How to catch fish in Rust

Fishing has been officially added to Rust with the game’s latest update. And while players have had the ability to catch fish in the past, new changes to the game applied in its latest update allow players to go fishing in a much more traditional sense.

The “Handmade Fishing Rod,” which is an item that’s been in the game’s files for quite some time, has finally come to fruition and is available to use in Rust. With this new item, fishing in Rust has never been more accessible.

Here’s everything you need to know about fishing in Rust. 

Preparing to fish

To prepare yourself to go fishing, you’ll need a few supplies. First and foremost, you’ll need a Handmade Fishing Rod, which can be crafted at a level one workbench with two feet of Rope and 200 pieces of Wood. 

Once you have your fishing rod fully crafted, you’ll need to acquire bait to catch fish. Most of the food items in the game can be used as bait. But if you’re looking to hold on to your rations, you can use things such as worms and grub, which are collected from various plants.

Gone fishing

Once you have your bait, equip it in the “lure” slot of the rod and approach any body of water. Right-click your mouse to aim your fishing rod and left-click when you’re ready to cast your line. You can move your line in the water with the “A” and “D” keys. Once you get a bite, you can press the “S” key to reel in whatever you’ve caught. 

If you jerk your fishing line around too frequently or violently, there’s a chance that your line could snap and whatever fish was attached could get away. Right now, there are eight new fish that can be caught as of the Rust August update: Herring, Anchovies, Yellow Perch, Catfish, Salmon, Sardines, Orange Roughy, and Small Sharks. 

Using your fish

Once you’ve caught enough fish to your liking, you can take them back to your home base. Fish can be eaten either raw or cooked, or you can choose to gut fish for resources that can be used in other crafting projects. 

If you choose not to hold onto your fish for your own personal reasons, you can sell anything you catch at fishing villages in exchange for scrap. The more fish you catch, the more scrap you’ll receive in return when trading.