Fishing, without a doubt, is one of the most classic pastimes in the famous 2018 action-adventure game, Red Dead Redemption 2. However, that doesn’t mean that it’s easy. First of all, you need to unlock fishing in the game, which might take hours of gameplay.
After that, you need to learn the controls regarding fishing rods, and baits, and learn the proper fishing skills set by the game. And if you are completely new to this, it might take you hours of head-scratching and manual digging to even start fishing.
But don’t worry! We have done the research so you won’t have to waste your time looking through countless guides. In this article, you will find a step-by-step guide that will help you start fishing right away after unlocking it.
How to unlock fishing in Red Dead Redemption 2?
If you want to unlock fishing, you need to make enough progress in the game’s main story. To be more specific, you need to participate and make progress in the “A Fisher of Men” quest in “Chapter 2.”
During the mission, you must take Jack Marston fishing at a lake close to your in-game location. Here, the mission will work as a fishing tutorial for you. Once you are done with the fishing tutorial, you would be able to unlock fishing in Red Dead Redemption 2.
If you need more tips like this, you can read our article, Read Dead Redemption 2 Tips and Tricks.
Fishing in Red Dead Redemption 2
Once the fishing is unlocked, you will be able to take out your fishing pole whenever you are near a water body, where you can start fishing. You can fast travel to the location if you want to. But before we talk about the steps you must follow to start finishing, you learn how to equip your fishing pole properly and set a bait.
Equipping the fishing rod
To equip the fishing pole, you need to follow these steps:
- First, click on “L1/LB” to open the “Weapons wheel.”
- After that, go to the “Items” wheel by pressing on “R1/RB.”
- Use the right stick to choose the “Fishing rod” from the bottom-right section of the wheel, and then release “L1/LB.”
You can now use your fishing pole to start fishing at a water body with fish.
How to set bait with a fishing rod?
Once you’re done equipping the fishing rod, you need to learn how to add bait to it. To add bait, you must follow these instructions:
- First, you need to press “L1/LB” while you’re equipped with the fishing rod to open the “Bait” menu.
- Next, you can scroll through different types of bait using “R2/L2” or “RT/LT.” Choose a bait of your choice with the right stick and release “L1/LB” to equip it.
Please note that once you use any type of bait, you can use a similar type of bait later by simply pressing on the “Triangle/Y.”
And even though you can fish in any type of water body, please pay attention to its type. Not all baits are compatible with all kinds of water bodies. For example, the bait that works well for a lake, might not work that well for fishing in a swamp. So, read the bait description carefully before you use them on a lake, swamp, or river.
Steps to fish in Red Dead Redemption 2
Now that you have a relatively clear understanding of the fishing rods and baits, it’s time to learn how to start fishing near any body of water. Here’s what you need to do:
- First, you need to press “L2/LT” to “aim” your fishing pole.
- Next, you need to cast it by pressing “R2/RT.” Just tap on it for a “Short cast.” And for a “Long cast,” hold “R2/RT” for a while before releasing it.
- If you have a bobber, you just need to wait for a bit. However, if you have a bait or lure, you can attract a fish by slowly rotating the right stick.
- If you feel your controller vibrating, press “R2/RT” again to “Hook” the fish.
- Now, you have to tire the fish out. Do not start reeling in the fish yet. When you see the fish splashing water, it means that it’s still struggling, and reeling in at this moment might break the line. At this moment, you have to use the left stick to control your rod and point it in the opposite direction of where the fish is trying to run away.
- If the fish is too large, it might even try to pull your line while it’s struggling. You can prevent this by holding the right stick while controlling the rod using the left stick.
- When you see the fish splashing less water, it means it’s finally tired. You can now slowly reel it in by rotating the right stick in a clockwise direction.
Congratulations! You have successfully caught a fish in Red Dead Redemption 2.