When the fishing activity went live with the rest of Season of the Deep’s new features in Destiny 2, it didn’t seem like much more than a laid-back side hustle for Guardians who wanted a break from the doom and gloom of saving the universe. That swiftly changed as the seasonal story missions came to a close though, and new Exotic fish began to grace the waters of Nessus, the EDZ, and Savathun’s Throne World.
For players hoping to get their hands on Wicked Implement, the season’s new Exotic scout rifle, catching these new Exotic fish is the first step required along the way. That means knowing the best way to get them is a top priority, regardless of your experience as a Guardian angler.
There are four Exotic fish in total that players can find out in the wild: Kheprian Axehead, Vexing Placoderm, Whispering Mothcarp, and Aeonian Alpha-Betta. The last three are the ones tied to Wicked Implement’s Exotic quest, rewarding pieces of a broken Hive blade after being deposited in the H.E.L.M aquarium. They are located at the Nessus, Throne World, and EDZ fishing spots respectively, so Guardians will need to get lucky at every location to complete the collection.
Here’s our guide on what’s worked best for us when it comes to being ruthlessly efficient at fishing in Destiny 2, and the fastest way to secure those prized catches in their native habitats.
What is the fastest way to catch Exotic fish in Destiny 2’s Season of the Deep?
There’s no silver bullet when it comes to catching Exotic fish, but gaming the Focused Fishing meter can make the process much faster. There will always be RNG involved in what you’re able to catch, but increasing the Focused Fishing meter will increase your chances of getting fish of a higher rarity in that spot.
The Focused Fishing meter can be found in the buffs section of your HUD and it features multiple tiers of progress that can be reached by picking up Legendary or Exotic fish that you successfully manage to catch. All Guardians currently at the fishing spot contribute to the same meter, which means that it’s a team effort and the luck buff the gauge provides can increase exponentially if everyone’s pulling their weight.
The Focused Fishing meter is also, unfortunately, instance-specific. When a fishing spot goes away due to the arrival of a public event, or you re-instance in a new session of the same destination, the Focused Fishing meter at the next fishing spot will have reset completely and you’ll be starting from scratch.
Related: How to get the Wicked Implement Exotic scout rifle in Destiny 2
But there is a trick that we’ve found to make the process of catching Exotic fish much quicker. When first arriving at your chosen fishing spot, pick up none of the high-rarity fish you manage to catch at the end of your line. You won’t increase the gauge on the Focused Fishing buff at the current spot, but those fish won’t despawn anytime soon and instead float on the surface of the water until you pick them up.
When a public event begins in the patrol area and the fishing spot disappears, leave those fish behind and quickly complete the public event. Only when the next fishing spot in the area has spawned should you pick up all of the fish that you caught at the previous one. All of the high-rarity fish amongst this haul will contribute to the new Focused Fishing meter for the next spot, allowing you to start at the fresh location with a little bit of increased luck already at your side.
Having the increased luck for a longer period of time ends up paying dividends in your search for the Exotic fish swimming in the depths. It can still, however, take hundreds of pieces of bait to get all of the Exotic fish in your possession, so patience is just as key to the hunt as anything else. Happy fishing.
