Destiny 2: How To Fish [Focused Fishing, Tackles & Exotics]

With the launch of Lightfall’s new Season of the Deep, Bungie has introduced Fishing in Destiny 2. The fishing activity is not only a nice break from the constant grind in Destiny 2 but is also very rewarding. In this activity, you use fishing tackle as bait to catch fish at several fishing sites in Destiny 2. If you know how to fish in Destiny 2, you get rewards like Enhancement Cores and Ascendant Shards. Furthermore, with buffs like Destiny 2 focused fishing, if you get an exotic fish while fishing, you have a chance to drop exotic armor with great stat distribution.

How To Unlock Fishing Activity In Destiny 2

Once you have completed the first five steps of the Season of Deep seasonal quest, you will get a quest called Gone Fishin’. Head over to Hawthorne at the Tower Bazaar. She will provide you with an item called Fishing Tackle. 

Gone Fishin’ Quest

1. Visit Tower Bazaar and Speak with Hawthorne to get a Fishing Tackle.
2. Collect 20 Bait by doing seasonal activities such as Deep Dive or other playlist activities.
3. Head over to Outskirts, EDZ, and catch five fish.
4. Afterward, head to The Cistern area on Nessus and catch five fish again.
5. Repeat the process of catching five fish at Miasma, Throne World.
6. Now visit the fish aquarium at the H.E.L.M. and release the fish you have caught.
7. Finally, return to Hawthorne at the Tower to complete the quest.

What Are Fishing Tackles

Once you have spoken with Hawthorne, she will give you an item called Fishing Tackle. Going forward, this item will always be in your inventory. You will need Fishing Tackle to hold the bait which you will use to catch the fish.

At any given moment, the maximum amount of bait your Destiny 2 fishing tackle can hold is five hundred. The Fishing Tackle also tells you which location currently has increased activity of fish in Destiny 2.

There are several sources to obtain bait for your Destiny 2 Fishing Tackle. Essentially, bait can be obtained from any activity in Destiny 2. However, the most efficient way to farm it is through seasonal activities and the Vanguard playlist. It is recommended you do these activities with a fireteam to complete them quickly.

How To Catch Fish

Now that you have collected enough bait and have learned the basics of how to fish in Destiny 2.  Look at your fishing tackle to see which location has higher activity. Once you approach the fishing pond of that destination, stand at the dock, press your interact button, and start fishing.

After a while, a message will pop up on your screen “Perfect Catch.” The moment this message appears, press the interact button again to catch the fish. If timed perfectly, you have a better chance to catch higher quality and more fish.

Focused Fishing

During your fishing sessions, you will notice a buff called  Destiny 2 Focused Fishing. It appears as a bar on the left side of your screen. The Destiny 2 Focused Fishing Buff contributes to the number and rarity of the fish you catch. A higher buff meter will reward you with higher rarity fish like legendary and even exotic fish.

Whenever a player fishing at the same pond as you catch a legendary and exotic fish, the focused fishing buff will increase. Furthermore, it will affect every other player who is fishing at that pond.

How To Get Exotic Fish In Destiny 2

If you want to have a higher chance of getting exotic fish in Destiny 2, you should form a fireteam of three people. This will increase the chances of you getting a legendary or exotic fish and also increase the Destiny 2 focused fishing buff. 

Unfortunately, despite forming a fireteam, there is still no guarantee that you will catch legendary or exotic fish. It is complete RNG. However, a more focused fishing buff will definitely contribute to increasing your chances.

Once you have caught fish in Destiny 2, head to H.E.L.M. and turn the fish in at the aquarium. An exotic fish has a high chance of rewarding you with exotic armor and ascendant shards.

Tips And Tricks

• Have fireteam members load into the destination to find a public instance with more players at the fishing pond.
• Join the fireteam in the identified instance to increase the number of players.
• More players lead to quicker progression of focused fishing buff.
• Increased number of players enhances the chance of catching a higher number and rarity of fish

Now that you know how to fish in Destiny 2, you will have a comparatively easier time getting exotic armor and ascendant shards. These items require you to complete end-game activities to obtain them. However, since Bungie has introduced fishing in Destiny 2, casual players also have a chance to obtain them; if you want to find a fireteam to go fishing, head over to r/DestinyLFG.

Up Next:

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• Destiny 2: Vesper of Radius Warlock Exotic