Once Human: Fishing Guide

In Once Human, managing your supplies is as important as staying hydrated and having a full stomach. Some people might prefer to fight against the Deviants, but you must not forget your survival skills. In Once Human, you should always have at hand a guide on how to survive in the wild and learn how to fish, make a fire, or hunt. Keeping your hunger, sleep, and thirst quenched in this world of deviants should be one of your top priorities. You can’t challenge your next enemy, not at least with an empty stomach. Besides, fishing is another way to make a profit without risking so much.

[Updated July 22, 2024 – Reviewed and clarified information]

How Does Fishing Work in Once Human? Explained

The first thing you should do in this guide, before catching your first fish, is to create a Fishing Rod in your Supplies Workshop in your base in Once Human. To craft this tool, you need x20 Log and x10 Copper Ingot. In addition to the Fishing Rod, you need to create Bait. To craft the most basic Bait, you need x1 Corn, which you can get at the farms northeast of Deadsville. But if you prefer to skip this step, you can go to Margerie at the pier outside Meyer’s Market; she has a store with fishing items such as Bait. You should buy her the Formula: Bait, which costs 200 Energy Link, so you can craft better quality bait.

Once you have all the necessary items, you must follow these steps to start fishing:

1. Go to the nearest body of water (lake, river, swamp, etc). You can also go to one of the docks on the map, as this is where the Fishing Events occur, and you can catch more fish or Rare fish.
2. With the Fishing Rod equipped, click to enter fishing mode.
3. Press R to select your Bait.
4. A red spot will appear above the water if the water is shallow. Aim farther to turn the spot green.
5. Click again to set the hook and start Fishing.
6. Fish will appear in the water, and on your UI, there will be a circle showing the status of your hook. When a fish bites the hook, the circle’s perimeter will start to turn blue.
7. Click repeatedly to pull the fish towards you until it is out of the water.
8. When the fish is out of the water, a box with its name and description will appear in addition to the Collect and Release options.

Is Fishing Worth It?

To be brief, the answer is yes, and for several reasons. Mainly, with the Fishing Events, you can earn good rewards with Margerie. While fishing, you can also get the deviant Electric Eel, which provides more electric power for your base. Or find Rare fish, which you can make different dishes with different buffs. Speaking of food and dishes, if you have fish or dishes that you have already cooked with their durability about to end or you will leave the game for a while, you should sell the dishes or exchange the fish with Margerie for blueprints. This way, you will avoid having a lot of Spoiled Food. Rotten food will only be helpful if you have a Compost Bin to convert it into Mushrooms or Fertilizer. You can also unlock methods to keep your food fresh for much longer.

You can now start fishing and cooking different dishes in Once Human to survive on your longer trips or gift them to your Hive’s friends. So, trade your guns for fishing gear and dip your feet into this relaxing mechanic.