7 articlesGive a man a fish, and he’ll eat for a day. Teach a man how to fish in Black Desert Online, and he’ll probably go AFK fishing for a lifetime.
All jokes aside, fishing is one of the most profitable and beginner-friendly Life Skills in the game. It used to be a casual AFK activity back then, but nowadays, it’s a stable means of making Silver, allowing you to make hundreds of millions overnight.
In highly optimized setups, however, generating over a billion Silver is entirely possible!
That said, if you’re returning to the game after a long break or playing the game for the first time, this guide should cover everything you need to know about fishing.
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The fishing activity in the game is actually really simple. All you need is a fishing rod and a nearby body of water.
Look for a nearby body of water, equip your fishing rod, then cast your line. Wait for a few seconds until a fish bites, and once it does, manually complete the minigame or let the game’s auto fishing function do it for you.
That said, while manual fishing will net you a bunch of Silver, especially if you fish in hotspots, it’s sadly less consistent than AFK fishing. While it’s engaging for players who enjoy the active process of fishing, it’s not the best method if you’re after pure efficiency.
AFK is simply where it’s at, especially with the current meta.
That said, the current meta revolves around fishing mastery, auto fishing time reduction, inventory space, and the value of the fish. Players tend to optimize these stats as much as possible to maximize the amount of Silver they can get.
The main goal is to catch as many valuable prize fish as possible while minimizing downtime.
How to AFK Fish Efficiently
Since AFK fishing is the better method of catching fish, I’m going to tell you how to set up your AFK fishing in a way that you can make a lot of profits.
You might think it’s just as simple as pressing your spacebar and then walking away. However, there’s actually a bit of setup involved.
For one, you have to optimize auto fishing reduction, which is essentially the stat that affects the waiting time after a fish bites. Most players tend to target around 67% or even higher if possible.
This can be achieved through things like the Balenos fishing rod, pets, buffs, crystals, and your Life Skill gear.
Second, you should also increase your inventory space. Your inventory space will directly affect overnight efficiency. A bigger inventory space means longer uninterrupted fishing sessions.
You don’t want to wake up the next morning only to find out your character has stopped fishing hours ago due to a full inventory.
Third, set fish filters. Most experienced fishers discard lower grade fish automatically. This is actually a good idea as it helps keep inventory space reserved for profitable catches.
And finally, use a dedicated alt to fish.
If you might have noticed, there are a lot of players who keep their fishing characters parked in Velia or the Land of the Morning Light. These are their alts, and their only purpose is to do AFK fishing. Nothing else.
This avoids wasting travel time on your main character.
How to Earn Maximum Profits from Your Catch
Once you have a full inventory of fish, your final step is to sell them. However, you can’t just sell them to any merchant you can find, as selling to the right vendor is also a huge factor.
You should know that fish prices are affected by distance bonus, freshness, bargaining, and your trade level. A common strategy usually involves transporting fish to distant trade managers for large bonus multipliers.
The delivery routes in the Land of the Morning Light are a popular choice due to the enormous distance bonuses available there.
You can also sell your catch to the Imperial Fishing Delivery if you’re after guaranteed sales and extra profit.
Final Thoughts
It goes without saying that fishing in Black Desert Online is a really profitable activity. As long as you know how to set up AFK fishing, you should be swimming in tons of Silver in no time.
As soon as your setup matures, fishing becomes one of the easiest ways that you can maintain a steady income while barely interacting with the game.
And that’s especially valuable in a game as grind-heavy as BDO.
Found another tip?
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