Auto fishing in Black Desert Online is a core component of the game. Through it you not only gain precious EXP, but get loads of fish you can sell off for supplemental income.
This guide assumes you are new to the game and hence are in Velia, but you can use this information far beyond Velia. Since auto fishing is such a big part of the game, you’re going to be doing it at all levels — including the brutal 55+ grind. To make the most of it means leaving the game up for prolonged periods, especially overnight or simply when you’re not at the computer.
So first things first:
How to Get a Fishing Rod
Every region has Fish Vendor NPCs. On the minimap they are indicated with this icon:
On the larger map they are indicated with a similar fish icon:
These are not the NPCs you want to sell fish to, but are the ones you need to go to for fishing rods. Fishing rods cost 500 Silver at Fish Vendors, with Crio being the local one in Velia.
You’ll notice that fishing rods have durability just like other types of equipment. As you fish, your rod’s durability will decrease and eventually be deemed unusable once depleted. You’ll have to buy another rod once you’ve depleted the durability on one, but luckily 500 Silver is extremely cheap.
To equip your fishing rod for use, right click it and it will equip in your weapon slot. Be sure to re-equip your weapon when you stop!
Finding a Fishing Spot
Any notable mass of water can be used as a fishing hole in BDO, and there are plenty to choose from, but if you want to have your auto fishing excursion be truly fruitful, you’ve got to be picky.
Each area has its own “Fishing Resource” stat based on how many people are fishing in that area. If you try to do so near Velia or any other population hub, you’re going to run into exhausted resources.
It takes longer to have anything bite in areas where their fish numbers are exhausted or low. Ideally you want to fish in areas where they are abundant.
Getting to Fishing (And Dealing With Inventory)
You need to do two things before you get too excited and start fishing. The first is to empty your inventory to the best of your ability.
There are two bottlenecks to keep you from fishing nonstop:
- Fishing rod durability
- Inventory space
You are going to run out of one or both of these while fishing, which makes it important to check on your character once in a while when auto fishing. This way you can change your rod out if you need to or go sell your catches.
It’s imperative that you clean out your inventory before getting your character set up for a prolonged fishing excursion. Be sure to stop at a warehouse NPC or a storage chest in one of your properties to make room.
When you initiate the fishing process by pressing the Spacebar, make sure you check the box at the top of the screen to throw away useless items when auto fishing. You want fish, not trash — and if you leave the box unchecked you’re going to get a ton of trash.
Selling Your Fish
Once you’ve caught enough fish to either sate your Silver or EXP needs, or simply have a full inventory, it’s time to visit a Trade Manager. Trade Managers are indicated on the map by wheel icons.
Velia’s Trade Manager is Bahar, but there are plenty about.
These NPCs are end up being a huge part of the game’s trade system and fishing is a subset of it, which means they are where you sell fish. They will buy your fish for a reasonable price and without trouble, so you can either set out on another auto fishing excursion or adventure.
That’s the long and the short of how you auto fish in Black Desert Online. The game’s fishing system is rather complex compared to some other MMORPGs, much like most of the game. In this case, you can let the game do the work for you while you are off doing something else or minimized playing another game.
