Reason: More specifically, the changes made to the fishing system in Patch 81.
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Fishing
A Sim catching a fish.
- For fishing in other Sims games, see Fishing.
Fishing is a skill in The Sims 4 that comes with a collection of fish to catch. The higher the fishing skill, the better are the chances to catch more types of fish, that can also be used as free ingredients in cooking, or as fertilizers in gardening. Raising this skill is also the main objective of the Angling Ace aspiration.
Abilities[]
| Level | Ability | Interaction |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Fish with Bait | Fishing spot interaction |
| 3 | Examine Water | Fishing spot interaction |
Learning[]
The fishing skill is built by fishing from various fishing spots, that are located throughout the neighborhoods. Sims will begin at level one, learning the abilities to catch fish, mount fish, and putting them in fish bowls. As they progress, they can catch other various types of fish, which are more rarer and much more valuable, making the skill a good way to gain Simoleons. Sims with the loves outdoors trait can be good at raising their fishing skill, as they tend to be happy outdoors, raising their fishing slightly faster. Sims can also read fishing skill books to raise their fishing skill. Sims build this skill best when they are focused.
Fishing spots[]
Multiple Sims fishing from a pond.
Fishing spots can be found in two forms: as a fishing sign and as a small pond. Fishing signs are found near lakes, oceans and rivers, while fishing ponds are usually found in community lots, such as parks and are not accessible on normal lots. However, both of them can be bought in build mode by using the bb.showhiddenobjects cheat. By using this cheat, both objects can be used normally in all types of lots, though the fishing sign will have a graphical glitch if used on land.
Some fishing spots yield a better chance of obtaining rare objects, plants, or fish. For instance, Sims can acquire rare fish from Sylvan Glade and Forgotten Grotto; and a fishing spot north of Desert Bloom Park yields a greater chance of finding a cowplant berry or a voodoo doll. Some fishing spots can also be too difficult for low-leveled fishers, as fish can be too hard to catch in those areas.
If The Sims 4: Seasons is installed, Sims cannot go fishing if the global temperature is freezing.
Uses of fish[]
Two fish in fish bowls.
After a Sim has caught a fish, they can sell them for an amount Simoleons based on its quality. The rarer the fish, the higher value it has. Alternatively, fish can be mounted on walls as decoration. They produce a confident aura of varying strengths, depending on the type of fish. Sims can also put fish into fishing bowls and aquariums, where they will act as decoration. They can be named, but cannot be fed and will never die. Fish can be used as fresh ingredients in cooking and will boost the quality of the food. They can be used as fertilizers in gardening as well, boosting the overall quality of the plant.
Fish will spoil within 25 hours, depending on its quality; however, they will not lose any of their value. The freshness levels for fish are excellent, great, good, average, poor and foul. The freshness can be prolonged by putting the fish in fish bowls, aquariums, or inside refrigerators.
Using baits[]
At level three, Sims can use different types of baits to gain a better rate of catching rare fish. Certain fish will only appear if a matching bait is used. At level five, Sims gain the "Examine Water" interaction. This can be done in fishing spots and allows Sims to get an idea of what types of baits to use in order to catch rare fish. The interaction can only be done once per hour, and is the most successful if the Sim focused.
There are three types of baits: plants, frogs, and medium-sized fish. Sims can get these baits from harvesting plants, collecting frogs logs, ponds, or through breeding them, and by using already caught medium-sized fish. After gaining a bait, Sims can use it in fishing spots to find out what types of fish will eat it. If a fish has been successfully caught with a bait, the bait and the type of fish that will eat it will be stored in the Sim's notebook in their phone. It is suggested to have good amount of baits, as they will be used up pretty quickly.
List of fish[]
| Image | Fish Name | Skill | Description | Size | Rarity | Value (§)[n 1] | EP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Goldfish | 1 | A small member of the carp family known to frequent both fishbowls and toilet bowls. | S | Common | 5 |  |
|
Guppy | 1 | A small, bright tropical fish. (Not only bright as in colorful, they're also pretty smart.) | S | Common | 5 | |
|
Minnow | 1 | A fish so small, it's best used to catch other fish. | S | Common | 5 | |
|
Perch | 1 | A small spiny fish typically found in rivers and lakes. | S | Common | 7 | |
|
Salmon | 3 | A good sized fish known in Celtic mythology as a symbol of wisdom. Also known for being delicious. | L | Common | 77 | |
|
Tetra | 1 | A small freshwater fish with a compressed, shiny body and distinctive fins. | S | Common | 5 | |
|
Angelfish | 3 | A lovely small fish, perfect for showing off and keeping other fish on their best behavior. | S | Uncommon | 7 | |
|
Betta | 3 | A very small and hard fish, that's betta than most! | S | Uncommon | 6 | |
|
Kissing Gourami | 4 | Don't kiss these lips; kissing gourami have sharp rows of teeth lining their mouth. | S | Uncommon | 8 | |
|
Wolf Eel | 5 | This bottom feeding eel-like fish is known for its hard-shell eating teeth. Scared? They're actually quite friendly. | L | Uncommon | 83 | |
|
Batfish | 2 | The batfish doesn't sleep upside-down, but it has nice, leathery wings to make up for it. | M | Rare | 20 | |
|
Piranha | 6 | A small fish with a big bite. But really, watch out for those tiny teeth. | S | Rare | 9 | |
|
Red-Tailed Black Shark | 5 | A small fish with a big name. Also known as a redtail sharkminnow. | S | Rare | 8 | |
|
Sturgeon | 7 | Sturgeon are large fish sometimes called living fossils. Luckily, they aren't offended. | L | Rare | 114 | |
|
Treefish | 2 | Shhh... can you hear their singing? No? Well, even magical treefish have limits. | M | Rare | 25 | |
|
"Captain Fishbones" Bonefish | 5 | He swims in circles, can't remember a thing, and is already dead… your best friend! | S | Rare | 7 | |
|
Gummie Guppie | 1 | A deliciously squishy friend for your home, just don't leave him alone with the catfish. | S | Rare | 7 | |
|
Trout | 2 | It might look a little bit like salmon, but no doubt it's trout. | M | Common | 18 | |
|
Koi | 2 | Koi is actually a shortening of nishikigoi meaning "brocaded carp". A pretty name for a pretty fish. | M | Common | 11 | |
|
Bass | 2 | A Perch by another name. Nice sound dynamics though. | M | Common | 20 | |
|
Tilapia | 4 | Tilapia are a type of cichlid fish. They're pretty happy in a nice aquarium too. | M | Uncommon | 20 | |
|
Catfish | 4 | Unlike a domestic cat, this fish uses its whiskers to taste its surroundings. Like thin little tongues. | M | Uncommon | 22 | |
|
Rainbowfish | 6 | Contrary to popular belief, following a rainbowfish will not lead you to a pot of goldfish. | M | Rare | 16 | |
|
Anglerfish | 7 | A sneaky predator fish that lures prey into its mouth with a small, glowing tentacle like growth on its head. | M | Rare | 35 | |
|
Yellow Perch | 2 | Kin to Walleyes. Best known for their black tiger stripes and growling when they're hungry. | M | Common | 44 |  |
|
Mountain Lionfish | 3 | An exotic fish only found in rare mountainous regions. Beware their spines, they can do serious damage! | L | Rare | 170 | |
|
Walleye | 4 | These huge marble eyed fish are color blind. They cannot see blue or yellow. Good eatin' though. | M | Common | 32 | |
|
Red Crawdad | 4 | Kissing cousins to lobsters. But don't tell them that, they want to be unique. | S | Uncommon | 14 | |
|
Blue Crawdad | 7 | The mysterious blue crawdad is rumored to received its color from an industrial blueberry accident. | S | Rare | 80 | |
|
Cichlid | 1 | Cichlids span in a wide range of body sizes. So no "one size" fits all for this kind. | M | Common | 7 |  |
|
Discus | 1 | Due to their distinctive shape and bright colors, Discus are popular as freshwater aquarium fish. | M | Uncommon | 14 | |
|
Exotic Goldfish | 1 | The fanciest of the goldfish family. Don't tell the other members we said that. | S | Uncommon | 15 | |
|
Tuna | 1 | Tuna are rather common and rather large, in general. Enjoy as a large portioned sashimi or as a large decorative on a small mount. | L | Common | 17 |  |
|
Pufferfish | 1 | Mounted Pufferfish, which, when alive, used to huff and puff. Oh eating it could also be poisonous. | S | Rare | 13 | |
|
Vampire Squid | 5 | Do not succumb to its cuteness...or lack thereof. | M | Rare | 50 |  |
|
Tambaqui | 2 | The Tambaqui is already pretty big. This one's bigger. | L | Common | 327 |  |
|
Armored Catfish | 2 | This fish is ready to go to war. | M | Uncommon | 42 | |
|
Electric Eel | 2 | This Electric Eel is shockingly large but sparks great interest from those who catch one. | L | Rare | 203 | |
|
Celestial Grouper |
1 | They are primordially hunters, they lie on the bottom and surge forward, preferring juvenile surgeonfish and crustaceans. Alternatively they may hover motionless in the water column before attacking. | M | Common | 15 |  |
|
Clownfish | 3 | Thirty species are recognized: one in the genus Premnas, while the remaining are in the genus Amphiprion. In the wild, they all form symbiotic mutualisms with sea anemones. | S | Common | 15 | |
|
Mahi Mahi | 3 | Surface-dwelling, ray-finned fish found in off-shore temperate, tropical, and subtropical waters worldwide. Also widely called dorado and dolphin. | L | Common | 90 | |
|
Neon Angelfish | 3 | Neon...Shinier! Glossier than your garden variety Angelfish. | S | Common | 15 | |
|
Fighting Plakat | 4 | Pronounced pla-COT, they are a short-finned variety of Betta Splendens. They were originally selected out of rice paddies in Thailand and Southeast Asia and bred for their fighting abilities. | S | Uncommon | 18 | |
|
Parrotfish | 4 | Parrotfish are colorful and voracious herbivores that spend up to 90% of their day eating algae off of coral reefs with their beak-like teeth. And they defecate sand, keeping beaches beachy. | L | Uncommon | 60 | |
|
Butterflyfish | 5 | Although some species are dull-colored, most wear intricate patterns with striking backgrounds of blue, red, orange, or yellow. | M | Uncommon | 30 | |
|
Green Plakat | 6 | They are quite intelligent as fish go, and they can even be trained to recognize their owners and do tricks. | S | Rare | 30 | |
|
Bluefin Tuna | 7 | Bluefin are the largest tuna. | L | Uncommon | 150 | |
|
Leopard Shark | 8 | Harmless to humans, the leopard shark is caught by commercial and recreational fisheries for food and the aquarium trade. | M | Rare | 100 | |
|
Scorpionfish | 8 | Members of the scorpionfish family are experts at blending in with their surroundings, making them excellent ambush predators in their habitat. | L | Rare | 100 | |
|
Royal Sabrefish | 9 | How Royal? We are not sure. | L | Rare | 300 | |
|
Swordfish | 9 | They are a popular sport fish of the billfish category, though elusive. | L | Rare | 200 | |
|
Golden Mahi Mahi | 10 | They are distinguished by dazzling colors, in this case GOLD! | L | Rare | 250 | |
Reward[]
After collecting all of the base game fish, the player will complete the fish collection and receives the "The Right Angler" award, which is a plaque that can be hung on a wall.
| Image | Description | Value |
|---|---|---|
|
No longer are fish the strange beasts wriggling and flopping among your darkest nightmares. No longer! Your mastery over these aquatic creatures of the deep have earned you The Right Angler plague, courtesy of the local Sim Fishing Club. | §0 |
Notes[]
- ↑ Values listed may vary, depending on the size of the fish.