- 10 min read
Updated: Jun 14
This written guide was made with the support of Bethesda Softworks, a ZeniMax Media Company. Game™ content and references in this guide are based on the PC version of the game.
It’s finally here—the feature we’ve been waiting for since 2018: fishing in Appalachia. I’m not a fan of real-life fishing (I know, very un-Australian of me), but the moment I tried it on the PTS, I was hooked! (pun intended).
The minigame is simple to pick up, the fish designs are fantastic, and there’s no shortage of new rewards and challenges to complete, plus four new NPCs to meet!
The first question on your mind is probably: Where do I get a fishing rod?
To unlock your fishing rod, you’ll need to complete a short introductory quest called “Casting Off.”
You can start the quest in one of two ways:
Head to Vault 76 and read the flyer on the barrel near the spawn point.
Or, fast travel to any location in the Mire. This will trigger a prompt directing you to check your Pip-Boy radio. Tune in to the new broadcast and follow the instructions—it will eventually lead you to Fisherman’s Rest.
Speak to the Mysterious Fisherman to begin the quest. Once completed, you’ll be rewarded with your very own fishing rod.
If you're someone who enjoys the lore, there’s something for you too—Fisherman’s Rest is scattered with notes and holotapes that offer insight into the story behind the Mysterious Fisherman and the area itself. Keep an eye out as you explore; there's more going on beneath the surface than just fishing.
Once you have your fishing rod and bait in hand, it’s time to start fishing!
Fishing is available in all types of water—including lakes, ponds, rivers, and even toxic or irradiated water. If your character can stand in it and it’s deep enough, you can fish there. You’re not restricted to clean water or marked fishing zones.
However, there are a few restrictions:
You can’t fish while wearing Power Armor
You can’t fish in interior locations, Daily Ops, Expeditions, or Shelters
The one exception to interior fishing is Organ Cave in the Forest region, which does allow fishing despite being indoors.
When you're in a suitable spot, the option to “Fish” will appear.
If the water isn’t deep enough, the “Fish” prompt will be greyed out.
To begin fishing, you’ll need to long-press on the “Fish” button to start the animation. On Xbox, hold down the X button; on PlayStation, hold down Square. Once the animation finishes, your character will enter the fishing pose, and your HUD will change to display four options across the bottom of the screen.
After selecting your bait, press the Cast button to throw your line into the water. You can scroll left or right to choose between Common, Improved, or Superb bait, but keep in mind that you can’t change your bait while your line is already in the water—so make your selection beforehand.
The Toggle Camera option lets you cycle between three different angles. Personally, I prefer the third one because it gives a clearer view of the water ripples and the bobber, which helps with timing.
If you want to stop fishing, the Exit button will take you out of the minigame at any time.
After you cast your line, your bobber will float on the water’s surface until a fish takes interest. When a fish bites and pulls the bobber underwater, press A on Xbox or X on PlayStation to hook it. This triggers the next phase of the minigame, where a radar-style display appears on the right side of your screen to guide the reeling process.
At this point, your goal is to use your joystick, D-Pad, or mouse to keep the fish icon inside the catch zone on your radar.
If the fish drifts outside the zone, the cone will turn red, which means you're at risk of losing the catch.
Some fish are easy to manage and stay within the zone, while others will fight back aggressively, pulling hard and darting around the screen. It’s not uncommon for certain fish to break free, especially early on.
The good news is that as you upgrade your rod with different hooks and reels, it becomes easier to keep fish within the catch zone. These upgrades improve various aspects of the minigame, such as line strength, reel-in speed, and reaction timing, making fishing feel smoother and more manageable.
How long a catch takes depends on the type of fish you’ve hooked. Some will be quick and easy, while others—especially rare or tougher species—can be drawn-out battles. If the fish escapes, you’ll lose your bait, so every bit of gear helps.
If you’re wondering whether your SPECIAL stats affect your ability to catch certain fish, the answer is no. Fishing success is determined entirely by your gear (hooks and reels), the weather conditions, and the type of bait you’re using. That’s it.
The fishing rod in Fallout 76 has four modifiable slots, allowing you to enhance its performance and personalize your fishing experience.
Reels
Reel mods improve how quickly and efficiently you can land a fish. They primarily boost reel rotation speed and reduce the chance of a fish escaping during the minigame. These upgrades are unlocked by completing specific Lifetime Challenges.
There are 4 Reels to unlock:
Mark 1 Reel
Mark 2 Reel
Mark 3 Reel
Mark 4 Reel
Hooks
Hook mods offer various quality-of-life enhancements. Depending on the mod, they can make your line stronger, increase the size of the catch zone, reduce the time it takes for fish to bite, or speed up the catch process. These are obtained through the Pip-Boy Daily quest “Big Fish in a Small Pond.”
There are 5 Hooks to unlock:
Advanced Drag
Attractive Hook
Improved Bearing
Stabilized Gear Ratio
Steady Handle
Bobbers and Fishing Rod Skins
These are purely cosmetic customizations that can be unlocked by completing challenges or progressing through the Scoreboard. While they change the appearance of your bobber or Fishing Rod, they do not impact fishing mechanics or spawn rates in any way.
Once you’ve cast your first line and landed a few catches, there’s still plenty more to reel in. Make your way back to Fisherman’s Rest each day and check in with Captain Raymond to take on the Pip-Boy Daily quest: Big Fish in a Small Pond.
Each time you speak with him, you’ll be sent to a different region of Appalachia to fish. You’re not locked to a specific location—any fishing spot within the assigned region will do. And it doesn’t matter which fish you catch either; as long as you bring in seven, you’re good to go.
This daily quest offers more than just XP and bait. You’ll have a chance to earn CAMP plans, hook mod blueprints, fishing bait, and display items—many of which are tradeable, droppable, and keep dropping even after they’re learned. Perfect for plan collectors or anyone wanting to gift them to new players.
And don’t forget about the lifetime fishing challenges tied to this activity. These unlock even more CAMP rewards and cosmetics, and they’re tracked per character—so if you’re running alts, make sure each one gets a chance to participate and claim their haul.
If you’ve spoken to Captain Raymond but the Pip-Boy Daily isn’t showing on your HUD, try this: Go to Main Menu > Settings > Game, then scroll down and make sure “Daily Quests Active When Started” is set to ON.
There are a total of 39 fish and 12 Axolotls to catch across Appalachia.
Image Credit: zafiel999 via Bethesda Game Studio Discord
Each species has its own unique spawn conditions, which can vary based on fish type, weather, and the bait you use. Some species are also tied to Lifetime Challenges and reward milestones, making them essential for completionists.
Axolotls are handled a bit differently. Only one Axolotl type spawns each month, and always in just two specific regions. For example, the Banded Axolotl is available only during June, and only in The Mire and Toxic Valley.
Here’s a breakdown of the fish in each category:
Generic Fish – 8 to catch
Brook Silverside
Sunscream
Chain Pickerel
Smoky Salmon
Ridge Trout
Redbelly
Walleye
Yellow Bullhead
Common Region Fish – 7 to catch
Alpine Sawgill
Bog Sawgill
Muddy Sawgill
Noxious Sawgill
Sooty Sawgill
Static Sawgill
Timber Sawgill
Uncommon Region Fish – 14 to catch
Armoured Spinefish
Ashen Ambusher
Bloodwhisker
Blisterfish
Bluefin Zapper
Bog Lurker
Deathjaw
Gulpy
Kanawha Piranha
Leatherback
Potbelly Kelt
Purple Radpole
Spikesnapper
Stormswimmer
Glowing Fish – 7 to catch
Glowing Gulpy
Glowing Kanawha Piranha
Glowing Ambusher
Glowing Spinefish
Glowing Stormswimmer
Glowing Potbelly Kelt
Glowing Bog Lurker
Local Legend Fish - 3 to catch
Ryl-Tkannoth, Maw-Begotten
Wavy Willard
Organ Grinder
Axolotl – 12 to catch
Charcoal Axolotl
Pink Axolotl
Clay Axolotl
Dotted Axolotl
Purple Axolotl
Banded Axolotl
Scaled Axolotl
Striped Axolotl
Shadow Axolotl
Spotted Axolotl
Speckled Axolotl
Stone Axolotl
Fish serve more than just a decorative purpose in this update. While players can proudly mount their catches on display in their CAMPs, fish can also be broken down into Fish Bits at a cooking station. These Fish Bits are then used to craft the new dishes.
The number of Fish Bits you get depends on the type and size of the fish.
Small Fish – 1 Fish Bit
Medium Fish – 2 Fish Bits
Large Fish – 5 Fish Bits
Glowing Small Fish – 2 Fish Bits
Glowing Medium Fish – 4 Fish Bits
Glowing Large Fish – 10 Fish Bits
Local Legends – 25 Fish Bits
Axolotl – 25 Fish Bits
For those using the Super Duper perk card, it does apply when crafting Fish Bits, which means you can potentially get even more from each catch.
Importantly, fish themselves do not decay — so you can safely hang them up without worrying about spoilage. However, both Fish Bits and the cooked dishes made from them will spoil over time, just like other food items in the game.
There are three new fish-based recipes included with the update:
Fish and Tatos is a Carnivore-only dish that grants +5% XP for 30 minutes.
Grilled Fish can be consumed by both Carnivores and Herbivores and provides a boost to your fishing efficiency.
Fish Chowder is a hunger-slowing dish designed for Carnivores, reducing hunger drain by 25% for 30 minutes.
Don’t forget about Linda-Lee!
Feed Linda-Lee, and she’ll quite literally cough up legendary weapons and armor in return. It might be dripping with fishy saliva, but hey—one Wastelander’s gooey gift is another’s treasure.
To use her Chum Trough, you’ll first need to craft Fish Bits at any cooking station using the fish you catch. The type and size of the fish determine how many Bits you receive, with rarer catches like Axolotls and Local Legends yielding the most. Equipping the Super Duper perk can help stretch your ingredients further.
Just remember—fish themselves don’t spoil, so it’s best to hold onto your catches and cook them into Bits all at once. Once crafted, Fish Bits will begin to spoil, so either drop them off quickly at the Chum Trough or store them in a Cryo Freezer or Fridge to keep them fresh.
Once you’ve got some ready, head to the Chum Trough and choose how many Bits you want to feed Linda-Lee. The system tracks your total over time, so even small contributions count. Every time your total contributions reach 25 Fish Bits—even if it’s across multiple feedings—you’ll automatically receive a legendary item in your inventory.
Progress is tracked individually, and there’s no limit to how much you can feed in a day. With a reward pool that includes a mix of weapon and armor types across multiple star tiers, there’s always a good reason to keep fishing.
There’s a wide variety of new rewards coming with the Gone Fission update—and the best part is, they’re all earned just by fishing. Whether you’re a casual fisher or a dedicated angler, you’ll unlock new CAMP items, fishing rod mods, backpack skins, and exclusive player titles simply by participating in the new fishing system.
Rewards are distributed across two main systems: Lifetime Challenges and the Pip-Boy Daily quest, each offering its own pool of unlocks. It’s important to note that Lifetime Challenges and progression-based quests—such as unlocking the Mark Reel upgrades—are per character, not account-wide. This means each character must complete their own challenge milestones to access rewards like reel mod plans.
While you can complete these challenges on Custom Worlds, any physical reward items, like the Mark Reel plans, won’t carry over to Adventure Mode. So if you’re aiming to unlock gear you can actually use in public sessions, you’ll need to earn them there as well.
Lifetime Challenges
These permanent objectives reward you for catching different types of fish, completing regional checklists, and hitting milestone totals. All rewards must be earned separately on each character.
Plan: Fish Display Plaque
Plan: Mirelurk Plushie
Plan: Angler Plushie
Plan: Crab Boat Plushie
Plan: Flamewood Float
Plan: Twin Timber Float
Plan: Red Tide Float
Plan: Festive Float
Plan: Crimson Stripe Float
Plan: Skyfire Float
Plan: Pin Bobber
Plan: Reclaimed Ship Chandelier
Plan: Quantum Bobber
Plan: Makeshift Rod
Plan: Mark 1 Reel
Plan: Mark 2 Reel
Plan: Mark 3 Reel
Plan: Mark 4 Reel
Plan: Kelp Curtain
Plan: Fisherman's Cooking Station
Plan: Scuba Tank Backpack Skin
Player Title Suffix: Axolotl
Player Title Suffix: "Of the Month"
Player Title Suffix: Captain
Player Title Suffix: Lunker
Pip-Boy Daily: Big Fish in a Small Pond
Captain Raymond’s daily quest sends you to a specific region to catch 7 fish and record your progress. Once completed, you’ll earn one of the rewards below.
Plan: Curved Fish Display
Plan: Attractive Hook
Plan: Improved Bearing
Plan: Advanced Drag
Plan: Stabilized Gear Ratio
Plan: Steady Handle
Plan: Chum Trough
Plan: Drowned Box Lamp
Plan: Drowned Chesterfield Chair
Plan: Drowned Chesterfield Sofa
Plan: Drowned Coffee Table
Plan: Drowned Fancy Desk
Plan: Drowned Flood Light
Plan: Drowned Presidential Desk
Plan: Drowned Signal Lantern
Plan: Eel in a Bottle
Plan: Fishing Rod Display
Recipe: Fish and Tatos
Recipe: Fish Chowder
Hey there, I'm Kat, also known as Duchess!
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