Fishing in Escape From Duckov is a straightforward loop once you unlock the tools. It supplies materials for quests, bunker upgrades, and trading, and it’s available on multiple maps once you know where to stand and what to equip.

Unlock fishing (workbench upgrade and materials)

  • Upgrade your bunker workbench to level 2 (Advanced Progression 2).
  • Craft a Worn Fishing Rod using 2x Wood and 1x Steel.

Once crafted, place the rod in your melee slot. Fishing is only possible from designated wooden docks or marked fishing spots.

How to equip bait and cast a line

  • Open inventory, click your fishing rod, and place a bait item into its attachment slot.
  • Go to a wooden dock with a fishing prompt.
  • Select the rod in your hotbar (default melee slot) and press the melee key (V).
  • Press F to fish when the prompt appears.

After a short pause, a timing minigame begins: a larger grey circle shrinks toward a smaller inner circle above your bobber. Press the spacebar when they overlap to secure the catch. A successful input can yield a fish—or occasionally junk.

Where to fish (map dock locations)

Ground Zero

  • Northwestern dock: west of the Northwest Camp, at the pond.
  • Eastern dock: beside Road Camp, at the pond.
  • Bunker basement: an additional fishing spot inside the bunker.

Warehouse Area

  • Central dock: southeast of the Warehouse, near the middle of the map.

Farm Town

  • Fishing dock: visible on the map, the primary spot for several late-list species.
Tip: If the prompt to fish doesn’t appear, adjust your position on the dock until it does.

Bait types, effects, and how to get them

You can’t fish without bait slotted into the rod. Many items work as bait—even some that look absurd—while food items generally don’t work on their own. However, certain foods can be used to craft bait.

Bait How to obtain Effect on fishing Notes
Earthworm Dig round dirt spots with a shovel; sometimes sold No bonus Baseline, widely usable
Cippo (lighter) Dismantle Metal Plate; random drop -15% Fishing Ability, -90% Fishing Luck Required for specific species
R6 Battery Dismantle Electrified MP7, PP3 Battery, Pressure Sensor; random drop -15% Fishing Ability, -90% Fishing Luck Required for specific species
Toilet Cleaner Dismantle Polyethylene Sheet; random drop -15% Fishing Ability, -90% Fishing Luck Required for high-value species
Bait (crafted) Craft with 2x Earthworm + 3x Soda Crackers +0.42 Fishing Luck Crackers aren’t valid as direct bait, but work in this recipe
Artichoke Petal Merchants +100% Fishing Luck Late-game consistency booster
Corn Kernel Merchants +100% Fishing Luck —
Mango Cube Merchants +100% Fishing Luck —
Grape Berry Merchants +100% Fishing Luck —
Note: Certain fish only bite on specific bait types, regardless of the negative luck or ability stats. Use the bait listed for that species even if it looks suboptimal.

All fish, bait, time windows, and locations

Some species are gated by time of day, weather, or map. A few entries vary between lists for time-of-day specifics; if a fish isn’t biting during the expected window, try the alternate time on the same weather condition.

Fish Bait Difficulty Time / Weather Location(s) Value
Bighead GoldfishCippo1AnytimeGround Zero, Warehouse Area, Farm Town246
Blue MackerelWorm or Bait1AnytimeGround Zero, Warehouse Area253
Brown SardineWorm, R6 Battery, or Lighter1AnytimeGround Zero (Northwest)248
Green PorcupinefishToilet Cleaner1AnytimeGround Zero485
Pink GoldfishR6 Batteries1NightWarehouse Area262
Red GoldfishR9 Battery1DayWarehouse Area257
Azure GalaxiasR6 Batteries1.5RainFarm Town857
Blue DamselfishWorm or Bait1.5NightGround Zero498
Blue TangCippo1.5AnytimeGround Zero402
Brown MulletR6 Batteries1.5Rainy DayGround Zero564
Green SnapperR9 Battery1.5Sunny DayWarehouse Area533
Purple DamselfishWorm or Bait1.5NightGround Zero, Warehouse Area, Farm Town407
Red Banded FishWorm or Bait1.5DayGround Zero491
Red Bigeye FishLighter (Cippo)1.5SunnyWarehouse Area917
Redfin SnapperWorm or Bait1.5AnytimeFarm Town392
White AngelfishWorm or Bait1.5Sunny NightWarehouse Area, Farm Town554
White FlatfishLighter (Cippo)1.5RainFarm Town503
Brown-white GruntWorm or Bait2AnytimeWarehouse Area1031
Green Fathead FishWorm or Bait2NightGround Zero820
Green-yellow PorcupinefishWorm or Bait2Rainy NightGround Zero (Northwest)1028
Greenback Bighead CarpToilet Cleaner2Rainy NightFarm Town789
Blue MarlinR9 Battery2.5Sunny DayFarm Town1881
Blue SailfishCippo2.5Storm NightFarm Town2053
Orange Greenfin FishR6 Batteries2.5Storm DayWarehouse Area2056
Orange SquirrelfishR9 Battery2.5AnytimeGround Zero1489
Pinkfin FlamefishWorm or Bait2.5Rainy NightFarm Town1899
Yellow-green SnapperWorm or Bait2.5Sunny NightGround Zero1903
Blue CatsharkToilet Cleaner3Storm DayWarehouse Area3042
Red Spotted GrouperWorm or Bait3Storm NightGround Zero, Warehouse Area3267
Golden FishToilet Cleaner3.5Storm DayFarm Town6150

Some higher-difficulty fish may be easier to land after you’ve progressed your fishing and gear. If you’re consistently failing the timing window, return to earlier species to build up a stash of bait and tradeables before chasing storm-gated targets.

Controls recap and common pitfalls

  • Rod must be in the melee slot and a bait must be attached, or the fish prompt won’t appear.
  • The cast interaction is context-sensitive: stand on the dock edge until you see the prompt.
  • The minigame only accepts the input when the two circles overlap; tapping early or late fails the catch.
  • If you keep pulling junk, swap bait or return during the correct time and weather window for your target species.

If you’re starting out, Ground Zero’s two outdoor docks are the quickest way to learn the timing and fill your early quest requirements. Once you’ve banked a few easy catches, pivot to time-and-weather windows for rarer species—Farm Town’s daytime storms with Toilet Cleaner bait are where the Golden Fish lives.