How to Fish in Sea of Thieves: Easy Tips

Got grubs?

Don’t know what to do with them in Sea of Thieves?

One way to get rid of them besides eating them (not recommended) is to go fishing. By default, your character comes with a fishing rod that you can use for catching fish wherever you sail.

But how do you fish in Sea of Thieves? What kind of fish are there? And what are the purposes or the point of catching them?

How to Start Fishing

Fishing is simple. Open your items inventory where your sword, food, bucket, etc., are stored (Q for PC, LB for Xbox). Your fishing rod will be in the second wheel menu, which you can access by pressing F on the PC or X if you’re using an Xbox controller. Once equipped, you can start fishing by casting your line with LMB (left mouse button) on the PC or pressing the right trigger on the Xbox controller.

Of course, if you want to catch a specific type of fish, you can equip your grubs, worms, or leeches to your line before casting it into the sea by entering the wheel menu again and pressing R (PC) or Y (Xbox) to add bait.

Select the kind you want to use by highlighting it with your mouse or controller. Your lure will automatically get hooked for you.

How to Reel in A Fish

As soon as you cast your line, all you need to do is wait. It might take a minute or two, depending on your luck, but eventually, you’ll see a fish make its way to your lure and take a bite. Once that happens, the fishing rod will start to bend as your catch pulls on it.

Your instinct may be to reel it in immediately. However, your catch will start to fight and swim to get away. If you’re not careful, it will escape if you’re not reeling in at the right time. Instead, you will need to tire it out first before you can reel it in. Here’s what you need to do:

1. Pull your rod opposite the direction of where the fish is swimming. For PC, you can use the mouse to control your movements, or the A (left), S (down), D (right), and W (up). On the Xbox, you will need to use the left joystick. This technique is how you will exhaust it.
2. When the fish has stopped moving (the line will slacken), start reeling it in by pressing the left mouse (PC) or right trigger (Xbox) until it starts moving again.
3. Repeat 1 and 2 until you’ve fully reeled it in.

Tip: It helps to keep an empty food slot available when you’ve finally caught the fish.

You’ve Got Fish! Now What?

Congrats. You have a fish. So what can you do with it? Well, you have a couple of options. You can either: 

1. Eat it. 
2. Sell it.

There are benefits to both options. If you decide to cook and save it for later, eating it will give you an added health bonus which can come in handy in a battle. Avoid eating any fish raw. You will make your pirate sick and take some damage to your health if you’re not careful.

If you choose to sell it, you can sail to a nearby Seapost where you can make a bit of coin. Not only will you receive some gold, but you will unlock new commendations and rewards like new skins, which allow you to alter the appearance of your weapons and tools. Cook your catch before you do, as it will sell for more. However, don’t burn it! Burning them will lower the amount of coin you’ll receive.

What Kind of Fish Are There in Sea of Thieves?

There are ten different types of fish in Sea of Thieves.

You can find most of these wherever you go in the world of Sea of Thieves. However, some are more likely to be found hanging around a specific environment or area. For example, Devilfishes are more likely to be discovered near the Devil’s Roar, and Stormfishes are likely to be found in the middle of a raging storm.

Another thing to note, there will be multiple versions or variants of the same fish. In other words, you might catch a Splashtail that looks different from the last one you snagged. Some of these versions may be rare and can sell for quite a bit.

Also, some fishes require a specific type of bait. Stormfishes, for example, accept leeches, while Battlegills and Devilfishes will only take grubs. Some fish won’t need anything. But that means that a fish like an Islehopper can eat the grub you intended for the Battlegill.

Where Can You Find Fish in Sea of Thieves?

We’ve already mentioned a few places where you can find certain kinds of fish in Sea of Thieves. For your convenience, the list below shows the location or region of each one and what type of bait they accept:

• Splashtails
  • Location: Almost anywhere except for ponds
  • Bait: None required
• Wildsplashes 
  • Location: The Wilds
  • Bait: Earthworms
• Pondies
  • Location: Freshwater ponds on islands 
  • Bait: None required
• Plentifins
  • Location: Shores of Plenty 
  • Bait: Earthworms
• Devilfishes
  • Location: The Devil’s Roar 
  • Bait: Grubs
• Battlegills
  • Location: Near active skeleton NPC ships or Skeleton Forts 
  • Bait: Grubs
• Ancientscales
  • Location: The Ancient Isles 
  • Bait: Leeches
• Islehoppers
  • Location: Near any island shore 
  • Bait: None required
• Stormfishes
  • Location: Storms (variants found in different regions) 
  • Bait: Leeches
• Wreckers
  • Location: Shipwrecks
  • Bait: Earthworms

Fishing is a fun alternative to making some money in Sea of Thieves or an excellent option to prepare for a sea battle. It’s also an efficient way to multitask while you sail to your destination or if you need something to do. The choice is up to you, or, as the saying goes, “Whatever floats your boat.”