(A small fishing guide) Fishing isn't bugged - things just aren't clear

Hello!

I've seen a handful of posts and comments about how fishing (specifically on PC?) seems bugged. I've not experienced any of this at all, and think that it's just not clearly conveyed in game, so I hope this lil guide helps.

What changed?

Fishing in MH:Wilds is different than in previous games. There's a hint of realism with Monster Hunter: Wilds fishing, you can't just cast out and wait for a fish to bite (for the most part). You have to reel in a fish and make your lure 'attractive' to fish. You can speed up and slow down the reel speed to make it more attractive to fish. Different lures are more likely to attract certain species of fish - more on that below.

Clearing up the Controls

I have a visual guide on this here.

To reel in with controller, move the left joystick up and down continuously. Doing this faster means you reel in faster. When you get a bite, use Right Trigger (R2) to hook the fish - for normal fish, it will reel in automatically.

To reel in with mouse and keyboard, alternate tapping W and S repeatively. Doing this faster also means you will reel in faster. When you get a bite, use Left Mouse Button (LMB) to hook the fish - and again, for normal fish, it will reel it in automatically.

If you don't hook a fish fast enough, it will get away.

Lures and attracting fish

The lure is the main draw for a fish. You want to make sure that thing is reeled right past the fish you want (especially if the fish doesn't immediately react). Be sure to cast just past where the fish are and reel through them.

The common lure isn't super effective at attracting fish, but can do it "ok." This is why you'll cast out and sometimes not get a bite. You'll get more specialized lures from Kanya in the Zone 2 base camp as you complete side missions. These side missions unlock as you complete the story.

When a fish gets interested in your lure, continue to reel in slowly as it follows. Stopping *briefly* to let the fish catch up, or even sometimes speeding up a little, can help make the fish more likely to bite. Be patient! Like I mentioned, this is where the hint of realism kicks in. You have to 'play' with this fish sometimes.

Whoppers

Whoppers are the large fish you see lurking in waters around the the 2nd zone (Area 12 and 17 is where I've seen them the most). You'll attract these fish like a normal fish, but when you catch them, you need to move your joystick (or hit the corresponding A, W, and D keys) in the direction they are moving to maintain tension. When they take a break and your rod goes up, you can start to reel like you did before. Reeling these guys is NOT automatic, nor guaranteed. It's another level of the minigame and you'll want to make sure to pay attention to the fish when you're reeling in.

Fish Species and locations

Each zone has unique fish and shared species, and different parts of a zone can house different fish. For example, if you are after Platinum or Goldenfish (for that one Side Mission from Kanya) you want to look at fishing spots that are underground - as those fish don't like direct sunlight. You sometimes get hints about this from Kanya, but for the most part I've not found out how to get info on where certain fish are outside of just exploring and catching them.

That should be roughly everything. I'll update anything new that comes up.

I'm a big fan of the fishing this time around, and have been enjoying running across different fishing spots and just seeing what's in there. For more generic information about fishing, you can check out this other guide.