How to Fish in Monster Hunter Wilds

You can fish in Monster Hunter Wilds, just like in previous games in the series, but it works somewhat differently this time around.

This time around, fishing has a bit of a minigame to it. It’s not just a matter of casting your lure and reeling in at the right time. Instead, you need to actually get the fishies attention! It’s well worth doing, though, as it’s a good way to get Rations for cooking and is also required for certain quests.

In this guide, we’ll tell you everything you need to know to fish in Monster Hunter Wilds.

How to Fish | Monster Hunter Wilds

You unlock the ability to fish in Monster Hunter Wilds once you reach the Scarlet Forest camp as part of the main story. Once you’re there, look for a character called Kanya and talk with her to start the “Fishing: Life, in Microcosm” side quest. This side quest acts as a sort of tutorial to the game’s fishing mechanic. Kanya will also give you a Fishing Rod, which is a permanent item!

Now, you need to equip the Fishing Rod, which works like using any other item. Hold L1 (PS5), LB (Xbox), or the Ctrl key (PC) to bring up the Item Menu. Then scroll over to the Fishing Rod, which looks like a stick with a fish at the end.

With the Fishing Rod equipped, approach any body of water and press Square (PS5), X (Xbox), or the E key (PC). You can then aim where you want to cast by holding down L2 (PS5), LT (Xbox), or Right Click (PC). A white light will mark the spot you’re aiming at, confirm with R2 (PS5), RT (Xbox) or Left Click (PC).

Once you cast your lure out, you need to draw the attention of the fish. To do so, move your line by using the Left Stick (controller) or WASD keys (PC). “Jigging” the line by pulling it towards your hunter seems to be particularly effective for drawing attention, but some fish are more stubborn than others…

When a fish finally bites, you’ll see it start splashing around. Quickly press R2 (PS5), RT (Xbox), or Left Click (PC) to reel it in! Your hunter will do all the work. You can also press this button to take the lure out if no fish bites.

Changing Lures

You’ll unlock different types of Lures as you progress through Kanya’s questline. You only have the Common Wood Minnow lure until you complete the “Seeking the Goldfish” quest for Kanya. Which lure you have currently equipped shows up on the bottom right corner of the screen, above your Fishing Rod.

To change your Lure: hold L1 and use Triangle and X (PS5), hold LB and use Y and A (Xbox), or simply press the Up and Down arrow keys (PC). This will scroll through all the different types of Lures you’ve unlocked so far. You’ll need to use different lures for different types of fish, so try changing your lure if the fish aren’t biting.

That’s everything you need to know to fish in Monster Hunter Wilds! It’s a bit more involved than in previous Monster Hunter games, but it’s still pretty simple once you get the hang of it. Just remember to be patient, the fish can be pretty stubborn about refusing to take the bait!