Once Human Deep-Sea Fishing lets players catch large fish such as sharks and tuna with the Abyssal Sea Fishing Rod. The most important rule is that the game checks where your hook lands, not simply the rod you’re holding. You need to cast into a suitable deep-water fishing area.
The Basic Fishing Rod only catches ordinary fish. The Abyssal rod can also land sharks and tuna, but smaller fish still bite. Unlock its special Tech node and make one at an Advanced Supplies Workbench.
How to start Once Human Deep-Sea Fishing
Equip the Abyssal Sea Fishing Rod, travel to a suitable ocean fishing spot and aim your cast. Watch the landing-point prompt that shows where the hook is going to enter the water. The official October 21 notes say that hook location determines whether the deep-sea fishing activity is triggered.
Start from safe open water, away from a Voyager fight. Your ship can help you reach more open water, but don’t assume every area off the coast qualifies. Use the current landing prompt and test the water with a cast.
Once Human Deep-Sea Fishing: Abyssal rod unlock and recipe
The Abyssal Sea Fishing Rod unlocks through a Special Tier 5 Tech node. Find the Abyssal Sea Fishing Rod node in the Special Tech branch, then craft the rod at an Advanced Supplies Workbench.
Current item data lists 5 Alloy Steel Ingots, 5 Parts, 3 Adhesive and 10 Bottled Raindrops. Bottled Raindrops come from gathering crops and defeating enemies during Time Rain in Spring Valley. Check your crafting station before spending materials.
| Requirement | Amount |
|---|---|
| Special Tech | Tier 5 Abyssal Sea Fishing Rod |
| Workbench | Advanced Supplies Workbench |
| Alloy Steel Ingot | 5 |
| Parts | 5 |
| Adhesive | 3 |
| Bottled Raindrops | 10 |
These materials are listed in the Once Human Database’s current item records. The ordinary rod has a different recipe and cannot catch the large fish introduced with Isles of Abyss.
Once Human Deep-Sea Fishing: basic rod vs Abyssal rod
| Equipment | Possible catch | Important condition |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Fishing Rod | Ordinary sea fish | Does not unlock the announced large catches |
| Abyssal Sea Fishing Rod | Chance at shark, tuna or ordinary fish | Hook must land in deep-sea fishing water |
| Trawl Net | Fish collected while the ship sails | Ship production, not rod fishing |
| Tidal Cage | Fish breeding | Production facility instead of a fishing cast |
Abyssal fishing doesn’t guarantee a shark on every cast. Ordinary fish can still bite, even in the correct water.
Once Human Deep-Sea Fishing: catching sharks and tuna
Shark and tuna are the large fish explicitly named by Starry Studio. Cast the Abyssal rod in the appropriate water and complete the usual fishing interaction. The game provides dedicated prompts for the hook’s landing point, so check those rather than following a map that treats every cast around an island as identical.
Where the hook lands determines whether you’re in the special fishing area. Use the landing-point prompt, then keep trying when an ordinary fish bites.
After successfully reeling in a large fish, the game plays a special catch display with the fish leaping out of the water. The catch then enters your backpack and can be used for cooking and processing. That’s a useful return for a trip beyond simply recording a rare species.
Once Human Deep-Sea Fishing: trawls and cages
Trawl Nets offer a more passive supply of fish while your ship sails, and Advanced Trawls increase the haul and can collect floating supplies. An Abundant Fishing Talisman helps improve trawl efficiency. These are production upgrades, not requirements to perform a manual cast with the Abyssal rod.
Tidal Cages are for breeding fish, with Advanced Tidal Cages offering a shorter breeding cycle. If you need a steady food supply, those facilities may be more important than chasing rare large fish. The Ship Building guide covers how ocean facilities fit into your vessel.
Once Human Deep-Sea Fishing troubleshooting: why sharks aren’t biting
Check the rod first. A Basic Fishing Rod will only catch ordinary sea fish. If you’re carrying the Abyssal rod, check where the hook lands and whether the prompt indicates suitable deep water. Also remember that normal fish can still be caught during the special activity.
If the Abyssal rod isn’t in your crafting options, inspect your scenario Tech. Isles of Abyss starts characters at maximum level but gates equipment and facilities through Tech progression. The Abyssal rod has a separate Tech unlock and crafting recipe, detailed above.
You should also keep your ship supplied. Long voyages can involve hostile ocean creatures or Voyagers, so make sure you have food and a route back. Voyager Ships covers roaming naval encounters, while Haywire Zones covers hazards when you land on the islands.
Once Human Deep-Sea Fishing: a safer fishing trip
Once Human Deep-Sea Fishing starts with unlocking the correct rod, sailing somewhere safe, and watching the landing-point prompt before each cast. Stop if your supplies become low or if the surrounding waters turn dangerous. This approach is more useful than using an arbitrary number of casts as a supposed guarantee.
For server entry and phase timing, see How to Join Isles of Abyss. If you’re seeking other resources during an ocean voyage, Calamity Towers has separate challenge rewards and the free launch mail has one-time blueprints rather than fishing equipment.
For Once Human Deep-Sea Fishing, check the landing-point prompt with the Abyssal rod equipped, cast into suitable water and reel in your catch. Large catches go into your backpack for cooking.
Related Guides
Official source: Once Human version 3.1.1 deep-sea fishing details.
