Legal Activities/Legal Gathering/Fishing

Fish

Lake Okeechobee.

Fishing is a great way to build experience, legal profit, and gather fresh sandwich ingredients. Fish can be caught using a fishing rod or nets deployed by watercraft. A variety of fish can be caught:

	Salema - The smallest and least valuable fish.
	Mackerel - A commercial fish worldwide.
	Mullet - Not to be confused with the haircut.
	Ornate - The most colourful almost aquarium grade fish.
	Catshark - The local catshark are a pale spotted species.
	Tuna - The rarest and most valuable fish.

Fishing License

Fishing by any means requires a Fishing License. This permit can be purchased from high-ranking Seamen of the Coast Guard.

Fishing Level

Fishing is a skill that can be "levelled up" with experience. A higher fishing level grants you the use of fishing clothes and other fishing benefits.

The Lake

One body of water varies from other fishing spots; it provides significantly more fishing experience. This lake has gone by different names: Lake Wumbo, Lake Okeechobee, and Lake Choke a' Me.

Pole Fishing Equipment

Fish can be caught with a fishing rod. Certain fishing equipment will improve your fishing experience.

Fishing Rod

Fishing circle gauge.

Fishing rods can be purchased at the fishing trader. The rod fills your sidearm slot; it will overwrite any weapon in this slot upon purchase.

Fishing with a rod consists of a few simple steps:

1. While standing at a body of water, use your Windows key to "Cast rod".
2. When you hear a splash, press your "F" key to reel in your line.
3. You will be presented with a circle gauge skill check. Press 1-5 accordingly when the meter reaches the marked segment of the ring.
4. Details of your catch (or lack thereof) will be listed in a notification.

As you level up, you will begin to see a second bar skill check more frequently:

1. Using your spacebar, try to line up the gauge with the red for the best results.

Completing the second skill check successfully will reel in bigger and better fish.

Even if your line is bare, you will still be rewarded with a reduced fishing experience.

Clothing

Wearing appropriate fishing gear can improve your fishing yield. Fishermen level 5 and above can purchase fishing vests and boonie hats that increase the likelihood of catching additional fish per cast.

Bait

Using bait will increase your chance of catching a fish. Some baits are better than others.

	Worms - Found when digging in light dirt patches (or graves).
	Dough - Restaurant workers can craft dough from wheat.
File:AG 5 CHK Meat.png	Crab Meat - Hunting for crabs yields crab meat - the best bait available.

Schools of Fish

Fishing can also be done in boats using fishing nets. Schools of each fish can appear as recurring events where a blue zone appears and moves through the water.

How to boat fish:

1. Take a watercraft with trunk space to the blue zone highlighting the school of fish.
2. While still in the boat, deploy the fishing nets with your Windows key.
3. The fish will be collected and deposited automatically into the trunk.

The fish keep swimming; watch the zone and reposition your vessel as needed.

This should not be mistaken with swarms of jellyfish. While this uses the same mechanic, jelly fishing is illegal. They are a protected species and their swarms are red zones.

The Market for Fish

Fish Trader

Fishes can be sold directly to the fishing trader for an immediate profit. Have fish in your inventory to see offers at the trader. The price depends on the species and length of the fish. For example, tuna and catshark are two more valuable species. The bigger the fish, the bigger the profit.

Restaurants

Fast-food chains offer a variety of fish sandwiches. Different species correlate to different perks. Workers may offer you a better deal for your fish than the trader.

History

Lake Wumbo

Historically, Lake Wumbo was not marked on the map. Players would find the best fishing spots in RP. The best fishing experience spot was known as Lake Wumbo for multiple years.

This changed during Florida life when Noremac Mitchell complained that Wumbo's body of water wasn't technically a lake. "Wumbo" was renamed and moved to Lake Okeechobee - an actual lake in the 1:1 Florida map. The lake was renamed again in Texas Life to Lake Choke a' Me: conceivably a leud play on "Okeechobee".

Mutated Fish

For a brief time in Florida life, mutant fish were a rare catch. Restaurant workers could gut these fish, transforming them into corresponding cuts of meat such as chicken from the mutated chicken fish.

Credit

George Mathews - Dev work improving fishing including clothing buffs, the circle game, and more. Thank you for developing fishing and providing the detailed notes for this page.

Max Farland - Contributed fishing images - thank you.