Fishing

Fishing is a type of mini-game that was first introduced in Link's Awakening and has continued to make several other appearances in recent Zelda games. Link can usually fish in Fishing Holes which allow him to cast his fishing rod for an unlimited time at a very low price; however, in Phantom Hourglass, the young hero can fish anywhere without any cost.

While fishing, Link can earn various prizes from its respective fishing hole if he manages to catch a record-breaking fish. For a list of the locations of the fishing ponds, see Fishing Hole.

Link's Awakening
In its first appearance, fishing costs 10 Rupees to play. Link can use the left and right buttons on the directional pad to aim the cast, and once a fish is hooked, he must press the button rapidly to reel it in. The prize for the fish caught depends on whether it is a runt or a lunker. For a runt, the pond owner will award the young hero with 5 Rupees, and for a lunker, 20 Rupees will be given instead. However, one of the lunkers yields a Piece of Heart the first time it is caught.

Link can stay and catch all the fish until leaving the fishing hole empty. The young hero will have to leave and re-enter the area in order for the fish to come back.

Ocarina of Time
In Ocarina of Time, Link can fish for an unlimited time with 20 Rupees, which includes the fishing rod fee. If the Rumble Pak is connected to the Nintendo 64 controller, the player will be able to feel the vibrations of a fish as it is being reeled in. Any time Link catches a fish, he can take it to the pond owner to get it weighed and, depending whether it breaks the current record, the young hero will receive a Piece of Heart (as a child) or a Golden Scale (as an adult). Along with the prize, the record-size fish will be kept inside a fish tank near the entrance that displays the weight and the name of the person who caught it, the exception being the Hylian Loach, which the owner will release back since it is an endangered species.

Next to the hut is a fishing pond full of fish ready to be caught. Link can use two types of fishing lures: the regular one, which already comes with the fishing rod, and an illegal lure known as the sinking lure (see below). The sinking lure is prohibited due to its relatively easy way of catching fish. If Link catches a fish using the sinking lure and shows it to the fisherman to get it weighed, the pond owner will deny Link a prize; despite this, the fish will still be displayed inside the fish tank, but it will contain a note stating that the fish was caught via the use of the illegal lure.

Link can walk around the fishing pond to find the best spot to fish. The controls for fishing are as follows:

While not fishing
 * A button: allows Link to talk to the owner or read signs, roll, open doors, or dive.
 * B button: casts the line unless Link is running
 * Control Stick: allows Link to run around the pond

While casting
 * A button + Control Stick: makes the lure stop and fall right where it is

While fishing
 * A button: reels the line in
 * A button + R button: reels the line in faster
 * B button or Control Stick: makes Link wiggle the lure to attract fish
 * Z button: moves the camera closer or farther from the lure

While a fish is hooked
 * A button: reels the line in
 * Control Stick: moves the line either left, right, or down, making it easier to catch fish
 * Z button: moves the camera closer or farther from the lure

The ideal time to fish is during sunrise, sundown, or while it is raining since that is when the fish seem to be more active and energetic. Usually, the biggest fish are located either by the log which can be stood on in the west side of the pond, or by three poles surfacing from the water on the east side. Once a fish has been hooked, the best strategy is to press the A button while turning the Control Stick depending on the direction that the fish moves: if the fish turns right, the Control Stick must be held to the right, and if the fish turns left, it is recommended that the Control Stick moves in the same direction in order to surprise the fish and make the reeling in process a lot easier.

Twilight Princess
Fishing in Twilight Princess allows two kinds of fishing: bobber fishing and lure fishing.

Bobber Fishing
Bobber fishing is completely free and can be done in any area of Twilight Princess provided that there is a body of water near. It consists of a simple hook and a bobber attached to a line. After Link obtains the Fishing Rod from Colin's mother near the beginning of the game, Link will also be given an item called a Fish Journal that keeps track of all the fish he has caught during the journey while bobber-fishing only; that is, any fish that are caught while lure fishing in Hena's Fishing Hole will not be recorded in the journal. The Fish Journal is located in the Start menu, and it shows a picture of the type of fish, how many have been caught, and the biggest size of the fish caught thus far.

To bobber fish in the Nintendo GameCube version of Twilight Princess, the fishing rod can be equipped to either the Y or X buttons. By pressing back on the C-Stick, Link will raise his left hand, turning the rod vertically. Only by releasing the C-Stick quickly will the line be cast into the water. The bobber will align itself vertically and start to sink. To catch a fish, Link must simply wait until the bobber gets pulled down underwater at least half of its total length. Waiting too long to pull back the C-Stick to catch the fish will cause the fish to get away; however, pulling back too early won't give it time enough to set the hook. Once the fish is finally hooked, the C-Stick must be pulled back at all times to make the fish land.

To increase the chance of fish biting onto the hook, Link can use two kinds of bait. To equip the bait in the Nintendo GameCube version (assuming there isn't already bait in the hook), the rod must be set to one of the two available buttons while the desired bait to the remaining button. The button in which the bait is assigned to must then be pressed, causing Link to automatically set the bait to the fishing rod.

The types of bait available for bobber fishing are:
 * Bee Larvae - to obtain bee larvae, Link can knock down any of the beehives that are seen scattered throughout Hyrule, mainly the one in Ordon Village and another one behind Hena's fishing hut. After the bees are destroyed, the remains of the beehive can be scooped up by using an empty bottle. Each scoop contains ten (10) larvae.


 * Worm - to obtain worms, a Bomskit must be defeated. They are usually seen in the Hyrule Field right outside the Faron Woods. After its defeat, the Bomskit will leave a worm wiggling in the ground which can be easily scooped with an empty bottle, yielding only one (1) worm. The worms can also be found by digging in mounds of dirt as Wolf Link.

Along with the type of bait available, Link also has two kinds of hooks. The first hook is the bone hook, which already comes equipped when the young hero first receives the fishing rod. The other hook, known as the Coral Earring, is given to Link from Prince Ralis after showing him Ashei's Sketch of Yeto.

While Link is bobber fishing, he can catch the same kind of fish as he would if he were lure fishing (see below for the list). However, from time to time, the young hero might also accidentally reel in random objects like trash, an empty can, a bag of Rupees, an empty bottle, or even the infamous sinking lure itself.

Lure Fishing
Lure fishing in Twilight Princess can only be done by renting a fishing rod and a canoe from Hena's Fishing Hole located in Upper Zora's River. The fishing hole in Twilight Princess is unique in that each time Link enters the pond, the scenery changes to match that of the four seasons. The default season is spring; however, if Link reenters the fishing hole, the atmosphere will change to that of summer, and so on. This becomes important when seeking to catch the Hylian Loach, since the rare fish can only be caught during summertime.

Link can fish alone with unlimited time for just 20 Rupees; however, for 100 Rupees, Hena will join Link and advise him on several things such as the best spot to fish, but won't allow the use of a sinking lure, as she believes it is cheating and harmful to the fishes and environment. She will, however, allow him to use three different types of floating lures: the swimmer, popper, and spinner types.

The controls for fishing in the Nintendo Gamecube version are as follows:

While not fishing
 * Control Stick: Moves the canoe
 * A button: Options (Go Back, Change Lure, Quit)
 * B button: Enters cast mode
 * C Stick down: Casts the line by pushing the C Stick back after entering "cast mode"
 * C Stick up: Switches to first-person point of view
 * Z button: General information

While fishing C Stick: moves the camera closer or farther from the lure
 * Control Stick: makes Link wiggle the lure to attract fish
 * B button: reels the line in
 * D-Pad down: reels the line in faster

While a fish is hooked
 * B button + Control Stick down: once a fish bites, the line will be hooked and will reel in the fish
 * C Stick: moves the camera closer or farther from the lure
 * A button: After the word "Land" appears on the screen, the A button must be pressed to grab the fish and have it measured

The fishing hole area goes through a variety of weather patterns that affect the clarity of the water. In the morning, the water is usually rather clear, allowing Link to see the various types of fish that are in the pond. As the day progresses, fog will start to overcome the fishing hole, which makes the water rather opaque and hard to see through; thus, the fish will be almost impossible to see despite that they may be a few inches in front of the lure. Just like in Ocarina of Time, rain will also fall at random times throughout the day.

Phantom Hourglass
In Phantom Hourglass, the Fishing Rod can be used only when on top of one of the fish shadows on the Sea Chart. Press Menu and Fish to start fishing. To fish, there is a bar that tells Link how close the fish is to getting away. If the bar hits bottom, then the fish gets away. To get the bar up, simply hold the stylus down on the lowest point of the screen. To pull the fish towards the boat, small circles must be drawn on the screen beside the boat in the opposite direction of the fish. If the fish jumps, Link has to let go of the rod.

The fishing minigame is enabled after completing the Mermaid Sidequest for the Old Wayfarer. When Link brings back a Loovar as proof of his skill, the Wayfarer gives him a Big Catch Lure that will enable him to catch bigger fish. When Link brings back a Rusty Swordfish, the Wayfarer tells him the legend of the huge Neptoona. The Neptoona appears as a different-looking fish shadow on the Sea Chart, which is more difficult to chase down because it moves so fast. Hauling one in and showing it to the Wayfarer will net Link another Piece of Heart. The Old Wayfarer rewards Link a random ship part for catching a fish with a Stowfish attached to it.

Fishing Rods
The Fishing Rod is a key component of the fishing aspect of Zelda games. In some games, Link only has control of the rod in certain areas. Others, he can use the rod any time as an inventory item.

Ocarina of Time
The only place Link can use the fishing rod in Ocarina of Time is in the Fishing Pond by Lake Hylia. Link must pay the Fisherman 20 rupees to use the rod, and return it when he exits. However, through manipulation, Link can gain the fishing rod outside the hut. See glitch information.

While the lure for the rod usually floats and can make catching deep-water fish a bit difficult, a sinking lure can be obtained by searching around the stream or in the grass around the pond area. See below for more information.

Twilight Princess
The fishing rod in Twilight Princess is an actual obtainable item. It is given to Link by Uli after the young hero saves her future child's cradle from a monkey. It is basically just a stick and line with the option to add bee larvae or worms as bait and can be used anywhere at any time.

The only times the fishing rod is required is when Link must catch a Reekfish to find Yeto, and to catch a fish in Ordon Village to unlock the slingshot. The only way to catch a Reekfish is to get the Coral Earring from Prince Ralis. This is automatically combined with Link's fishing pole. Not only does the Coral Earring allow Link to catch Reekfish, it also increases his bite frequency.

Besides this, the fishing rod is only useful as a diversion from the main quest. Link can cast it in any water and catch fish. The only purpose for this is personal record-keeping in the Fish Journal.

Hena maintains a fishing hut in Upper Zora's River, but she uses her own fishing pole, which is more advanced and controlled differently than Link's. It also allows Link to use a wider variety of lures.

Phantom Hourglass
A fishing rod can be obtained in Phantom Hourglass. See Mermaid Sidequest for more details. It can be used on the sea only when one is above a fish's shadow shown on the map in the sea.

Other Appearances

 * Link uses a fishing rod in the fishing mini-game in Link's Awakening, but it is not an obtainable item, and is only usable in this instance.

Lures
While lure fishing, Link can use a variety of fishing lures. The lures that can be obtained for each game are listed below.

Swimmer Lure
In Twilight Princess, the Swimmer Lure is the default fishing apparatus used. This lure bobs up and down to attract all types of fish. This lure, however, cannot attract deep-water dwelling fish.

Popper Lure
In Twilight Princess, the Popper Lure is a step up from the Swimmer Lure, having the ability to attract mainly deep-water dwelling fish by using a highly aggravating popping sound at the surface of the water in order to scare more sensitive fish away.

Spinner Lure
Appearing only in Twilight Princess, the Spinner Lure is used to attract nervous fish by splashing the water making lots of noise. It looks like a minnow, but has propellers on its front and back. These propellers make enough noise on the surface of the water, making shy fish come up and take a bite. This lure is the best lure to use when trying to catch the Hylian Pike.

Frog Lure
The Frog Lure is a secret fishing lure that can only be unlocked by beating all eight levels of the Rollgoal game in Twilight Princess. It can be seen hanging on the wall behind Hena in the fishing hut. It is in the shape of a frog which is good food for large fish. This is the only lure that can catch the Hylian Loach legally, and it's also a good choice for catching the Hyrule Bass. However, this lure is hard to control, and excellent skill with the controls is needed to get it to function properly.

Sinking Lure
The Sinking Lure is a fishing lure found in both Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess. This lure is illegal to use when fishing, so Link must be careful not to get caught. The sinking lure is ideal for anyone who wants to quickly catch big fish or catch the Hylian Loach. It goes straight down to the bottom of the water and is very shiny, which attracts all sorts of fish.

In Ocarina of Time, the lure is hidden in the tall grass on the side of the pond, on the big underwater rock by the stream, on the big log in the middle, or in the lily pads. Link must make sure the pond owner doesn't see it, or he will confiscate the lure. If, after collecting the lure, Link takes it to the owner and chooses 'Let's talk about something', the owner will allow Link to use the lure for his honesty.

In Twilight Princess, the lure is a bit harder to find and harder to get. First, Link must catch one of each type of fish in bobber fishing to get the sinking lure to appear. That includes the Hyrule Bass, Hylian Pike, Ordon Catfish, Reekfish, and a baby Hylian Loach. Once Link has caught all of these fish, he can obtain lure. The lure is located at the northernmost part of the fishing hole that Link can reach on foot. Link must face directly north or this will never work. Cast the line and wait until the line is taken like it would with any other fish. The sinking lure will eventually get hooked and will be added to the young hero's arsenal. Even though its use is prohibited within the pond, Hena cannot tell Link has been using it unless Link uses the lure while she is with him as a guide.

Big Catch Lure
In Phantom Hourglass, the Big Catch Lure is a lure that the Old Wayfarer can give to Link if he proves himself to be dedicated to fishing by showing the man the Loovar. With this lure, Link can catch larger fish and even the legendary Neptoona.

Fish
In Ocarina of Time, only the Hyrule Bass and the Hylian Loach could be caught in the fishing pond; however, in Twilight Princess and Phantom Hourglass, the variety of fish increased, making some of them only available in certain areas of its respective game.

Twilight Princess
Most of the fish in Twilight Princess can be found in Hena's Fishing Hole. The list below mentions several other locations in which the specific type of fish can be found throughout Hyrule.


 * Greengill: easily caught and is found in most bodies of water: if there are fish, then there is a good chance that some of them are Greengills.
 * Hylian Pike: a fish found only in Lanayru Province.
 * Hyrule Bass: found mostly in the fishing hole. There are a few behind the spirit spring in Kakariko Village.
 * Hylian Loach: the legendary fish that can only be found during the summertime in the fishing hole. There are other smaller Hylian Loaches that can be found in the Lanayru Province.
 * Ordon Catfish: Located in Ordona Province, Lanayru Province, and Faron Province.
 * Reekfish: The hardest fish to get as it can only be found in Zora's Domain using Prince Ralis's coral earring.
 * Skullfish: These persistent enemies can be caught with the fishing rod while bobber fishing. However, they are illegal and will not be recorded in the journal.
 * Bombfish: Somewhat difficult to catch, these explosive fish can be put into a Bomb Bag as a Water Bomb when caught while bobber fishing. Like the Skullfish, they are "forbidden fish", and will not be added to the journal.

Phantom Hourglass
Phantom Hourglass also holds a large range of fish that can be caught.


 * Skippyjack
 * Toona
 * Loovar
 * Rusty Swordfish
 * Neptoona
 * Stowfish

Trivia

 * In Ocarina of Time, the weight record to beat for Child Link is 9 pounds. For Adult Link, it's 14 pounds.
 * Also in Ocarina of Time, there is a glitch available in the fishing pond that makes Link move unusually (see here for a demonstration).
 * In Twilight Princess, it is possible to cast the line into lava; however, there is nothing to catch.
 * It is possible to distract Ganondorf using the fishing rod during the final battle in Twilight Princess, leaving him open to attack. When Ganon and Link duel with swords, Link can take out the fishing rod and dangle it beside Ganon's head. Ganon will watch the hook and not attack (or even move). Link can then use his sword and slice at Ganon quickly.