You’re standing on the docks of Solisium, bamboo pole in hand, wondering why all you’re catching is soggy seaweed and the occasional bottom-tier Carp. It’s frustrating. Most players treat fishing in Throne and Liberty as a mindless mini-game to kill time between Castle Sieges or Riftstones. They’re missing the point. Fishing isn’t just a side hustle; it’s a sophisticated ecosystem that feeds into your gear progression, your cooking buffs, and ultimately, your efficiency in high-end PvE.
If you think you can just hit "F" and walk away, you’re losing out on some of the best stat-boosters in the game. Honestly, the system is deeper than the surface water suggests. It’s a game of stamina management, regional yields, and—most importantly—understanding that not all bait is created equal.
Getting Your Feet Wet Without Drowning
First off, let’s talk logistics. You don't just start with a rod in your inventory. You have to go get it. You’ll find the starting quest at the Kastleton fishing NPC. He’s usually hanging out near the water, looking appropriately weathered. Once you grab your basic rod and some paste bait, you’re technically ready, but "ready" is a relative term in an MMO this competitive.
Most people make the mistake of staying in the starting areas. Don't do that. The loot table for fishing in Throne and Liberty is heavily influenced by the "Level" of the zone you are in. Higher-level zones don't necessarily make the fishing harder in terms of the mini-game mechanics, but they drastically improve the quality of the "Sack" drops and the rarity of the fish you pull out.
The mechanics are simple on paper but tricky in practice. You cast. You wait for the bite. Then the tug-of-war begins. You have to move your rod in the opposite direction of the fish's movement. If the fish goes left, you pull right. Sounds easy? Try doing it when a rare Large Bluefin Tuna is snapping your line because your stamina bar is draining faster than a punctured canteen.
The Bait Meta and Why Paste is Trash
You’ve probably seen the different types of bait sold by the Sundries merchants or earned through contracts. Paste bait is the "white" tier. It’s fine if you just want to level up your fishing skill, but if you’re hunting for the big stuff, you need specialized bait.
Small Shrimp, Mincemeat, and Worms are your bread and butter. Each bait type attracts a different category of fish. For instance, if you’re looking to craft high-tier Critical Hit Rate food, you aren't going to find the necessary ingredients using basic paste. You need to target specific species.
Where to Find the Good Stuff
- Vienta Dwarf regions are fantastic for mid-game players looking to stockpile ingredients for Attack-speed food.
- Sandworm Lair has some surprisingly good spots if you can find a quiet corner away from the chaos.
- Coastal areas near Solisium are where you’ll find the bulk of your common salt-water fish.
One thing people consistently overlook is the "Fishing Sack." These aren't fish. They are small bags of loot that contain anything from Sollant (the game's main currency) to Rare Parchments and even materials for upgrading your fishing rod. Yes, you can upgrade your rod. A higher-tier rod increases your reel speed and stamina, making those legendary catches actually possible instead of a pipe dream.
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Gear Progression Through the Lens of a Fisherman
Throne and Liberty is a game about marginal gains. A 1% increase in mana regen might not seem like much, but over a ten-minute boss fight, it’s the difference between casting your ultimate or standing there like a statue. This is where fishing becomes mandatory.
The fish you catch are processed into ingredients for Cooking. Cooking isn't just a flavor-text profession. The buffs provided by high-level meals are massive. We are talking about significant boosts to Boss Hit, Perception, and even specialized PvP resistances. If you are trying to push the 15-star difficulty in a Secret Dungeon without a food buff, you’re basically griefing your party.
But wait, there's more. Dissolving fish can also give you materials used for equipment traits. It’s a circular economy. You fish to eat, you eat to kill bosses, you kill bosses to get gear, and you use the fishing loot to refine that gear. It’s all connected.
The Secret to Not Snapping Your Line
Let’s get technical for a second. The mini-game has a rhythm. When the fish "rages"—indicated by the bar turning bright red—you need to stop pulling. Just let go. If you keep fighting during a rage state, your stamina will vanish in two seconds. It’s a common mistake. Players get impatient. They see the fish is at 10% health and they try to muscle it in.
Don't.
Wait for the red to fade, then resume the pull. Also, keep an eye on your character's positioning. Standing on higher ground doesn't actually help, despite what some weird forum rumors might tell you. What does help is the quality of your rod. If you’re serious about this, invest your Contract Medals into a Purple-grade rod as soon as humanly possible. The difference in "Reel Strength" is night and day.
Dealing with the RNG of the Sacks
Everyone wants the "Big One," but honestly, the Sacks are the real MVP of the fishing system. You can get Rare (Blue) and even Epic (Purple) materials from these. There are stories of people pulling Precious Marind from a fishing sack in high-level zones like the Grayclaw Forest. Is the drop rate low? Absolutely. Is it better than grinding mobs for six hours? Sometimes.
It’s a great way to progress your character when you’re "semi-AFK." While Throne and Liberty doesn't have a true "Auto-Fish" that is as efficient as manual play, you can settle into a rhythm while watching a movie or listening to a podcast. It's the "chill" side of an otherwise very intense, high-stakes game.
Misconceptions That are Killing Your Gains
There is a weird myth going around that time of day matters for fishing. As of the current patch, there is no definitive data from the Korean or Global servers to suggest that catching a specific fish is tied to the in-game day/night cycle. Weather, however, is a different story. Some players have reported higher "Sack" drop rates during rain, though this is still being debated in the theory-crafting communities.
Another mistake? Ignoring the Fishing Shop. The NPC isn't just there to give you the quest. He sells weekly limits of bait and rod parts. If you aren't buying your weekly allotment of bait, you’re falling behind the curve. Bait is the bottleneck. You can have the best rod in the world, but if you’re out of Shrimp, you’re back to using the garbage Paste.
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A Quick Checklist for Your Next Trip:
- Check your bait levels. Make sure you have at least 100 of your target type.
- Clear your inventory. Fish and Sacks take up a lot of slots, and nothing hurts more than losing a catch because your bags are full of gray-tier loot from mobs.
- Head to a zone that matches your current power level. Don't fish in a level 10 zone if you are level 50.
- Focus on the "Small Pull" strategy. Don't hold the button; tap it rhythmically to manage stamina.
The Reality of the "Endgame" Fisherman
Eventually, you’ll reach a point where your fishing level is high enough to catch "Large" versions of every fish. This is the endgame. Large fish provide double or triple the resources when processed. They also have a chance to drop unique items used in the most expensive cooking recipes in the game—the kind that top-tier guilds use before a Siege.
If you can corner the market on these ingredients, you’ll never worry about Sollant again. It’s a viable economic path for players who prefer life skills over the constant grind of the open-world dungeons.
Actionable Steps to Improve Your Haul
Stop fishing in Kastleton immediately. Even if you are a low level, trek out to a level 20 or 30 zone. The risk of a stray mob hitting you is worth the 200% increase in loot quality.
Next, prioritize your Contract Medals. Use them to buy the bait boxes every single day. You can store these boxes in your warehouse if you don't plan on fishing immediately, but you must buy them to bypass the daily limits.
Finally, don't just sell your fish to the vendor. Always process them at a cooking pot or dissolve them for materials. The raw gold value of a fish is almost always lower than the value of the materials or the buffs you can craft from it. If you want to maximize your character's potential in Throne and Liberty, start treating your fishing pole like a weapon. Because in the long run, the stats you gain from that tuna are just as important as the stats on your sword.
Get out there, find a quiet spot in the Moonlight Shore, and start reeling. Just watch out for the sharks. And by sharks, I mean the enemy faction players who love to gank people standing still with a fishing rod in their hands. Stay alert.