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Once Human: A Complete Fishing Guide — How to Catch All Fish Types?

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Once Human Team Editor

Once Human throws you into a post-apocalyptic and challenges you to survive with nothing but your basic tools. Fortunately, there are many resources and materials readily available inches away from your first spawn, so you can quickly get to work and start taunting the Rosetta troops. However, this survival sandbox is filled with too much action and very little side activities for those who just want to relax. In this regard, Fishing in Once Human is among the limited non-combat activities that you can enjoy without any adrenaline rush in your head.

The only problem is that there is no introductory quest to explain the basics of fishing in the game, leaving many players clueless the whole time. If you also want to go fishing or maybe catch the Electric Eel Deviant, we will help you all the way. So, without wasting any time, let's start with our Once Human fishing guide and learn how to catch all types of fish:

Blogs Table Contents

Blogs Once Human: Basic Fishing Guide

You must learn how to fish in Once Human to cook meals, gain useful recipes, capture Deviants, and, of course, catch bigger fish by using the small ones. In other words, fishing is one of those must-have survival skills if you really wish to thrive in the mysterious world. Here's everything that you need to know about Once Human fishing, from basic skills to the more advanced predator baits:

Blogs Things Needed to Start Fishing in Once Human

As mentioned earlier, Once Human doesn't have any introductory quests or tasks to teach you the fishing mechanics. However, it doesn't mean that you can't start fishing right from day one. All you need is a fishing rod, some basic bait, and a sweet, calm waterbody to relax your mind.

Blogs Basic Fishing Rod

Basic Fishing Rod

The first step is to craft a basic fishing rod from your Supplies Workbench. For this purpose, you must play the game until you have the workbench and a few extra resources in your base. Next, interact with the workbench, hover over to the tools section, and craft the Basic Fishing Rod using 20x Wooden Logs and 10x Copper Ingots.

Blogs Basic Fishing Bait

Basic Bait

Next, you must craft the Dough Fish Bait to lure the smaller, non-predator fish into the hook. While there are dozens of fishbait in the game, we strongly recommend that you start with this one just because it's very easy to make. All you need is 1x Corn, and you can craft the bait at your regular Supplies Workbench.

Blogs Basic Fishing Mechanism

Mechanism

Finally, head to any nearby lake or river [Deadsville River (5961, -5623) is the closest to the spawn point], and don't forget to add the Fishing Rod to your quick-access slots. Once you arrive at the fishing spot, take out your rod (press the slot button), press R to attach the bait, aim with right-click on your mouse, and press Spacebar to release the reel. 

You will get a sign if you hook anything and you can retrieve the reel by pressing the left-click button and pulling in the opposite direction to the fish's movement (much like Far Cry 5). That's it. Congratulations on catching your first fish in Once Human, but you are a long way from hooking the big ones.

Blogs Once Human: Advanced Fishing Guide

Advanced Fishing Guide

Okay, so you have learned the basics of fishing in Once Human, but your first Fishing Dough Bait will only take you this far. If you are interested in catching Arowana, the Electric Eel Deviant, and all the new ones added in August Patch, you will need better tools and a lot of patience. Don't worry; we won't take you halfway like many other guides online; we are in it for good. 

Just keep in mind there are no advanced fishing rods in Once Human, so you will be doing all of your fishing work with the same tool. However, the rod will break from time to time, and the only way to repair it is to craft a new one for your workbench. Secondly, you can increase your odds of catching better, bigger fish by crafting advanced baits, leveling up, and finding better fishing spots in the high-level regions.

Blogs Advanced Fishing Baits

Advanced Bait

If you have made it this far, you will know that you can't get better at fishing in Once Human by crafting improved fishing rods. On the other hand, you must craft or purchase various types of fish bait to lure bigger fish species like the Arowana and even capture your favorite electricity Deviant. In any case, you must acquire better fish bait from Margerie (the merchant near every dock) to get into advanced fishing. Here is a list of all fish baits in Once Human, their effects, and how to make them:

Type of Bait

Ingredients

Uses

Dough Fish Bait 

1x Corn 

Suitable for small to medium fish  

Bait With Mixed Spices 

1x Masala 

Suitable for all non-predator fish

Bait 

3x Rubber 

Suitable for small to medium predator fish. 

Mince Bait 

1x Meat 

Suitable for all predator fish. 

Live Bait [August Update]

1x Small Fish

Suitable for large predator fish

Crankbait — Universal Bait

Produced by Frog the Leaper Deviant 

Suitable for all kinds of fish. 

Margret

Even though it is quite easy to create advanced fishing bait, many players opt for directly purchasing the bait before they start fishing. However, if you are still interested in crafting your own bait, you can purchase the recipes for all baits from Margerie at any dock. Furthermore, if you are after the Universal Fishing Bait in Once Human, your only option is to capture Frog the Leaper Deviant and place it in the Isolated Securement Unit.

Blogs How to Catch Every Fish in Once Human?

How to catch every fish

There are over 40 different types of fish in Once Human, and you can eat them all if you catch them. Honestly, there is no special guide to catching bigger fish, and you only need practice and better bait to lure them. In this regard, it would be best to study the type of fish found in various locations and use suitable bait if you haven't had any luck with the Universal Bait. 

Honestly, we have been fishing in Once Human for quite some time now, and the mini-game hasn't changed at all. However, we did enjoy the new Live Bait mechanism after the recent update, which allowed us to lure bigger catches by putting small fish as bait.

Blogs Tips for Fishing in Once Human

Tips

You can only get better at fishing in Once Human by practicing the skill at least once every week. If you ask us, we have broken hundreds of fishing rods before coming up with these tips and tricks. 

  • Pick your Spot: The spot where your reel lands plays an important role in your fishing success. If you throw it too close, you won't have enough time to drain the fish's stamina bar. Similarly, if you throw it too far, then you will end up breaking the reel before the fish gets anywhere close to the dock. So, just try to throw the hook a few feet away while standing on the edge of the dock.
  • Look for the Signs: Once you hook a fish, don't just hold the left-click and hope for the best. Instead, monitor the fish's movement and counter it by pulling in the opposite direction, i.e., if it goes left, you pull right and vice versa. Also, if your line is about to break, release the mouse button and regain your stamina. Also, try to keep the circle half-filled, or you might lose the fish or break the reel in no time.
  • Bring Plenty of Bait: You can't catch a bucket full of fish without a bucket full of bait. Therefore, it is important to grab as many baits as you can before you go on your fishing trip. Oh, and you can also throw lure bait to increase fish activity near the hook.

Blogs Best Fishing Locations in Once Human

Best Location

The fish spawn rate is completely based on RNG, and you can catch them all in just one place if you are lucky (10000x lucky). However, you can only catch freshwater fish from lakes and rivers, while saltwater fish only spawn in the sea. Secondly, certain species have guaranteed spawning locations, and you can always catch a bucket full of them in the right spot. 

So, if you are looking for a specific type of fish, say the Northern Pike for Blueprints or Electric Eel for your base, you can only catch those in saltwater bodies. In any case, here are the best fishing spots in Once Human and the type of fish you can catch from there:

Blogs Dayton Wetlands Fishing Spots

Freshwater:

    • Go southwest of the Deadsville Hub to the coordinates: -5968, -5626 to find this river.
  • Type of Fish: Carp, Sunfish, Sucker Fish, Tilapia, Oscar Fish

Saltwater:

  • Go east from the Coastside Plaza to the following coordinates 7751, -4928 to find the dock.
  • Type of Fish: Mackerel, Pompano, Barracuda, Sardine, Electric Eel

Blogs Broken Delta Fishing Spots

Freshwater:

  • Go to the large lake in the center of the region, just north of Sunbury to the following coordinates 4690, -6710 to find the dock.
  • Type of Fish: Carp, Bighead, Cap, Sucker Fish, Oscar Fish, Arowana, Koi Cap, Tilapia

Saltwater:

  • Go east of the teleportation tower for this secluded beach to the following coordinates 3486, -7256 to find the pier.
  • Type of Fish: Largemouth Black Bass, Northern Pike, Longnose Gar, Angelfish, Seabass, Guppy, Electric Eel

Blogs Iron River Fishing Spots

Freshwater:

  • Go northeast of the Greywater Camp to the following coordinates 5680, -3073 to find the jetting pier.
  • Type of Fish: Carp, Sunfish, Sucker Fish, Tilapia, Koi Carp, Oscar Fish

Saltwater:

  • Go east of the teleportation tower in the region to the following coordinates 7688, -3270 to find the jetting pier.
  • Type of Fish: Mackerel, Sardine, Barracuda, Electric Eel

Blogs Chalk Peak Fishing Spots

Freshwater:

  • Go to the very north of the region to the following coordinates -178, -2200 to find the cookie-cutter dock.
  • Type of Fish: Rainbow Trout, Salmon, Carp, Bighead Carp, Arowana, Sunfish, Koi Carp

Saltwater:

  • Go west of the teleportation tower in the region to the following coordinates 478, -3270 to find the blue water beach.
  • Type of Fish: Largemouth Black Bass, Northern Pike, Longnose Gar, Angelfish, Electric Eel

Blogs Red Sands Fishing Spots

Freshwater:

  • Head east of the Blackfell Hub to the following coordinates 4991, -1711 to find the river.
  • Type of Fish: Carp, Bighead Carp, Largemouth Black Bass

Saltwater:

  • Go northeast of the Red Sands region to the following coordinates 7255, 95 to find the cookie-cutter docks.
  • Type of Fish: Mackerel, Sardine, Barracuda, Electric Eel

Blogs How to Use Fish in Once Human?

How to use fish

Well, well you have mastered the art of fishing in Once Human, and you will probably end up with more fish than you need for the day. Unfortunately, untreated fish can only last for 24 in-game hours before it starts to spoil, so you must find better use for your hard-earned catch before the worst happens. On the bright side, there is more to fishing than just eating grilled fish to satisfy your hunger. Here are a few interesting ways to use your caught fish in Once Human so that you don't feel bad about it later on:

    • Refrigerate the Fish: Probably the most humane way to treat a freshly-caught fish is to place it in your refrigerator to keep it from spoiling. All you need to do is to unlock the Refrigerator Memetics Specialization and your fish will remain fresh for up to 10 in-game days.
    • Cut it into Pieces: Another useful way to treat your fish is to cut it into fillets so that you can use it in your cooking recipes. Therefore, open your inventory as soon as you catch a fish and cut it to obtain fish fillet and steaks.
    • Salt Treatment: Curing the fish with salt dates back thousands of years and it still works in the post-apocalyptic world for some reasons. Therefore, the best way to keep your scores edible for a long time is to cure them with salt (you will also need it for cooking recipes).
  • Northern Pike Weapons: Did you know, you can use your Northern Pike fish to make very effective melee weapons? Simply purchase the Northern Pike Blueprints from Margerie at any docks, collect enough of this specie and you will end up with one of the most powerful melee weapons in Once Human.
  • Electric Eel Deviant: There is a chance to catch the Electric Eel Gadget Type Deviant whenever you go fishing in saltwater. This special Deviant, when placed in its unit, significantly increases the power output of electric generators.

Cook Legendary Meals: Apparently, certain fish species grant various buffs like increased firing rate, greater critical damage, and enhanced weak spot damage. However, you must first cook up those fish into either pan-fried or fish oil (Legendary Meals) and eat them to gain those buffs.

Blogs Conclusion

To sum it up, fishing is a relaxing and rewarding sport in Once Human. You can eat your scores, save them as trophies, craft melee weapons with them, and even gain special status effects by consuming them. However, it takes some serious practice to hook these bad boys, and we are here to help. Hopefully, this Once Human fishing guide has helped you to catch your favorite species. Don't forget to check out the rest of the website for more Once Human topics. Grab a Hook!

Blogs System Requirements

Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system

Blogs PC System Requirement

Minimum Specifications

OS

Windows 10 64-bit Operating System

CPU

Intel Core i5-4460

RAM

8 GB RAM

Graphics

Nvidia GTX 750ti 4G / AMD Radeon RX550

DirectX

Version 11

Network

Broadband Internet connection

Storage

55 GB available space

Additional Notes

SSD is highly recommended

Maximum Specifications

OS

Windows 10 64-bit Operating System

CPU

Intel Core i7-7700

RAM

16 GB RAM

Graphics

Nvidia GTX 1060 6G / AMD Radeon RX 580 2304SP / Intel ARC A380

DirectX

Version 11

Network

Broadband Internet connection

Storage

55 GB available space

Additional Notes

SSD is highly recommended

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