How to Fish in Graveyard Keeper 2
In a game with zombies doing manual work for you, I don't need fishing to be this realistic.
Just when you thought you had fishing all figured out in Graveyard Keeper, the Lazy Bear overlords decided to switch things up and make what should be an innocent lil task all the more complicated.
The difficulty of learning how to fish in Graveyard Keeper 2 is the equivalent of learning about ganking in League of Legends, how to parry in Dark Souls, and figuring out the exact timeline of Silent Hill (thanks, Townfall). Fishing should be a simple, satisfying, and quick fix for cozy heads looking to just relax after a long day’s work. It shouldn’t be complicated, and yet here we are.
This guide will attempt to explain how to fish in layman’s terms, attained through significant trial and error.
How exactly does one fish in Graveyard Keeper 2?
First things first, you need to be at least Farming Mastery Level 1 to start fishing. Sounds simple enough, right? But no, because the fish in this game are not only picky eaters, they will also put up a fight depending on your Mastery Level. You can’t go into fishing for the very first time expecting things to go your way just because you have a Basic Rod and a dream. It’s a lot tougher than that.
Knowing if you can or can’t fish really comes down to how much fight the fish gives. So, here’s the simplest way I can think of to explain how to reel in fish:
- Wait for the fish to take the bait.
- Tug the rod, or more specifically, hold down left-click or A on the controller when the yellow exclamation mark appears. This is your sign that you can start reeling in the fish.
- Tap (don’t spam) the tug button when the exclamation mark disappears, ensuring the fish doesn’t get too far when it tries to swim away.
- Do not hold the tug button when the fish fights back (exclamation disappears), as it will cause the Rod and its line to turn red. The line will eventually snap if you hold the button for too long. Only reel in when the exclamation appears.
If the fish swims far when you’re tapping the tug button or you find you’re barely making progress reeling it in before it starts fighting back again, it’s highly likely your Mastery Level is too low to catch that species.
I believe you can exhaust the number of fish available at a given fishing spot. But I’m unsure whether depleted fish replenish on cooldown, as I fished for Roach early on in my playthrough at the Inquisition Base and still haven’t seen the option to fish for them again.
All fish and bait in Graveyard Keeper 2
There are multiple fishing spots around the land, home to native fish who have particular requirements. These fish will only come up if you have specific bait. Some fish don’t need bait, but these are native to the Inquisition Base fishing spots. Outside of this, the fish develop stricter eating habits. Then you have the added difficulty that even if you get them to bite, they will snap the line with a flick of their fin. So what do you do?
There are two things to pay attention to when you want to fish. These are: your Farming Mastery Level (visible on the Character menu) and the bait you’re using. By filtering through your bait, you will see just how many fish can be reeled in via the highlighted slots. These slots will appear with question marks because you haven’t pulled any up yet.
Here’s a quick rundown on the equipment you need, Mastery Level to run it, and what fish you can get based on the bait you’re rocking.
Rods and Bait
This part of the guide is a work in progress and will be updated as we find more fish and upgrade our rod
| Rod/Bait | Recipe | Made at |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Rod | x3 Stick x2 Bronze Detail x2 Flax Thread | Woodworking Workbench |
| Amateur Rod | x2 Wooden Plank x2 Polished Bronze x4 Flax Thread | Woodworking Workbench with Tool Rank extension |
| Breadcrumb Bait | x1 Bread | Kitchen Table |
| Live Bait | x1 Lacquer x1 Flesh | Kitchen Table |
Fish
Inquisition Base
| Fish | Mastery Level | Bait |
|---|---|---|
| Roach | One | No Bait |
| Gudgeon | Two | No Bait |
| Crucian | Three | No Bait |
| Pike | Eight | Breadcrumb |
Village
| Fish | Mastery Level | Bait |
|---|---|---|
| Roach | One | No Bait |
| Gudgeon | Two | No Bait |
| Crucian | Three | No Bait |
| Herring | Four | Breadcrumb |
| Bream | Five | Breadcrumb |
Port Area
Note: Basic Rod is completely useless, so upgrade to the Amateur Rod to fish here.
| Fish | Mastery Level | Bait |
|---|---|---|
| Anchovy | Four | Breadcrumb |
| Mackerel | Seven | Breadcrumb |
Fishing spots are identifiable on the map by a wooden dock with a little fish drawing.
