Learning to fish in Monster Hunter Wilds isn’t just a relaxing break from hunting – it’s also a valuable skill that rewards you with important materials and meal ingredients. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about fishing, from basic techniques to changing lures in Monster Hunter Wilds.
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Fishing in Monster Hunter Wilds
Fishing in Monster Hunter Wilds offers two major benefits for hunters:
| Benefit | Details |
| Meal Ingredients | Boost your stats for your next hunt |
| Unique materials | Scales and fins that serve various purposes |
Fishing in Monster Hunter Wilds is easy to get started with. You’ll have a fishing rod from early in the game, so there’s no special quest needed to unlock basic fishing. You can access your fishing rod through your Essentials Radial Menu or from Quick Access Inventory in the bottom right corner of your screen.
If you have already found your fishing rod, now it’s time to find the location to start fishing. The best fishing spots in Monster Hunter Wilds have these characteristics:
- Bodies of water with visible ripples.
- Clear visibility of fish swimming around.
- Fin tips sticking out of the water surface.
- Safe from monsters.
How to Fish in Monster Hunter Wilds
Once you’ve found a promising spot, here’s how to land your catch:
- Aim your cast using the prompted commands.
- Cast your line near the fish you want to catch. You’ll see a white circle showing where your line will land.
- Attract fish by using different techniques:
- Slowly drag the line back and forth.
- Make sudden jerking motions.
- Experiment to see what each fish responds to.
- Reel in quickly when you get a bite because faster reactions mean a better success rate.
Some fish will put up a fight when hooked. If you ever find yourself in this situation, pull in the opposite direction to tire them out. Don’t get discouraged if you lose a few at first – just like fishing in real life, this takes practice!
How to Get and Use Lures
While basic fishing is available from the start, special lures require more effort. To get lures, you need to:
- Speak to Kanya at the Scarlet Forest Base Camp (she’s standing by the water pool at the rear).
- Start the “Seeking the Goldenfish” side quest.
- You’ll receive lures at the beginning of this quest.
Different fish are attracted to different lures, so knowing how to switch is essential. These are the steps:
- Equip your fishing rod.
- Hold down the same button you’d use to change weapon coatings/ammo (shown on the right side of your screen).
- Select your desired lure.
Lures don’t wear out and can be changed unlimited times, but you must reel in your line before switching.
Also Read:
- Monster Hunter Wilds: 10 Tips and Tricks for Beginners to Get Started
- How to Track Monsters in Monster Hunter Wilds
- Monster Hunter Wilds: How to Switch Weapons and Dual Loadout Guide
Fish Types and Where to Find Them in Monster Hunter Wilds
Monster Hunter Wilds features a variety of fishing baits. Using the right bait increases your chances of catching your desired fish. Below is a list of all fishing baits available in Monster Hunter Wilds:
| Fish Bait Name | Description | Fish Attracted | How to Unlock |
| Common Wood Minnow | A basic wooden lure that works for most fish. | It can attract all but big fish, but no fish are particularly drawn to it. | Start the side mission “Fishing: Life, in Microcosm” |
| Golden Bughead | A shiny beetle-shaped lure for rare fish with valuable materials. | Goldenfish and Platinumfish. | Start the side mission “Seeking the Goldenfish” |
| Emerald Jitterbait | A lure with a metal blade. Good for catching useful fish. | Bomb Arowana and Sushifish. | TBA |
| Tuff Joint Bait | A Cephalos-shaped lure for big, fast fish in clean water. | Gastronome Tuna | Start the side mission “The Catch of a Lifetime!” |
| Duster Rig | A Starduster-shaped lure for fish in dark or muddy water. | Gajau | Start the side mission “The Catch of a Lifetime!” |
| Tentacle Jig | A lure made with thorngrass. Good for catching aquatic creatures that have tentacles. | Escunties | Start the side mission “Razzle Dazzle.” |
You can always track your fishing progress in the Aquatic Life Field Guide in-game. That’s everything you need to know about fishing in Monster Hunter Wilds! If you ever get tired of battling monsters, take some time off to relax and go fishing while also collecting useful materials. Happy fishing!
