Fishing in Far Cry 5

Fishing is one of the more complex optional activities in Far Cry 5. You can go fishing during your free time but this activity is also a part of a few missions (e.g. the one where you can add Cheeseburger the bear to your team).

How to prepare yourself for fishing?

The most important thing in fishing is a fishing rod. The basic model can be found in every fishing spot. Other (better) fishing rods have to be acquired by yourself:

1. You can buy them from traders (select the weapons menu, go to the last tab and scroll the list down to the very bottom).
2. You can get a unique fishing rod by completing all Skylar’s side quests in Whitetail Mountains (Jacob’s region).
3. You can get a unique fishing rod for beating all records in hard difficulty level fishing spots.

The rods differ in stats. The better ones have greater range and increased chance to catch more challenging fish.

Try to unlock Fisher King as fast as you can (Survivalist tree, 4 perk points). This skill makes fish get tired faster and it unlocks new types of baits that will help you catch specific types of fish.

In default, your character has only the basic bait. After unlocking aforementioned skill, you can open the items wheel, mark your fishing rod and press the right button to switch between different baits (the picture above shows an example). Try to select the right bait for a fish that you want to catch. For example, a fly for trout is great for catching (heavier) trout.

Where can I go fishing?

Don’t try to fish wherever you want to. Instead, you should find fishing spots – they are marked on the map with special icons (the picture above shows an example). You can learn about their locations by:

1. Exploring the world.
2. Finding maps.
3. Checking road signs.
4. Finding books about fishing.

Fishing spots are divided into “the regular ones” and hard. The latter allows you to catch more valuable fish but this also means that the difficulty is higher.

Fishing spots – best places for fishing

Here you have the best locations for fishing in Far Cry 5.

1. Holland Valley
2. Henbane River
3. Whitetail Mountains

How to catch a fish in Far Cry 5?

1. Reach a fishing spot and select a fishing rod from the utility wheel (open the weapons wheel and then press the button to switch to the utility wheel). Optionally, you can also choose a bait from the same wheel.
2. Hold the Cast Fishing Rod button and release it after a few seconds to cast your bait into water.
3. Start pressing the Reel Line button. You have to do that to attract a fish with your bait.
4. If you are lucky then one of them should catch a bait. If not, you have to reel the line and cast it again.
5. Quickly press Hook Fish button when a fish catches your bait.

1. Getting a fish out of water is the most important part. Focus on reeling the line to move a fish towards you (keep pressing the right button).
2. It is important to make your fish tired. The game suggests you to move your fishing rod to opposite direction of a fish. However, there is a much better method – move the analog stick down and keep it in that position. You only have to pay attention to the line. It changes its color to signalize tension. Don’t allow the line to turn red – the line in the picture above is orange which means that it is about to snap. Release the reel line button and wait for it to turn back into green. Move the analog stick downwards again and continue reeling the line.

Complete all these steps to catch a fish. You will learn about its species and weight.

Fishing rewards

In Far Cry 5, fishing has two types of rewards:

1. Money – All fish that were caught by you can be sold to traders. Amount of received money depends on a species and weight.
2. Perk points – Some fish are related to certain challenges (see the picture). Try to complete them one after another. Completing each of the challenges rewards you with 1 to 3 perk points. Fishing can give you a dozen of skill points and help you in developing your character