Fishing ( Online ) Fishing is an activity in which can be performed at fishing holes found all over Tamriel . Players are automatically given a starter fishing pole which does not show up in the players inventory . Players only have to find the fishing holes and bait . When next to a fishing hole , activating it will start the fishing animation , which will end when the player has caught something . While fishing , the player cannot participate in other activities ( such as chat or inventory management ) without cancelling the attempt . Fishing holes . Fishing Hole s can be found in most water sources across Tamriel . They appear as a small area of rippling water with fish jumping around in it . A fishing hole will provide a small number of fish or other items before it drys up and disappears . Currently , it is unknown how many fish a fishing hole can hold , whether all fishing holes hold similar amounts , whether fishing holes respawn in the same locations , or how long it takes for a fishing hole to respawn . While the player can use any bait at a fishing hole , the chances for catching a fish , or rare fish for the achievement , are increased significantly by using the appropriate bait types for the water type . Water types . There are currently four types of water in Tamriel : Lake , River , Ocean , and Foul Water . Each type has its own type of fish , its own rare fish , and requires certain baits to be most effective . Bait . Bait can be gathered around Tamriel , drop off of certain mobs , or be bought from merchants ( Simple Bait ) . For the most success in fishing , use the right bait for the right water source . Used Bait , which is often found when fishing , is completely useless , as it cannot be used as bait despite being labelled as such . With 1 . 3 . 3 patch Used Bait is no longer listed as bait . If you get used bait , it means you are using the wrong bait for the location . It ' s been suggested elsewhere to use Simple Bait if you don ' t know what type of watering hole you ' re at until you catch a fish , then swap to the appropriate bait . Simple Bait is regarded as a poor investment , because it costs 15 each and the fish you catch with it are only worth 2 – 5 each . Rewards . Each fishing attempt can yield any of the following : Rare fish . Each region of Tamriel has twelve rare fish . Catching all the rare fish in a region will reward and achievement and doing so in every region of Tamriel will reward an achievement and the title Master Angler . Each water type in the zone will have 3 rare fish associated with it . For instance , you will find Muskie , Blackspotted Pike , and Shimmerpike by fishing in Rivers in Auridon , but not Oceans or Lakes . It has been stated that multiple people fishing at the same hole will increase the chances of finding a rare fish however it will also cause the fishing hole to dry up faster . There was a bug where the player was unable to loot the rare fish , but this has now been patched . Uses for fish . Fish were originally included as provisioning and alchemy ingredients , however that use was removed early in the Beta . Currently , they are listed as trophies and provide a small amount of gold when sold to vendors . They can also be used to create " fish , " a provisioning ingredient , by selecting the " Use " option in the inventory , as well as a chance to find Perfect Roe . " common " fish sell for 3 each .