In simple terms, fishing is an activity that involves using a fishing rod to catch and obtain fishes and other items. In Minecraft, you can obtain various items in the game while using a fishing rod. 

The items are not limited to different varieties of fishes, and you can even catch sticks, tripwire hooks, bowls, saddles, bone, string, name tags, lily pads, leather, leather armor, enchanted books, enchanted bows, enchanted fishing rods.

It is a great activity to gather food for your character and a way to collect special items!

Defining factors such as weather and light conditions can help make the fish bite quicker.

How to fish in Minecraft?

1. Crafting a fishing rod

To effectively fish and obtain special items, you need to craft a fishing rod. To do so, you require three sticks and two bits of string; place the three sticks in a diagonal line and place the pieces of string in a vertical line. The string is supposed to go underneath the stick. 

You can go the extra mile and enchant the fishing rod with several enchantments. The effective ones are listed below:

Unbreaking – To increase the durability of the fishing rod

Mending – To use XP for mending the fishing tool

Lure – To increase the rate at which fish bites your hook

Luck of the Sea – To increase the chances of catching valuable treasure/items

Curse of Vanishing – The cursed item will disappear after the player dies

Important points to keep in mind: 

• For each level that you will enchant the fishing rod with Lure, the game will subtract 5 seconds of the wait time.
• The game will nearly double the wait time if the bobber is not exposed to direct sun or moonlight.
• Ensure that all the blocks above the bobber are transparent to sunlight, except leaves.
•  A reduction of wait time by nearly 20% is possible only if the bobber’s block is raining upon.

1. Find a suitable rainy spot. 

In Minecraft, it approximately takes you around 20% less amount of time to catch a fish when it is raining over the bobber. And if you have enchanted your fishing rod with Lure, you should be able to catch fish nearly every 20 seconds.

The player’s position does not matter as long as the fishing rod casts a line in the water; the player can be in the water, underwater, sitting in a boat, or standing on land.

1. Pay close attention while fishing.

It would be best if you watched the bobber closely. You can see small splashes around the bobber.

The player would have to wait for anywhere between 5 to 30 seconds before the fishing hook catches anything.

1. Look out for small splashes.

Once you release the bobber, it will sink in before rising to the surface again. It would be best if you started listening and watching closely with attention. When you hear a splashing sound, you must quickly reel in the bobber to catch the fish. 

If you have successfully hooked onto a fish or any other item, it will land and appear near your character. If you fail to catch anything or miss the bite, you can recast the line or leave it in the water.

1. Equip fishing rod for usage in water

To start using your fishing rod in the water, you need to right-click on your PC. Once you do that, you will release the bobber string just like an actual fishing rod. Be extra careful and aim right as the bobber can hook onto certain things around you.

2. Stay close to your fishing rod.

If the player wanders away more than 32 blocks away from the fishing rod or bobber, the bobber and fishing rod disappear with no durability reduction to the rod.

Catching Junk or Treasure

It is crucial to note that the fishing pole can sporadically get junk or treasure rather than fish. An unenchanted fishing pole has an 85% possibility of hooking onto fish, a 10% possibility of hooking onto trash/junk, and a 5% possibility of hooking onto valuable treasure. 

Each level of the Luck of the Sea charm expands the opportunity of catching treasure at the expense of decreasing the odds of hooking onto fish and junk. The Luck status effect gives the same outcome.

Steps to catching fish 

1. Hold the fishing rod

When you are standing in front or near a water body, select the fishing rod from your toolbar.

2.   Cast the fishing rod

The game control of casting the fishing rod to cast into the water depends on the version of Minecraft you’re playing on: 

Once you cast your fishing rod into the water, you should be able to see the fishing line extend into the water, where at the end, a bobber will be afloat.

3.   Reel in your fishing rod quickly.

For the following step, you have to be very attentive and fast. As soon as the bobber goes under the water after a trail of bubbles coming closer to it, you have to reel back in your fishing rod.

And if you are fast enough, you will catch a fish that will appear next to you, and if not, you will surface empty-handed. Either way, you’ve done an excellent job and need to keep trying.

All the best for your fishing endeavors!