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Quality of Life Ideas: Fishing

FlameDark
FlameDark
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I know fishing isn’t even in the top 100 things on everyone’s minds for improvements… but I recently got the master angler achievement (woo!) and while I was fishing, I was thinking of how many things could be added to it.
  • Different fishing rods. Either strictly cosmetic, or rods with actual effects (increase chance of getting furniture pieces, or faster times for fish to bite) that can be earned through achievements or purchased through a vendor. The rods would look unique and much better then the uh bamboo and string? We have now.
  • Aquariums we can put fish we catch in. I loved the Skyrim fishing where fish can actually be put in a aquarium. Even if it’s just certain fish (like harder to catch fish) that would be cool! I would also prefer to have the aquariums completely empty so I could decorate it themselves. There’s so many aquatic furniture to use afterall.
  • Fishing pole weapon. Okay so this was just a funny thought. I mean we have a rolling pin and a shovel for weapons… anyone who completes master angler should get a weapon skin of a fishing rod so we can literally beat people with our achievement lol

I would love to see these in the game and hopefully they’re not too dumb XD

PC/NA CP 800 - PvE
Arondael - Level 50 Magicka Necromancer Valyndrae (MAIN) - Level 50 Magicka Sorcerer Mithaedrun - Level 50 Stamina Arcanist
  • Smitch_59
    Smitch_59
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    I like the aquarium idea. But my biggest wish for fishing would be a better drop rate for perfect roe.
    By Azura, by Azura, by Azura!
  • LunaFlora
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    these are fun ideas
    miaow! i'm Luna ( she/her ).

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    PlayStation and PC EU.
    LunaLolaBlossom on psn.
    LunaFloraBlossom on pc.
  • Erickson9610
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    I would love to see different fishing rods via Customized Actions.

    I know some people like the idle nature of fishing, where you just press the button again when you notice the visual/audio cue. I'd personally like to see a fishing minigame incorporated somewhere, where you have to reel in the fish you catch by doing well in the minigame.

    Maybe both idle fishing and minigame fishing are options (could be selected via equipped fishing rod?) and you get better rewards for taking the extra time and effort to succeed at the minigame version of fishing?
    PC/NA — Lone Werewolf, the EP Templar Werewolf

    Werewolf Should be Allowed to Sneak
    Please give us Werewolf Skill Styles (for customizing our fur color), Grimoires/Scribing skills (to fill in the holes in our builds), and Companions (to transform with).
  • tsaescishoeshiner
    tsaescishoeshiner
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    The aquarium would be the most work to implement, but fishing rod weapons and customized actions (if they're not too flashy) would definitely be a fun addition. I might not like fishing myself, but I'd enjoy seeing people use them.
    PC-NA
    in-game: @tsaescishoeshiner
  • robwolf666
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    They already have a couple of aquariums, I just forget how you get them. I have one of them in my home.
    I wouldn't mind a version where you could choose which fish to put in them though, those trophy fish you can catch for example.
  • UntilValhalla13
    UntilValhalla13
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    I know it'll never happen but FF14 nailed their fishing system. I'd log on some nights and just fish all over for hours. Specific skills just for fishing, time of day, weather, location, the clothes you wore; it all mattered. It's probably too complex for eso to integrate, but Press X Simulator (on PS) gets old real fast. Have it give xp or something at least. Even like 50 xp would be an upgrade. There's just no reason to bother with it outside of the trophy or perfect roe. :(
  • KalevaLaine
    KalevaLaine
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    It would be on my top list (fishing in general) if it would be a craft on it's own. Like blacksmithing etc.
    Edited by KalevaLaine on January 23, 2026 10:38AM
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  • DragonRacer
    DragonRacer
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    robwolf666 wrote: »
    They already have a couple of aquariums, I just forget how you get them. I have one of them in my home.
    I wouldn't mind a version where you could choose which fish to put in them though, those trophy fish you can catch for example.

    Those aquariums are fully prebuilt and come from Crown crates.

    As to the OP, I agree. I have been playing Fallout 76 a lot lately and their fishing mini-game makes me wish ESO had some similar features. It's nice getting a guaranteed furnishing plan from turning in a fishing daily. It's nice being able to display any fish you've caught if you want to. It's nice being able to customize the look and function of your fishing rod. And the little reel-in mini-game itself is fun, and it's given me something to work towards improving my reel and getting better bait to try and land bigger trophy fish.
    PS5 NA. GM of The PTK's - a free trading guild (CP 500+). Also a werewolf, bites are free when they're available. PSN = DragonRacer13
  • BXR_Lonestar
    BXR_Lonestar
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    FlameDark wrote: »
    I know fishing isn’t even in the top 100 things on everyone’s minds for improvements… but I recently got the master angler achievement (woo!) and while I was fishing, I was thinking of how many things could be added to it.
    • Different fishing rods. Either strictly cosmetic, or rods with actual effects (increase chance of getting furniture pieces, or faster times for fish to bite) that can be earned through achievements or purchased through a vendor. The rods would look unique and much better then the uh bamboo and string? We have now.
    • Aquariums we can put fish we catch in. I loved the Skyrim fishing where fish can actually be put in a aquarium. Even if it’s just certain fish (like harder to catch fish) that would be cool! I would also prefer to have the aquariums completely empty so I could decorate it themselves. There’s so many aquatic furniture to use afterall.
    • Fishing pole weapon. Okay so this was just a funny thought. I mean we have a rolling pin and a shovel for weapons… anyone who completes master angler should get a weapon skin of a fishing rod so we can literally beat people with our achievement lol

    I would love to see these in the game and hopefully they’re not too dumb XD

    We need a mythic for fishing that decreases agro of surrounding enemies so I can FINALLY fish in peace!
  • LadyLethalla
    LadyLethalla
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    Nice day for fishin', ain't it? Huh huah!
    x-TallyCat-x // PC EU DC - For the Covenant! // ESO Platinum trophy - 16th May 2017.
    Melbourne Australia - the land of Potato Internet.WTB ESO OCEANIC SERVER
  • kargen27
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    I would like if they introduced more monsters to hook and fight while fishing. Maybe a few mid level creatures and rarely the chance to reel in a world boss type creature that might need asking in zone chat for help to thump.
    Is there a mounted fish furniture piece? If not we need a couple of mounted fish as random drops and rewards.
    and then the parrot said, "must be the water mines green too."
  • Monte_Cristo
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    Or a furnishing item. Once you complete a zone's fishing achievement, you can buy/unlock a wall display showing all the rare fish from that zone.
  • Necrotech_Master
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    i would like if fishing acted like every other material node, you interact ONCE and then you just fish up something after a brief time without any additional interaction

    the only thing that makes fishing even remotely tolerable right now is addons that tell you when you should reel in
    plays PC/NA
    handle @Necrotech_Master
    active player since april 2014

    i have my main house (grand topal hideaway) listed in the housing tours, it has multiple target dummies, scribing altar, and grandmaster stations (in progress being filled out), as well as almost every antiquity furnishing on display to preview them

    feel free to stop by and use the facilities
  • ZomZom
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    Award the Lakemire Xanmeer house as a reward and let us put trophy fish in the viewing portals.
  • spartaxoxo
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    I like these ideas.

    I also like the idea of having different fishing poles that enable different difficulty levels of fishing that lets you catch different fish.

    So it could be

    Basic Pole - fishing exactly as it is now

    Fisherman's Pole - a simple little mini game. Fish tug lightly on the pole. Let it slack when the fish is fighting. Reel it in when it's not.

    Kynarethi's Blessed Pole - Same mini game but now the fish tug more often and the line can snap if you tug it when they're trashing. There's a tension indicator now.

    The Tide King's Harpoon - Deep sea fishing. Must talk to an NPC to go out on a boat to fish. Aim with a harpoon to take them down and reel them in. Sometimes your boat will be attacked by pirates or daedric sea creatures .

    Let trophy fish be able to taken to a fishmonger who can convert them to a new currency that can be spent on fishing themed cosmetics and maybe a new alchemy ingredient and new bait that makes the new fishing easier.

    Cosmetics could be stuff like fishing pole skins, mounted fish, boats, aquariums, etc.
    Edited by spartaxoxo on January 24, 2026 2:59AM
  • Horace-Wimp
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    FlameDark wrote: »
    ...[*] Different fishing rods. Either strictly cosmetic, or rods with actual effects (increase chance of getting furniture pieces, or faster times for fish to bite) that can be earned through achievements or purchased through a vendor. The rods would look unique and much better then the uh bamboo and string? We have now...

    No.

    If this is really important to you then you might want to go play the MMO Rift which not only has this (you get to craft 'better' and more powerful fishing poles) but they also have fishing dailies that can reward you with special lures that are needed for special hard to obtain achievements and other items that cannot be obtained any other way.

    Fishing works differently in Rift as you actually need to have a fishing pole that takes up inventory space and you NEED to fish your brains out to LEVEL your fishing skill so you can fish in the higher level zones. And, of course, at endgame you NEED to continue to fish your brains out to craft the special endgame foods that boost your character's abilities in Expert (Veteran) dungeons and raids (trials.)

    On an unrelated note, Rift is also a puzzle lovers paradise as each zone has it's own puzzle to solve and rewards special items when you do. And if you successfully solve ALL the puzzles in the game you get a special mount to ride around on as well as other cosmetic clothing and housing items.

    If you LOVE being frustrated then the MMO Rift is for you!
    Edited by Horace-Wimp on January 24, 2026 10:28AM
  • LalMirchi
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    Nice ideas :)
  • prof-dracko
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    Some kind of fishing update wish gets thrown around the forums at least once a year. Either ZOS is working hard on massive surprise or they plain don't care. Personally I'm naively hoping it's taking so long because they have a single unpaid intern designing and modelling every catchable fish in the game for a big aquarium update.
    Edited by prof-dracko on January 24, 2026 12:13PM
  • AShmo
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    Smitch_59 wrote: »
    I like the aquarium idea. But my biggest wish for fishing would be a better drop rate for perfect roe.

    From my recent fishing stint i did i caught roughly 800 filletable fish and got 8 perfect roe. To me for a activity that is so easy 1 to 100 doesn't seem that bad.
  • Tandor
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    i would like if fishing acted like every other material node, you interact ONCE and then you just fish up something after a brief time without any additional interaction

    the only thing that makes fishing even remotely tolerable right now is addons that tell you when you should reel in

    Exploitation...

    Bots...
  • KV_Tootn
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    Should add a fisshable mount- raft that moves on whater .. You can fish on.
    Fishing chairs so you dont stand like you won the legs in lottery.
    make it more fun.
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  • mdjessup4906
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    I want to be able to buy a taxidermy furniture from the achiement vendor for every trophy fish i catch. I was so disappointed when I learned you cant actually see all those unique fish in game, its just descriptions.
  • prof-dracko
    prof-dracko
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    I want to be able to buy a taxidermy furniture from the achiement vendor for every trophy fish i catch. I was so disappointed when I learned you cant actually see all those unique fish in game, its just descriptions.

    It's not even that. The "description" just lists the zone and bait type. The only clue about the actual appearance of the fish is the name and the generic icon they pull from their asset bin. Sometimes you'll get a slightly different picture, but not often.
  • Lekjih
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    10/10 suggestions! I don't know how they would pull off the aquarium but it would be a cool addition..
    671d played, 257 on a Warden.
  • AllenaNightWood
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    fishing really needs a refresh
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