Apocalypse survival games have been around for years, but NetEase has decided it is time to take the genre to the next level with LifeAfter. Available on Android and iOS platforms, the game is set in a world that’s overrun by the Infected. Your character’s job is to reclaim the world one territory at a time by killing the Infected and reestablishing settlements. You are not alone, though. There are other survivors who are trying to do the same. Together, you can rebuild the world and give humanity hope.
In order to rebuild civilization, however, you will need to hone certain skills. One of those skills is Fishing. It allows you to catch fish from bodies of water. You can then sell the fish or use them for cooking. If you have just started the game, you may want to check out our LifeAfter walkthrough of the first chapter instead. Otherwise, read the rest of this LifeAfter guide below to learn everything you need to know about fishing!
1. How To Get The Fishing Quest
A lot of newbies tend to miss the quest for fishing because it does not automatically appear in the story. They end up trying to buy rods and bait from the market just to get started, wasting good money in the process. The quest for fishing can be accepted through the 5th Caravan’s quest board in Hope 101, right beside Rachel.
The next hurdle newbies face after accepting the quest is finding Vast in Autumn Forest. This can be confusing because you will actually need to go to Fall Forest. Once there, you can find Vast on Minor Island 1. Talk to him in order to trigger the rest of the quest. Following the rest of the instructions from the quest log should be easy enough from there. After completing the quest, you get to take home the rod and bait from Vast.
2. Learn The Different Fishing Modes
There are two fishing modes in LifeAfter: manual and auto. To play the manual fishing mode, simply cast your line. You will see a floater icon in the middle of the screen. It will change into a fish icon once you get a bite. A meter with a green bar will appear. Your job is to repeatedly tap the action button on the right side of the screen in order to keep the needle within the green bar. Once the fish icon is full, you will successfully catch the fish.
If you want to auto-fish, the steps are much simpler. Just cast your line the same way you would in manual fishing. When you see the floater icon, tap on the small button with a computer monitor icon on the right side of the screen. When the icon is orange, that means you are in auto fishing mode and you won’t have to do anything other than wait. This is best done when you will be away from the game for some time. Keep in mind, however, that the catch rate for fish is reduced to about 30% during auto-fishing.
3. Know Where To Fish
If you are trying to catch a specific type of fish for a recipe, you will have to know where to catch them. The good news is that you only need to distinguish between two types of fish. There are fish that can only be caught in freshwater and others are only found in saltwater. Any river in any map will yield freshwater fish. Saltwater fish, however, can only be found on the island on the left side of Charlestown. We have listed the different types of fish that you can catch below.
Freshwater:
Grass Carp
Catfish
Perch
Carp
Puffer Fish
Red Tilapia
Shrimp
Crab
Koi
Saltwater:
Silver Carp
Ribbonfish
Yellow Croaker
Salmon
Red Grouper
Turbot
Wrasse
Parrotfish
Lobster
4. Use A Better Rod
There are three types of fishing rod available in the game so far. The higher the level of the fishing rod, the easier it will be to catch rare fish. Some fish are only available when using high level rods. Aside from the free basic rod that you get from Vast, you can craft your own. Formulas for higher level fishing rods will need to be unlocked first, of course. Check out the different rods below and how you can get your hands on them.
Wooden Fishing Rod – This is the basic fishing rod, and its formula becomes available after completing Vast’s quest. Crafting this requires wood and hardwood vine.
Iron Fishing Rod – The formula for this rod is unlocked at the fishing mastery level. You will need to complete the quest “Let’s Go Fishing!” to be able to craft it. Material requirements are iron ore, hardwood vine, and wood.
Fiberglass Fishing Rod – This is the best rod in the game at the moment. It is also the only rod that can catch a Lobster. Make sure you complete the quest “There’s Plenty of Time to Fish” in order to unlock the formula for this. Crafting it requires wood, resin, hemp step, and hardwood vine.
5. Raise Your Fishing Level
Just as with any other skill in the game, you can increase your proficiency in catching fish by raising your fishing level. To do so, all you have to do is keep fishing. Depending on whether you use manual or auto fishing, it can take as little as one day to max out your fishing experience. If you want to know your current level, and how much experience you need, just head into your profile menu.
6. How To Master Fishing
There are several benefits from fishing. It is a great source of food, especially if you have time to auto-fish. You can also get two Titles that are related to fishing: Fishing Champion and Koi. If you are aiming for the Master Chef title, the fish that you catch will help you in completing your recipe mastery as well.
Related: LifeAfter Food Recipes List: A Complete Guide to Food Recipes
Before you get too excited about those perks, however, there are still a couple of things you should remember. First off, avoid fishing when your vigor is full. The Invigorated buff is a great way to increase productivity for other skills. It is ultimately wasted on fishing. The only time you should fish while Invigorated is when you won’t be playing anyway, and the buff will be lost.
Another thing you should remember is to avoid auto-fishing in the open world. If you will be away from your device while fishing, do it in the safety of your camp pond. While most players will leave you alone and go about their own business, there are still quite a few who will take advantage of the opportunity to kill you.
7. What Are Fishing Points?
When you check out the map while exploring, you will notice small fish icons near bodies of water. Go to these icons and you will see a sparking circle in the water that has fish jumping around. What you are looking at is called a Fishing Point. Once you are near enough, a text box will appear on the right side of the screen that tells you the type of fish that you can catch and the minimum rod level you need in order to catch fish from the spot.
You are probably wondering why you need to fish in that spot when you will still catch fish by fishing anywhere else that has water. As we mentioned earlier, fishing spots contain specific types of fish. If you are trying to catch a lot of a certain fish, you will want to look for a fishing spot for it, or you may end up wasting time on a bunch of random fish.
There are Fishing Points that contain a host of different fish. What is the benefit of fishing in those? Fishing Points that have mixed fish in them also indicate the level of fish that can be caught. That means you have a better chance of catching rare fish in those spots. Another benefit is that you will be able to catch unique types of fish like the King Shrimp in Fishing Spots.
8. Using The Basic Fish Trap
If you don’t want to waste time walking around the map looking for Fishing Points, you can actually spawn your own by using a Basic Fish Trap. This item can be equipped and thrown into the water similar to how you throw a grenade. Just approach any body of water that you can normally fish in, then toss the Basic Fish Trap. A Fishing Point will spawn where you threw the trap.
There are a couple of things you should keep in mind when using fish traps. First, you won’t be able to choose what kind of Fishing Point will spawn. A Basic Fish Trap will randomly produce a Fishing Point between levels 1 to 3. The type of fish will also be random. However, do not be hasty in throwing another trap if you didn’t get the one you wanted. Throwing another trap into the water will make the first Fishing Point you created disappear. If were able to get a level 3 Fishing Point, use it up first before trying another trap.
9. Use Manual Fishing At Fishing Points
Just as with any other location, you will have the option to auto-fish in a Fishing Point. This is not recommended. Regardless of whether you are using a trap-spawned Fishing Point, or one that you found on the map, it will disappear after some time. That means you have to get as much fish out of it before time runs out. Since manual fishing yields more fish, it is best if you save auto-fishing for when you are going away from the keyboard and fishing at your Camp Pond. Of course, you can always just move to another Fishing Point once the current one disappears, but you won’t know for sure if you will find a high-level one right away.
10. Crafting A Basic Fish Trap
Basic Fish Trap can be crafted through the Make menu on the lower left side of your screen. Unfortunately, you will still have to unlock the formula first, before you can craft it. To unlock the formula, head to the 5th Caravan Quest board and claim the quest called Fishing Level Breakthrough 1. If you don’t see it on the board, you need to reach Fishing Skill level 4. After claiming it, go to Fall Forest and look for Vast. Make sure you bring your fishing gear with you.
Vast will ask you to catch 10 fish from any Fishing Point in Fall Forest. The good news is, Vast is standing right beside the river, and there are usually several Fishing Points nearby. You can use auto-fishing here because you will be able to quickly catch what you need for the quest. Once you are done, just talk to Vast again to complete the quest. As a reward, you will receive 5 pieces of Basic Fish Trap and the formula for crafting it will be unlocked.
Related: LifeAfter Crafting Guide: Tips & Tricks to Craft Better Equipment
To craft a Basic Fish Trap, you will need the following materials:
– 3 Iron Ore
– 2 Flint
– 6 Twig
These are all materials that can easily be farmed in Fall Forest. You can also exchange your Stronghold Points in Fall Forest for these materials if you don’t feel like farming.
11. How To Unlock The Level 4 Fishing Rod
Once you are done with the Fishing Level Breakthrough 1 quest, you will be able to earn more fishing experience and reach new Fishing Skill levels. Reach Fishing Skill level 5 then go back to the 5th Caravan Quest board. This time around, look for the quest called Find a better rod 1. Accept it and look for Vast once again. He will be in Snow Highlands, beside the river. Before you hop on the helicopter, bring the following materials with you:
– 1 Beast Tendon
– 1 Hemp Bast
– 4 Wood Core
– 1 Plastic
When you find Vast, he will ask you to catch a Bighead Carp or an Eel. He will then say you need a better rod in order to do so, then give you 10 Metal Lures and the formula for a Level 4 rod. Technically, you have unlocked the formula now, but you may as well finish the quest, right? If you listened to us and brought the materials with you, you will be able to craft the Level 4 rod on the spot. There will also be a couple of Fishing Points nearby. Just fish for a few minutes in the Snow Highlands river and you will be able to catch a Bighead Carp or an Eel depending on the time of day. When you do, just walk back to Vast to complete the quest. You will be rewarded with a fish dish for your efforts.
Grab your fishing rod and get ready to reel in hundreds of fish in LifeAfter! Make sure you use our tips and tricks above and you will be a Fishing Champion in no time!