You need a stick and string to make a fishing pole

A fishing pole in Minecraft is called a fishing rod, and you craft it from three sticks and two pieces of string. You place them in a specific pattern on your crafting table: the three sticks form a diagonal line from the top-left to the bottom-right, and the two strings go in the two spaces to the right of the middle stick. Once you arrange them correctly, the fishing rod appears in the result box and you can take it.

You can find string by killing spiders (they drop it when they die) or by breaking cobwebs with a sword or shears. Sticks come from breaking leaves on trees, or you can craft them from wooden planks — put two planks vertically in your crafting table and you get four sticks. If you are in Creative mode, you can grab a fishing rod directly from the creative inventory instead of crafting one.

Key Takeaways

  • A fishing rod requires three sticks and two string, arranged diagonally and to the right on a crafting table.
  • String drops from spiders or comes from breaking cobwebs; sticks come from tree leaves or wooden planks.
  • Once you have a fishing rod, you cast it into water by right-clicking (or using your secondary action button) while facing the water.
  • Fish take between five and thirty seconds to bite after you cast, and you reel them in by right-clicking again when you see the bobber move.
  • Fishing rods wear out after about 65 casts and need repair on an anvil or by combining two damaged rods on a crafting table.

Where to find string and sticks quickly

String is the bottleneck for most players early in the game. Spiders spawn at night or in dark caves, and they drop zero to two string when killed. If you want string without waiting for nightfall, go into a cave system and look for cobwebs — they hang in abandoned mineshafts, strongholds, and sometimes in caves. Break them with a sword (faster than bare hands) and collect the string that drops.

Sticks are easier. Any tree has leaves, and breaking leaves by hand or with a tool drops sticks randomly — you usually get one stick per five or six leaves you break. If you have wood planks from chopping down a tree, put two planks in your crafting table vertically and you get four sticks when ready. This is faster than farming leaves if you already have planks on hand.

How to use a fishing rod once you have one

Hold the fishing rod in your hand and face a body of water — a river, ocean, lake, or even a single block of water counts. Right-click (or press your secondary action button if you are on console or mobile) and your character casts the line. You will see a bobber float on the water surface.

Wait between five and thirty seconds. The bobber will start to move and sink when a fish bites. The moment it moves, right-click again to reel in. If you time it right, you catch a fish and it goes into your inventory. If you wait too long or click too early, the fish escapes and you have to cast again. Each cast uses one durability point from the rod.

What you catch and what it is used for

Fishing gives you raw fish (cod, salmon, or tropical fish), junk items (sticks, leather, bones, rotten flesh), and treasure items (enchanted books, fishing rods, name tags, saddles). Raw fish can be cooked in a furnace to make cooked fish, which restores hunger when you eat it. Enchanted books from fishing are the main reason experienced players fish — they contain enchantments you cannot get any other way, like Mending (which repairs tools as you use them).

The exact catch depends on where you fish. Ocean biomes give more tropical fish. Rivers give mostly cod. Junk and treasure are mixed in everywhere. You have roughly a 10 percent chance of treasure, 10 percent chance of junk, and 80 percent chance of fish on each cast.

Repairing a fishing rod when it breaks

A fishing rod has 64 durability points, meaning it lasts about 64 casts before it breaks and disappears. You can repair it in two ways. The first is to use an anvil: place the broken fishing rod in the left slot and another fishing rod (or the same one) in the right slot, and it repairs. This costs experience levels.

The second way is to combine two damaged fishing rods on a regular crafting table. Put both rods anywhere on the table and they merge into one rod with some durability restored. This method does not cost experience but destroys both rods to make one, so you lose durability overall. If you have an anvil and experience, use that instead.

Enchantments that make fishing rods better

You can enchant a fishing rod with Lure (makes fish bite faster), Luck of the Sea (increases treasure and junk, decreases regular fish), and Unbreaking (makes the rod last longer). Mending is the most valuable enchantment — it repairs the rod automatically as you gain experience, so the rod never breaks if you keep playing. You cannot put Mending on a rod yourself; you have to fish for an enchanted book with Mending on it, then use an anvil to combine the book with your rod.

Lure III makes fish bite in as little as five seconds instead of the normal five to thirty. Luck of the Sea III gives you treasure on roughly 12 percent of casts instead of 10 percent. Unbreaking III triples the durability, so your rod lasts around 192 casts. Most players prioritize Mending first, then Unbreaking, then Lure.

Fishing in different biomes and conditions

You can fish in any water block — rivers, oceans, lakes, swamps, and even a bucket of water you place on the ground. Rain does not affect fishing. You cannot fish in lava or in water that is moving (flowing water does not work, only still water). Cauldrons filled with water do not work either.

Fishing in oceans gives more tropical fish, which are less useful for hunger but more colorful. Rivers give mostly cod. Swamps and dark oak forests have water that works fine. If you want to set up a permanent fishing spot, build a small platform over water and cast from there — you can fish indefinitely as long as the water is still and you have a fishing rod.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I fish in the Nether or End?

No. Lava in the Nether does not count as water for fishing. The End has no water. You can only fish in the Overworld (the main dimension) in water blocks.

Do I need to wait for a specific time of day to fish?

No. Fishing works the same at any time — day, night, rain, or clear skies. The only thing that matters is that the water is still (not flowing) and you have a fishing rod.

What is the fastest way to get a Mending book?

Fish with a Luck of the Sea III enchanted rod if you have one, because it increases treasure drops. Without that, just fish normally — Mending books are rare but show up eventually. Some players build AFK (away from keyboard) fishing farms that catch fish automatically while they are offline, but that requires redstone knowledge.

Can I fish in water I created myself?

Yes. A single block of water you place counts as still water and works for fishing. You can build a small fishing platform anywhere and cast into it.

Why does my fishing rod break so fast?

Each cast uses one durability, so a rod with 64 durability lasts 64 casts. If you fish a lot, you will break rods quickly. Use Unbreaking III or Mending to make them last longer, or keep spare rods in your inventory.