Pokemon BDSP carries on the tradition of rewarding patient trainers with a diverse catch from Sinnoh’s many waterways. Fishing mechanics remain familiar to veterans of the series. Simply approach a body of water, cast your line, and reel in your prize when the exclamation point appears.
However, your equipment is the key to a successful fishing expedition. Different rods unlock a wider variety of Pokemon. This guide will be your comprehensive resource for mastering the art of the catch in Pokemon BDSP. We’ll detail how to acquire each fishing rod and the unique aquatic companions you can encounter using each one.
How to Use Rods for Fishing?
Once near the lake or pond, select your rod from the Key Items Pocket to catch Pokemon. A quicker way to get your rod out is by repeatedly registering it with a quick key to prevent selection.
When the rod is in the water, press the “+” button or D-Pad/Control Sticks to change the direction of the rod. Once you see an “!” mark above your character’s head, this will be your queue to pull out the rod as you have caught a Pokemon.
How to Get Old Rod?
You can get the Old Fishing Rod at Route 218 in the Jubilife City’s West gate. When you enter the building, the security officer will tell you about the fishing spot, and right near him, you will see a fisherman standing with a fishing rod. He will ask you, “An old rod is a good thing! You think so too, am I right?” You must agree with him, and as a sign of gratitude, he will give you his old rod.
Best Pokemon to Catch with Old Rod
Once you have the Old Rod, head to Route 218 or 204, and the best Pokemon you can catch with it is a Magikarp.
How to Get Good Rod?
Your next item is the Good Rod, which you can find at Veilstone City on Route 209, right east of the Hearthome City entrance. You will see a fisherman fishing in the pond, interact with him, and he will ask you whether a Good Rod is really good or not; you need to agree with him. He will be pleased with your answer and will hand over his Good Rod to you.
Best Pokemon to Catch with Good Rod
After receiving the Good Rod on Route 209, you can instantly locate Magikarp at Level 20 and higher. Simply leveling it up once will evolve it into Gyarados, providing you with a type advantage against some Gym leaders.
You can also catch a Goldeen or Fineon with the Good Rod.
How to Get Super Rod?
For the last rod, you must head to the map’s northeastern side, the Fight Area. Before getting there, you must have the National Dex. Near Route 225, you will spot a fisherman standing outside a building. Talk to him, agree with his question about the super rod, and give you his rod.
Best Pokemon to Catch with Super Rod
Once you have the super rod, you can catch some Pokemon, including Luvdisc on Route 213, Seadra on Route 216, Wild Octillery, and Wild Gyarados on Route 224.
List of Pokemon Caught with Fishing Rods
Now, we will mention the names of all the Pokemon that one can catch using the above-mentioned fishing rods with their exact locations:
Old Rod Pokemon
| Pokemon | Location |
|---|---|
| Magikarp | Route 218 |
| Feebas | Basement of Mt. Coronet in the Northern part. |
Good Rod Pokemon
| Pokemon | Location |
|---|---|
| Magikarp | Route 208 |
| Gyarados | Route 208 |
| Barboach | Northern part of Route 205 |
| Finneon | Route 218 |
| Goldeen | Route 203 |
| Poliwag | Route 226 |
Super Rod Pokemon
| Pokemon | Location |
|---|---|
| Gyarados | Route 205 |
| Lumineon | Route 218 |
| Shellder | Southern part of Route 205 |
| Whiscash | Great Marsh |
| Dratini | Mt. Coronet |
| Dragonair | Mt. Coronet |
| Carvanha | Great Marsh |
| Sharpedo | Route 223 |
| Qwilfish | Iron Island |
| Octillery | Route 224 |
| Seaking | Route 214 |
| Clamperl | Route 219 |
| Luvdisc | Route 224 |
| Poliwhirl | Route 225 |
| Corphish | Celestic Town |
| Crawdaunt | Celestic Town |
| Chinchou | Route 220 |
| Lanturn | Route 220 |
| Walimer | Route 223 |
| Wailord | Route 223 |
How to Chain Fish in Pokemon BDSP?
To start chain fishing, you need to follow the given basic steps:
- Select a fishing spot and rod
- When you catch your first Pokemon, put the rod back into the water immediately in the same spot
- Repeat this process after catching a few Pokemon without interruptions, and with every new Pokemon, you will see their level keeps increasing
- You can increase your chances of getting a chain by using Suction Cups, Sticky Hold, or by fishing in a corner where rocks surround the place
However, the chances of Chain Fishing Pokemon are incredibly low, so we can’t be sure if the method even works or not. The original Pokemon Diamond and Pearl had a bug that prevented items like Suction Cups from working properly. It is unclear if the bug is still present, so we can’t confirm if you can chainfish in the game.
