Like in most games, fishing can be a quick and convenient source of food inOnce Human. The game doesn’t force this mechanic on anyone, but for those who want to live near bodies of water, snatching up some fish makes for easy meals.
Fishing in this game isn’t terribly complicated, but it can definitely be confusing at first. If you’ve decided tomove your base inOnce Humannext to a river or lake and want to get some free food, then fishing is the way to go. Here’s a short guide covering the basics of fishing.
Updated August 02, 2025 by Marc Santos:The mid-August patch for Once Human introduced new content, balance changes, and a revamped fishing system meant to reduce the frustrations players have been experiencing with the mechanic. The entire system has been reworked to be much easier, hopefully making fishing-related events more tolerable for those who don’t necessarily enjoy this activity.
How To Fish In Once Human
To start, you’ll need to craft a Fishing Rod. Bring 20 Logs and 10Copper Ingotto aSupplies Workbench, then select the Fishing Rod from the list of craftable items. Once it’s done crafting, place it in a vacant quickbar slot.
Before you can start catching fish, you’ll need to craft some bait first. The earliest type of bait you can craft is Dough Fish Bait, which is made using 1 Corn. You can find Corn in certain farms — one convenient spot to get Corn early in the game is in Meyer’s Market. If you’ve amassed lots ofEnergy Links while playingOnce Human, then consider buying bait instead from Margerie, an NPC vendor by the pier in Meyer’s Market.
Once Human Fishing Mechanic, Explained
Now that you have a rod and some bait, it’s time to catch some fish. Approach any large body of water and bring out your fishing rod. Then, select the type of bait you want to use by holding down the R button. After picking your preferred bait, hold down LMB to aim the rod, then release to cast your line.
Prior to the mid-August patch inOnce Human’sfirst season, fishing involved holding the left mouse button while moving your camera away from the fish, simulating a real fishing attempt. After the big patch, it is now much simpler.
Cast your line and when a fish takes the bait, press LMB/R2/RT to start reeling. A blue ring will form around the fishing reel icon on the bottom of the HUD — if you hold your Reel button until the ring turns red, your line will break. Failing to hold the button will also cause the line to snap, so try to keep the ring half-full.
While you’re reeling, directional inputs will appear next to the Reel icon. Press and hold the button that appears to tire the fish out. Do that enough times, and you’ll eventually reel it in completely. With fish in hand, you’ll be able to cook evenmore kinds of food inOnce Human.
