Fishing

Fishing is a recreation that is commonly seen in the Pokémon world.

In the games

Fishing is one way to catch Pokémon in the water. In fact, some Pokémon can only be caught by using a fishing rod. There are three fishing rods that are given out throughout the course of each game, and each one is given out by a Fishing Brother. The exception is in Generation V, where only the Super Rod is available, and it is obtained from Looker or Cedric Juniper.

Equipment

Old Rod ボロのつりざお Worn-out Fishing Rod   KEY ITEMS pocket					INTRODUCED IN GEN I		Cannot be bought Cannot be sold
Effect: Allows the player to fish in bodies of water.					Locations RBY Received from the Vermilion City Fishing Guru. GSC Received from a Fisherman inside Route 32's Pokémon Center. RSE Received from the Fisherman inside the rightmost house of Dewford Town. FRLG Received from the Vermilion City Fishing Guru. DPPt Received from a Fisherman in the gate between Jubilife City and Route 218. HGSS Received from a Fisherman inside Route 32's Pokémon Center.
Description GSC Use by water to fish for Pokémon. RSE Use by any body of water to fish for wild Pokémon. FRLG An old and beat-up fishing rod. Use it by any body of water to fish for wild Pokémon. DPPt HGSS An old and beat-up fishing rod. Use it by any body of water to fish for wild Pokémon.
Note: In the Generation II games and HeartGold and SoulSilver, all Pokémon encountered with this rod are level 10.					This item was featured in the TCG.

Good Rod いいつりざお Good Fishing Rod   KEY ITEMS pocket					INTRODUCED IN GEN I		Cannot be bought Cannot be sold
Effect: Allows the player to fish in bodies of water. Better than the Old Rod.					Locations RBY Received from the Fuchsia City Fishing Guru. GSC Gift from a Fisher inside the house north of the Olivine City Pokémon Center. RSE Received from the Fisherman on the right side of the river on Route 118. FRLG Received from the Fuchsia City Fishing Guru. DPPt Received from a Fisherman on Route 209 near Hearthome City's entrance. HGSS Gift from a Fisherman inside the house north of the Olivine City Pokémon Center.
Description GSC A good Rod for catching Pokémon. RSE A decent fishing rod for catching wild Pokémon. FRLG A new, good-quality fishing rod. Use it by any body of water to fish for wild Pokémon. DPPt HGSS A new, good-quality fishing rod. Use it by any body of water to fish for wild aquatic Pokémon.
Note: In the Generation II games and HeartGold and SoulSilver, all Pokémon encountered with this rod are level 20.					This item was featured in the TCG.

Super Rod すごいつりざお Amazing Fishing Rod   KEY ITEMS pocket					INTRODUCED IN GEN I		Cannot be bought Cannot be sold
Effect: Allows the player to fish in bodies of water. The best Rod of all.					Locations RBY Received from the Silence Bridge Fishing Guru. GSC Received from the Silence Bridge Fishing Guru. RSE Received from the Fisherman inside the northernmost house of Mossdeep City. FRLG Received from the Silence Bridge Fishing Guru. DPPt Received from a Fisherman in the Fight Area. HGSS Received from the Silence Bridge Fishing Guru. BW Given by Looker in the player's house (after finishing the main storyline). B2W2 Given by Cedric in Nuvema Town (after finishing the main storyline).
Description GSC The best Rod for catching Pokémon. RSE The best fishing rod for catching wild Pokémon. FRLG An awesome, high-tech fishing rod. Use it by any body of water to fish for wild Pokémon. DPPt HGSS An awesome, high-tech fishing rod. Use it by any body of water to fish for wild aquatic Pokémon. BW An awesome, high-tech fishing rod. Use it by any body of water to fish for wild aquatic Pokémon. B2W2 An awesome, high-tech fishing rod. Use it by any body of water to fish for wild aquatic Pokémon
Note: In the Generation II games and HeartGold and SoulSilver, all Pokémon encountered with this rod are level 40.					This item was featured in the TCG.

Catching Pokémon

Generation I and Generation II

In Generation I and II, fishing is simply a matter of standing next to water and using the rod. Sometimes, it will hook a Pokémon, and start a battle. Other times, it will catch nothing. There is a random chance of either happening, so if the rod catches nothing, players can feel free to cast it out again.

Generation III

Starting with Generation III, fishing became more complicated, as the player would have to pay attention and confirm as soon as the rod hooked a Pokémon, or else it would get away. In Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald, this required a series of confirmations to reel in better Pokémon. Generation III also introduced the ability for Pokémon Trainers to fish off the back of a surfing Pokémon, which may be required to catch Feebas. This also made fishing in Route 4 possible.

Generation IV

Fishing in PokéPark: Fishing Rally DS

In Generation IV, the player would use the rod, and an exclamation mark-like sign would pop up above the player, noting that they should push the A button to start the battle with the Pokémon they've encountered. As with Generation III, the Pokémon will go away if the player takes too long.

Generation V

In Generation V, fishing mechanics are mostly unchanged from Generation IV. However, by fishing in rippling water, different Pokémon can be caught, generally being rare Pokémon or the evolved forms of the Pokémon normally found. As such, this allows certain Pokémon such as Milotic and Poliwrath to be caught in the wild, while normally they would not. Furthermore, the Old and Good Rods are no longer available, making the player have a single rod to fish Pokémon with.

PokéPark: Fishing Rally DS

Main article: PokéPark: Fishing Rally DS

PokéPark: Fishing Rally DS is a game focused on fishing for Pokémon. Points are earned for the size, rarity, and species of the caught Pokémon. Up to five Pokémon can be stored at once, and high scores could be seen at Pokémon Centers, while the game was still available for download.

In the anime

Cilan holding a fishing rod

Numerous episodes of the anime have featured the group fishing.

At the Safari Zone, a fishing rod is distributed with the Safari Balls.

Rather than using bait, lures with Pokémon designs are used. In Whiscash and Ash, a fisherman believed that the secret to catching the Whiscash he was looking for, was finding the right lure. Misty has a collection of lures, including a special lure based on herself that she believes is the best. She sent it to Ash as a gift in The Unbeatable Lightness of Seeing. Ash used this lure in Buizel Your Way Out of This to try to catch a powerful Buizel.

In Facing Fear with Eyes Wide Open!, Cilan used his fishing skills to catch a Stunfisk that was preventing Ash and Oshawott from retrieving plants at the bottom of a lake to cure their poisoned Pokémon. Like others before him, Cilan uses a fishing lure based on himself. In A Fishing Connoisseur in a Fishy Competition!, Cilan showed his fishing skills again when he caught a Basculin in Team Rocket's fake fishing competition.

A Super Rod made its debut in the anime in Climbing the Tower of Success! as the item Iris had to find for a scavenger hunt.

Trivia

• In Generation I, it is possible to fish in the bottom of the statues in Gyms (except for the Saffron and Cinnabar Gyms) or any room of the Elite Four at Indigo Plateau. However, when using the Super Rod in any Gym or Elite Four room other than Cerulean Gym or Lorelei's room, the game will say "Looks like there's nothing here."
• In Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, the "!" will occasionally appear above the partner Pokémon instead of above the player's sprite.
• The Super Rod is the only fishing rod that is obtainable in Pokémon Black and White. The Old and Good Rods, while still existent in the game's programming, cannot be obtained without hacking, and cannot be used; however, oddly enough, they can be held by a Pokémon.

This item article is part of Project ItemDex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on all items.