How to Fish in Pokémon Emerald

Reviewed by Ishrak

Last Updated: May 29, 2024

While most Pokémon can be caught on land, the best way to catch a Water-type Pokémon is to fish for it. In order to fish, you'll need a fishing rod and a good fishing spot. Fishing in Emerald is a bit different than previous versions of Pokémon, requiring more focus and quicker reflexes. Mastering it can yield some powerful and rare Pokémon, including the elusive Feebas.

How to Catch Fish in Pokémon Emerald

Go to the edge of the water, open your menu, and select a fishing rod from your Key Items. Watch the dialogue box as your character starts fishing. Once you see text, immediately press A, and continue pressing A when you see text to finish catching the Pokémon.

Steps

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1
Find the best fishing rod. The fishing rod you are using determines the level of Pokémon that you can catch. You will come across more powerful rods as you travel. There are three rods in the game:^{[1]
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- Old Rod - This can be obtained from the fisherman near the Dewford Town gym. This will let you catch Pokémon up to level 15 (mostly Magikarp).
- Good Rod - This can be obtained from the fisherman on the right side of the river on Route 118. This will let you catch Pokémon up to level 30.
- Super Rod - This can be obtained from the fisherman living in the house on the northern cliff in Mossdeep City. This will let you catch any swimming Pokémon.
2
Find a fishing spot. You can fish from any spot directly next to water, or from the back of a surfing Pokémon. You can't fish if you are too high, such as on a cliff.
- The chance of finding a certain Pokémon is based on the area, not on your fishing spot. There is no one spot that will be better for catching a specific Pokémon than another. The only exception to this is Feebas, who can only be caught on certain tiles in a specific area.
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Open your menu by pressing Start and select your Rod from the Key Items, or press Select if you've registered your rod as a shortcut. Your character will begin fishing.^{[2]
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4
Wait for a bite. Once your line is out, the text box will appear at the bottom of the screen. Dots will appear as you wait. If a Pokémon bites, the text "Oh! A bite!" will appear. As soon as that happens, press the "A" button.
- If you don't press "A" soon enough, the Pokémon will get away.
Each time you press the "A" button correctly, the waiting period will begin again. The amount of time between bites will change each time. After hitting "A" at the right time enough times in a row, you will pull the Pokémon out of the water.
Pulling the Pokémon out of the water will start a battle. You can defeat the Pokémon or try to catch it. If you are farming for a specific Pokémon and catch the wrong one, the fastest way to get out of the fight is to run away.

Community Q&A

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Question

Where can I find the good rod on Pokemon Emerald?

Community Answer

The good rod can be obtained from the fisherman on the right side of the river on Route 118, it will let you catch Pokémon up to level 30.

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Question

Every time I press "A," the Pokemon gets away. How do I solve this problem?

JONAH LORENZO

Community Answer

You must press “A” as soon as you see “Oh,a bite!” No sooner no later. You will get used to it.

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How do I time my fishing in Pokemon Emerald better?

Community Answer

Look at the dot and time it to when it says: "Oh a bite!". Because if you don't time it right, it'll flee.

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Tips

The fishing Mechanic is significantly different in this generation (Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald), and requires much more attention from the player.

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Tips from our Readers

The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

If you’re farming, save the game immediately after the text box says: "A POKEMON's on the hook" so you can reload your save and try to catch the Pokémon you want.
Make sure you're paying attention the entire time you’re fishing. In this game, fishing is a quick time event.

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