Fishing (The Sims 3)

Fishing

Family fishing

For fishing in other games, see Fishing.

See also: Fishing spot and Sea Life Collecting

Fishing is a skill in The Sims 3. This skill is gained by fishing in the ponds or ocean around the map. The higher the Sims' fishing skill is, the more types of fish they can catch. Books can be bought at the bookstore showing the bait that can be used to catch specific fish, but a Sim can determine the bait through trial and error by simply selecting a bait and seeing what they catch. Water can be inspected to see what known fish can be caught there, and whether the fish are active.

The skill is augmented by the angler and loves the outdoors traits. Child Sims and older Sims with the childish or insane traits can fish in swimming pools. The fishing skill class is held at the grocery store.

When Sims reach level 3 in the gardening skill, they can use fish as a fertilizer for harvestable plants in their garden. The quality of the fish depends on how effective the fertilizer will be on the plant it is used on.

There are certain types of fish that can only be caught if Sims travel to one of the three locations shipped with The Sims 3: World Adventures. Sims can catch frogs, snails and crawfish in Champs Les Sims. In Shang Simla the types of fish Sims can catch are doitsu koi, kawarimono koi, ochiba koi, tancho koi and dragon fish. In Al Simhara, Sims can catch crocodiles and mummy fish. These fish are exclusive to these locations and cannot be caught in any other world shipped with The Sims 3.

With The Sims 3: Ambitions expansion pack, players can register as a self-employed angler.

When a Sim maximizes the fishing skill, they will receive a certificate in the mail, saying: "The Maught Key Fishers' Association congratulates you, for achieving the very highest level of achievement in your fishing endeavors. Please accept this handsomely framed certificate and display it with pride knowing others will see just how skilled you are."

Statistics

• Number Caught
• Fish Types Caught
• Heaviest Fish Caught
• Most Money Earned From Selling A Fish
• Total Money Earned from Fishing

Challenges

Amateur Ichthyologist

Amateur Ichthyologists have caught at least 20 types of fish. Their deep understanding of marine life helps them catch bigger fish than normal Sims.

Commercial Fisherman

Commercial Fishermen have caught at least 350 fish. They often catch more fish in less time than normal Sims.

Notes

• Commercial Fishermen fish 60% faster than the original time, if they also have the Angler trait then it is a total 145% faster.

Abilities

Level	Ability
1	Inspect Water
3	Choose bait
5	Use live bait

Every two levels the game announces the Sim can catch more fish and to check the bookstore.

The Sim can learn the bait type for a specific fish species by buying and reading fishing books from the bookstore or just by successfully catching a particular species once using the right bait type. Fishing books are not available in the community public library.

All aquatic animals caught fishing can be kept as pets in an aquarium or they can be used to stock a pond.

Fish

Fish	Skill	Name	Habitat	Rarity	Bait	Weight (Kg)	Min Value	Max Value	EP
	0	Minnow	Fresh Water	Common		0.1 - 0.5	5	11	&BG
	0	Anchovy	Salt Water	Common		0.1 - 0.5	5	11	&BG
	1	Goldfish	Fresh Water	Common		0.1 - 2	6	16	&BG
	1	Alley Catfish	Fresh and Salt Water	Uncommon		0.1 - 5	6	20	&BG
	2	Jellyfish	Salt Water	Common		0.1 - 10	8	19	&BG
	2	Rainbow Trout	Fresh Water	Common		1 - 10	9	18	&BG
	3	Red Herring	Fresh and Salt Water	Common		1 - 10	5	5	&BG
	3	Tuna	Salt Water	Common		2 - 40	11	25	&BG
	4	Tragic Clownfish	Salt Water	Uncommon		5 - 15	14	30	&BG
	4	Siamese Catfish	Fresh and Salt Water	Uncommon		5 - 40	13	32	&BG
	5	Piranha	Fresh Water	Common		3 - 25	14	41	&BG
	5	Blowfish	Salt Water	Uncommon		5 - 40	14	47	&BG
	6	Salmon	Fresh and Salt Water	Common		10 - 50	14	45	&BG
	6	Black Goldfish	Fresh Water	Common		5 - 25	16	49	&BG
	7	Swordfish	Salt Water	Common		20 - 60	17	60	&BG
	7	Shark	Fresh and Salt Water	Uncommon		1 - 150	7	70	&BG
	8	Angelfish	Fresh and Salt Water	Uncommon		2 - 60	21	85	&BG
	8	Vampire Fish	Fresh Water	Rare		25 - 80	55	225	&BG
	9	Lobster	Fresh and Salt Water	Common		5 - 50	25	120	&BG
	9	Robot Fish	Fresh Water	Rare		250 - 1,000	50	275	&BG
	10	Deathfish	Fresh Water	Rare		20 - 80	200	1,000	&BG
	0	Frog	Fresh Water	Common		0.1 - 1	6	13	&EP01
	0	Doitsu Koi	Fresh Water	Common		1 - 25	7	14	&EP01
	3	Kawarimono Koi	Fresh Water	Common		1 - 25	14	28	&EP01
	3	Snails	Fresh and Salt Water	Uncommon		0.1 - 1	8	20	&EP01
	4	Crocodile	Fresh Water	Uncommon		1 - 400	14	40	&EP01
	5	Ochiba Koi	Fresh Water	Uncommon		1 - 50	20	65	&EP01
	5	Crawfish	Fresh and Salt Water	Uncommon		0.1 - 3	15	45	&EP01
	7	Tancho Koi	Fresh Water	Uncommon		1 - 50	25	90	&EP01
	8	Mummy Fish	Fresh Water	Rare		25 - 80	280	1,200	&EP01
	9	Dragon Fish	Fresh Water	Rare		40 - 150	60	300	&EP01
	2	Sea Sludge	Fresh and Salt Water	Common		1 - 100	11	22	&EP03
	4	Kissing Gourami	Fresh and Salt Water	Common		0.1 - 15	8	15	&EP03
	6	Sewer Trilobite	Fresh and Salt Water	Common		1 - 100	35	75	&EP03
	1	Sea Bat Starfish	Salt Water	Common		1 - 25	8	42	&EP06
	5	Linckia Starfish	Salt Water	Uncommon		1 - 40	16	76	&EP06
	10	Ninja Starfish	Salt Water	Rare		1 - 80	50	400	&EP06
	1	Toad	Fresh Water	Common		0.4 - 2	8	20	&EP07
	4	Luminous Salamander	Fresh and Salt Water	Uncommon		0.1 - 1	20	90	&EP07
	8	Fairy Damsel	Salt Water	Rare		4 - 65	50	300	&EP07
	0	Three Eyed Fish	Fresh and Salt Water	Common		2 - 10	5	25	&EP11
	0	Rainbow Snail	Fresh and Salt Water	Common		0.1 - 5	15	50	&EP11

Notes

• Ironically, the Vampire Fish's favorite bait is garlic, which is one of a vampire's weaknesses.
• Robot Fish can be found in a pond in most science labs. It's the only fish that can weigh over one ton.
• Deathfish can be found in a pond in graveyards. It can only be caught between midnight and 5 AM, unless it's caught from a Sim-made deathfish-stocked pond. The graveyard pond will only yield a maximum of six (sometimes five) deathfish per night. After the sixth is caught, the pond reverts to just red herring and vampire fish, regardless of the hour.
• Red Herring is not a real fish, but a common expression for something that distracts attention from a real issue. Like most fish, herrings have silvery scales.
• All fish from Island Paradise cannot be caught from fishing. The only way to catch them is from scuba diving in the diving areas, and is considered Sea Life Collecting.
  • It is, however, possible to stock a pond with them like any other fish and catch them that way. If you stock a pond with these fish, they cannot be seen swimming in the water but they can still be caught like all other fish in the game. It appears that they were only partially implemented for regular fishing, as an oversight unintentional or with the intention of also making them fishable but ended up being cut.
• Traveling to the future is not enough to catch either of the unique fish in Into the Future without placing Buydebug spawners. You must go into the Dystopian future to catch a Three Eyed Fish and into the Utopian Future to Catch a Rainbow Snail.

Opportunities

	Opportunity	Description	Reward
	A Fish of Life and Death	Catch a Deathfish and Deliver Deathfish at the Science Facility to earn some money.	§350 + § Variable
	A Plumber and Fisherman	Unclog pipes at City Hall before time runs out to earn some money.	§500 + 1x Random Fish
	An Excellent Catch	Catch an excellent fish and Sell Fish at the Supermarket to earn some money.	§ Variable
	Aquarium Fishing	Attend Fishing Competition at the Supermarket before time runs out to catch an assortment of fish.	§1,000 + 5x Random Fish
	Fishing for Suits	Teach Fishing Seminar at the Business Office before time runs out to earn some money.	§ Variable
	Fresh Fish	Catch 3 fish, then Sell Fish at the Supermarket to earn some money.	§ Variable
	Funny Looking Fish	Catch a Tragic Clownfish at the Theatre to earn some money.	§250 + § Variable
	Heaps of Fresh Fish	Catch 15 fish, then Sell Fish at the Supermarket to earn some money.	§ Variable
	Lobsters in Demand!	Catch a Lobster and Sell Lobster to the Supermarket to earn some money.	§100 + § Variable
	Lots of Fresh Fish	Catch 6 fish, then Sell Fish at the Supermarket to earn some money.	§ Variable
	Monster from the Deep	Catch Behemoth at the Science Facility before time runs out to earn some money.	§4,000
	Piscine Perfection	Catch a perfect fish and Sell Fish at the Supermarket to earn some money.	§ Variable
	Robot Fish v2.0	Catch a Robot Fish and Sell Robot Fish at the Science Facility to earn some money.	§350 + § Variable
	Say Hello to My Little Fish	Catch a Black Goldfish and Sell Black Goldfish at the Police Station to earn some money.	§650 + § Variable

Wishes

Icon	Name	Lifetime Happiness	Description	Trigger	EP
	Learn Fishing Skill	500	Your Sim seeks to learn something new to enrich and enlighten. Have your Sim refine a talent to perhaps pick up a new skill!		&BG
	Take a Class in the Fishing Skll	500	Your Sim wants to take a Fishing Skill class to learn the skill. Visit the Supermarket to enroll in the class.		&BG
	Improve Fishing Skill	500	Learning is an exciting pursuit many Sims enjoy. Your Sim wants to improve a skill so they can do more things with the knowledge! Practice the skill until your Sim gains a level.		&BG
	Go Fishing	150	Local bodies of water are beckoning to your Sim. The fish are biting, your Sim just knows it! Pick a nice fishing spot and cast away!		&BG
	Go Fishing Before 6AM	500	The early bird catches the worm, or in this case, the early Sim brings in the big fish. Your Sims wants to wake up extra early to fish out of the calm, pre-dawn waters.		&BG
	Catch a New Type of Fish	300	The first fish caught is always the one best remembered. There's nothing like hooking a new species! Your Sim wants to catch the first of a certain type of fish.		&BG
	Catch [#] New Types of Fish	Varies	There are only so many fish species in the water, but your Sim hopes to catch a large number of them. Catch several new types of fish to satisfy your Sim.		&BG
	Catch Every Type of Fish	7,500	Your Sim dreams of catching every fish that swims in the local bodies of water. Seek out the best fishing spots, bring some bait, and get to it!		&BG
	Learn Bait for [Fish name]	Varies	Some fish bite more often when the correct bait is attached to the lure. Your Sim wants to learn the bait for a certain fish. Read bait books purchased from the bookstore, or experiment with different types of bait to see what works!		&BG
	Catch Something with Live Bait	300	Your Sim wants to experiment with live bait to catch something. Pick the correct bait, make sure it's wriggling, and cast away.		&BG
	Catch [#] [Fish name]	Varies	Your Sim hopes to spend some time at the beach or lake with a fishing rod in hand to catch several fish.		&BG
	Catch a Perfect [Fish name]	500	The highest quality fish are caught by the best fishermen, and only if they continue casting until quality is caught. Your Sim wants to catch a Perfect fish.		&BG
	Catch a [#] Kilogram Fish	400	Only the biggest catches are worth mentioning. Your Sim wants to catch a certain sized fish of which to be proud.		&BG
	Catch a Record Size Fish	300	Your Sim wants to beat a personal best and catch a record size fish. Check the skill journal to see what your Sim is up against and start casting!		&BG
	Put [Fish name] in Fish Bowl	250	Sims like to catch fish and put them in a fish bowl to cherish forever... assuming the fish is fed. Your Sim wants to catch a fish and put it in a fish bowl.		&BG
	Master the Fishing Skill	5,000	Mastering a Skill takes a great patience and dedication, but your Sim aspires to be the best. Have your Sim practice the skill and complete Opportunities, and great things will happen.		&BG

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Trophies

Fish can be mounted on walls by clicking on a fish in a Sim's inventory and choosing "send to be mounted" and paying a small fee around 70 Simoleons. The trophy should arrive the next day in the mailbox.

Fish can also be put in fish bowls or an aquarium. Fish bowls can be bought in buy mode. All fish fit in a bowl, one fish per bowl or six fish per tank. Fish are nameable, but must be fed each day or they will die. Fish can be scooped out of bowls, and put back in a Sim's inventory.

Stocking ponds

Ribbit.

If a Sim has 10 or more fish of one type in their inventory, they can stock any pond with that fish. By stocking fish, a new type of fish is introduced in that pond. The pond will then contain an unlimited supply of that fish type for fishing.

There is no limit on how many different fish types there can be in one pond. Any type of fish or any type of pond will do, including Deathfish and ponds not on playable lots. Stocking a pond with the Deathfish (or any other fish, for that matter) will allow it to be caught at any time of the day in that pond.

A tip in obtaining better Death Fish is purchasing 10 Alley Catfish and stocking them in a pond in order to obtain a perfect Alley Catfish. Then fish 10 Angel Fish and stock them in the same pond. At midnight to 5am the angler will be able to get a very good or perfect Deathfish.

Buydebug fishing spawners

Fishing spots can be populated with fish by using fishing spawners. Fishing spawners can be found under the buy menu when the cheat buydebug is turned on.

Strange occurrences

Sometimes a Sim may catch an old box which will give them various things. The box randomly grants the Sim one object from the following list, sorted according to the rarity of the items.

Since the game's files use weightings instead of percentages for the box's items, the conversions into percentages in the table below has the percentages rounded up or down to the nearest 2 decimals.

Item	Without WA	With WA
Ducksworth of Bathington	17.43%	11.11%
Bubble Bath	13.95%	8.89%
Candle	13.95%	8.89%
Birthday cake	13.95%	8.89%
Garden gnome	8.71%	5.56%
Escape Dust		5.56%
Mummy snacks		5%
Liquid Courage potion		5%
Sands of Understanding		5%
Skeleton keystone		3.89%
Guitar	5.57%	3.61%
Stereo	5.57%	3.61%
Death Flower	5.22%	3.33%
Mysterious Mr. Gnome	5.22%	3.33%
Sultan Sam the Magical Gnome of Egypt		3.33%
Master Manchu the Magical Gnome of China		3.33%
Little Léon the Magical Gnome of France		3.33%
Money Tree seed	4.35%	2.78%
Flame Fruit	3.48%	2.22%
Laptop	2.6%	1.67%
Master Thief's Coin		1.11%
Eyes of Horus		0.56%

Gallery

Arlo Bunch fishing at the Pleasant Rest Graveyard at night

Iqbal Alvi fishing at the Old Pier Beach