How to Fish in Palworld 1.0: Rods, Bait, Best Pals and Salvaging

Fishing in Palworld 1.0 is useful for much more than catching Water Pals. You can also obtain Gold Coins, keys, Pal Souls, technical manuals, schematics, spheres and late-game materials.

The basic system is easy to learn, but stronger fish shadows become much harder to catch. A better rod, stronger bait and the right party Pals can make a major difference.

This guide explains how to start fishing, complete the minigame, build a fishing party, find talented Pals, salvage items from the ocean and automate fishing at your base.

How to Unlock Fishing

Fishing becomes available at level 15 through the Beginner Fishing Set.

Open the Technology menu and search for Fishing to quickly find the related unlocks. The beginner set gives you access to the Beginner Fishing Rod and Simple Bait.

To start fishing, you need:

• A Fishing Rod
• At least one piece of bait
• Water containing visible fish shadows

Equip the rod, approach the water and look beneath the surface. Fishable Pals appear as moving shadows. Different shadows can have different sizes, levels and special visual effects.

Avoid attacking close to the water because nearby fish may become frightened and disappear.

How to Catch a Pal With the Fishing Minigame

Once you find a fish shadow, follow these steps:

1. Equip your Fishing Rod.
2. Aim slightly above the fish shadow.
3. Select the bait you want to use.
4. Cast the line close to the target.
5. Wait until the bite indicator appears.
6. Pull the line to begin the minigame.
7. Keep the green bar over the moving fish icon.
8. Continue until the capture gauge fills completely.

On mouse and keyboard, holding the fishing input moves the bar in one direction and releasing it moves the bar back in the other direction. Use short presses instead of holding it continuously when the fish changes direction quickly.

If the green bar stays away from the fish icon for too long, the capture gauge will begin falling. Stronger Pals move faster and punish mistakes more heavily.

The easiest method is to follow the fish smoothly instead of trying to predict every sudden movement. Keep the fish near the middle of the green bar whenever possible.

When the gauge reaches the end, the Pal is pulled from the water and the additional fishing rewards appear on the side of the screen.

How to Make Fishing Easier

Fishing difficulty depends on several things:

• The level of the area
• The Pal being caught
• The type of special fishing shadow
• Your Fishing Rod
• Your bait
• The Partner Skills of Pals in your party

For early fishing, the beginner equipment is enough. Once you begin fishing in Feybreak, Sunreach Skies or World Tree areas, better equipment and fishing Partner Skills become much more important.

A Water mount is also useful because it allows you to reach shadows away from the shore. Water mounts can remain on the ocean while you fish and are more convenient than repeatedly landing a flying mount.

Best Pals for a Fishing Party

A strong fishing party should help with three different jobs:

• Making the minigame easier
• Increasing the items received
• Travelling across water

Gloopie

Gloopie is one of the best general fishing Pals.

Its Sticky Princess Partner Skill makes the capture gauge decrease more slowly when the green bar is not covering the fish icon.

This gives you more time to recover after making a mistake, which is especially useful against fast or high-level targets.

Gloopie's fishing effect does not stack, so only one is needed in the party.

Jelliette

Jelliette increases the number of items obtained from fishing.

Its Jelliette Drop Partner Skill becomes stronger as the Partner Skill level increases. Use Jelliette when your main goal is collecting materials, coins, keys, manuals and other fishing rewards.

This effect does not stack, so one Jelliette is enough.

Jellroy

Jellroy is the salvaging version of Jelliette.

Its Jellroy Drop Partner Skill increases the number of items obtained from ocean salvaging. It does not improve normal fishing rewards.

Add Jellroy when you plan to collect salvage while travelling between fishing spots. Leave it out when you are only catching Pals.

Whalaska

Whalaska makes the fishing minigame easier in two ways:

• The capture gauge begins partially filled.
• Capture progress increases faster while the bars overlap.

Whalaska is a strong mid-game option and also works as a mount.

Duplicate Whalaska do not stack, but Whalaska can be used together with Whalaska Ignis.

Whalaska Ignis

Whalaska Ignis provides a stronger version of Whalaska's fishing bonus.

Whalaska and Whalaska Ignis have separate Partner Skills, so their fishing bonuses can be used together. Duplicate copies of Whalaska Ignis do not stack.

Solmora and Solmora Lux

Solmora and Solmora Lux can be ridden across water and make talented Pals easier to fish up while they are in your party.

They are excellent late-game choices because one party slot provides both a Water mount and a bonus for rare fishing shadows.

Solmora and Solmora Lux have separate Partner Skills, so their talented-Pal effects can be used together. Duplicate copies of the same version do not stack.

Recommended Fishing Party

For normal manual fishing, use:

• Gloopie
• Jelliette
• Whalaska
• Whalaska Ignis
• Solmora or Solmora Lux

Whalaska and Whalaska Ignis work together, giving you the strongest general help during difficult fishing encounters.

For a fishing and salvaging route, replace one party member with Jellroy. If you are specifically hunting talented Pals, Solmora and Solmora Lux can also be used together, but this requires another party slot.

If you do not have the late-game Pals yet, start with Gloopie, Jelliette and any Water mount.

How to Improve Fishing Partner Skills

Fishing Partner Skills become stronger when the Pal's rank increases.

Use the Pal Essence Condenser to combine duplicate Pals of the same species. Reaching the maximum rank requires 48 additional copies:

• 4 Pals for the first rank
• 8 Pals for the second rank
• 12 Pals for the third rank
• 24 Pals for the fourth rank

This is worth doing for Pals such as Gloopie, Jelliette, Jellroy, Whalaska and Whalaska Ignis because their fishing bonuses improve with each Partner Skill level.

You can also use Starfruit to raise a Pal's rank without collecting duplicate Pals. Starfruit comes in different levels, so use the correct version for the Pal's current rank.

Medal Merchants sell Starfruit for Dog Coins:

• Starfruit ★1: 50 Dog Coins
• Starfruit ★2: 100 Dog Coins
• Starfruit ★3: 200 Dog Coins
• Starfruit ★4: 400 Dog Coins

Save the higher-level Starfruit for Pals with valuable Partner Skills because the final upgrade is the most expensive.

Planning a large crafting project? Use our Palworld 1.0 Resource Planner to combine recipes and calculate the exact materials you still need.

Best Fishing Rods

A better Fishing Rod gives you more durability and a larger control bar during the minigame.

The main Technology unlocks are:

Beginner Fishing Rod (Chillet)

Unlocks at level 15.

Use this rod for early areas and low-level fishing shadows.

Intermediate Fishing Rod (Cattiva)

Unlocks at level 29.

It provides a larger minigame bar and more durability than the beginner rod.

Advanced Fishing Rod (Pengullet)

Unlocks at level 45.

This is the best fishing rod obtained directly from the Technology menu and is the recommended choice for high-level fishing.

Schematic Fishing Rods

There are also stronger schematic versions:

• Beginner Fishing Rod (Gumoss)
• Intermediate Fishing Rod (Croajiro)
• Advanced Fishing Rod (Depresso)

The Advanced Fishing Rod (Depresso) is a Legendary-rarity rod with slightly better performance and durability than the normal Advanced Fishing Rod.

Use the highest-quality rod you currently own. A small increase to the green bar makes difficult fish much more manageable.

Best Bait for Fishing

Palworld includes several bait tiers.

Simple Bait

Unlocks at level 15.

Use it when first learning how to fish or when catching easy shadows.

High Quality Bait

Unlocks at level 22.

It mainly improves how quickly Pals bite. This saves some waiting time but does not help as much once the minigame begins.

Deluxe Bait

Unlocks at level 38.

Deluxe Bait enlarges the green bar during the fishing minigame, making the target easier to follow.

This is the first bait upgrade that noticeably improves difficult catches.

Alluring Bait

Unlocks at level 52.

Alluring Bait enlarges the minigame bar and increases the number of items obtained from fishing.

Use it for valuable fishing routes, talented Pals and difficult late-game areas.

Which Bait Should You Use?

Use:

• Simple Bait for easy early-game fishing
• High Quality Bait when you mainly want faster bites
• Deluxe Bait when you need help completing the minigame
• Alluring Bait when you want both easier catches and more rewards

Do not waste Alluring Bait on weak shadows unless you already have a reliable supply.

How to Find Talented Pals While Fishing

Special fishing shadows have coloured sparkles or a strong glow around them.

These visual effects tell you what type of result is guaranteed.

Purple Sparkles

Purple sparkles guarantee that the Pal will be an Alpha Pal.

These shadows are harder than normal catches but are worth attempting when you want stronger Pals or useful Alpha traits.

Green Sparkles

Green sparkles guarantee a Rainbow Passive.

Always attempt these when you see them. Fishing is one of the easiest ways to collect random Rainbow Passives that can later be moved through breeding.

Purple Geyser

A much stronger purple geyser-like glow indicates the Lunker passive.

It is much more obvious than the normal purple sparkle effect and can be seen from farther away.

These targets are among the hardest fishing encounters. Equip your best rod and bait, then bring Gloopie and either Whalaska or Whalaska Ignis before attempting one.

How to Prepare for a Rare Shadow

Before casting:

1. Equip your strongest Fishing Rod.
2. Use Deluxe or Alluring Bait.
3. Put Gloopie in your party.
4. Add both Whalaska and Whalaska Ignis when possible.
5. Use Solmora or Solmora Lux when hunting talented Pals. You can use both versions together if you have enough party space.
6. Avoid wasting the attempt by attacking near the shadow.

How to Salvage Items at Sea

Salvaging allows you to recover materials and rare items from floating wreckage in the ocean.

You need:

• A Fishing Rod
• A Water mount
• A salvage target in the ocean

Ride across the water and look for floating barrels or wreckage. Approach the target and interact with it to begin the salvage minigame.

Press the required input when the moving marker reaches the green area. Successful salvage can reward coins, keys, Pal Souls, spheres, technical manuals, Coralum Ore and schematics.

How to Improve Salvage Rewards

Keep Jellroy in your party. Its Partner Skill increases the items obtained from salvaging.

A Water mount is preferable to a flying mount because you can remain on the ocean without worrying about running out of flying stamina.

Advanced Salvaging

Advanced salvage requires:

• An Advanced Fishing Rod
• A Powerful Fishing Magnet
• A Water mount

The Powerful Fishing Magnet unlocks at level 62 and is consumed during advanced salvage.

High-level salvage can be found around later islands and seas, including areas near Feybreak. These targets can provide high-tier materials, Gold Keys and rare schematics.

Craft several Powerful Fishing Magnets before starting a dedicated salvage route so you do not have to return to your base after every few targets.

How to Automate Fishing at Your Base

You can automate fishing by building a Fishing Pond at your base.

Fishing Pond

The normal Fishing Pond unlocks at level 31.

Assign a Pal with Handiwork to the pond, select the available fishing option and provide the required bait.

The Pal will fish automatically while you are away. Return later to collect both the caught Pals and the additional items.

Large Fishing Pond

The Large Fishing Pond unlocks later and can catch larger Pals.

It requires more space and materials but gives access to a wider pool of possible catches.

The current Palworld 1.0 Technology entry places the Large Fishing Pond at level 69.

How Automated Fishing Works

To use a pond:

1. Build the pond inside your base.
2. Assign a Pal with Handiwork.
3. Choose the available shadow size.
4. Add the bait required by that option.
5. Leave the Pal working.
6. Return and collect the completed rewards.

Larger fishing options take longer and consume more expensive bait.

For automated ponds, bait mainly acts as a requirement for the selected fishing tier. Use manual fishing when you want to benefit directly from the easier minigame or additional item effects of stronger bait.

Best Fishing Progression

A simple progression path is:

Early Game

• Unlock the Beginner Fishing Set at level 15.
• Craft the Beginner Fishing Rod.
• Use Simple Bait.
• Practise on normal shadows in low-level areas.
• Capture Gloopie and Jelliette when possible.

Mid Game

• Upgrade to the Intermediate Fishing Rod at level 29.
• Start using Deluxe Bait after level 38.
• Add Whalaska to your party.
• Build the Fishing Pond for passive rewards.
• Condense your important fishing Pals.

Late Game

• Craft the Advanced Fishing Rod at level 45.
• Use Alluring Bait after level 52.
• Use Whalaska and Whalaska Ignis together for the strongest fishing assistance.
• Add Solmora or Solmora Lux when hunting talented Pals.
• Use both Solmora versions together when you want the largest talented-Pal bonus and have enough party space.
• Carry Jellroy when salvaging.
• Craft Powerful Fishing Magnets after level 62.
• Build a Large Fishing Pond.
• Hunt green sparkles and purple geyser shadows.
• Search high-level seas for advanced salvage.

Best Overall Fishing Setup

For the strongest general fishing setup, use:

• Advanced Fishing Rod (Depresso) or Advanced Fishing Rod (Pengullet)
• Alluring Bait
• Gloopie
• Jelliette
• Whalaska
• Whalaska Ignis
• Solmora or Solmora Lux

Whalaska and Whalaska Ignis can be used together because they have separate Partner Skills. Replace one party member with Jellroy when focusing on salvaging. Solmora and Solmora Lux can also be combined when specifically hunting talented Pals, but using both takes another party slot.

Fully condense the Pals that directly improve fishing or salvage rewards.

This setup makes the minigame more forgiving, begins catches with extra progress, improves fishing rewards, helps locate talented Pals and provides a Water mount for travelling between shadows.

Fishing becomes increasingly valuable as you reach later areas. Even when you are not hunting a specific Pal, it is worth checking rare shadows and collecting nearby salvage because both can provide materials and items that are difficult to obtain elsewhere.