A lot of players have been drawn to New World thanks to its rewarding and entertaining combat system but there is something supremely endearing about the exploration elements found throughout the title. At its core, New World is all about embracing the idea of exploring, growing, and banding together with other colonists. This emphasis on exploring is especially prevalent in the game’s gathering, crafting, and fishing mechanics.
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But this exploration element also extends to the mechanics themselves. Players aren’t given much direction when it comes to certain things and must use tooltips and general exploration to figure out how stuff works on their own. Unfortunately, there is A LOT to figure out when it comes to New World, especially concerning its crafting and Trade Skill gameplay. A good example is how to get Clam Bait, a seemingly simple task that is actually pretty involved compared to other MMOs.
What Is Bait Used For?
There are a handful of different bait types present in New World, both for Freshwater and Saltwater fishing. The main draw of bait is that it will increase the odds of receiving a larger, better, or rarer fish type when Fishing in a particular area. A lot of the baits that players will come across will give general boosts to all types of fish caught but there are some that are designed to attract particular fish and other aquatic critters.
Bait can be a valuable tool for crafters as some fish and aquatic animals are required to farm reagents that are used in potions, food, and other Arcana. Because of this, players will usually want to farm bait, whether they plan to sell it or use it for themselves.
How To Catch A Clam
Unfortunately, the only way to snag Clam Bait is by first catching a Clam. This is much easier said than done, as Clams are hard to come by, even for those with a high alacrity for fishing. Thankfully, there is one surefire way to increase the chances of catching a Clam, although, past that, the only “easy” way to get a Clam is to buy one from the Trading Post. Those looking to snag their own clam will want to use Nightcrawler Bait when fishing near Salt Water areas. This particular bait is loved by Clams and makes it easier to snag one.
Where To Find Nightcrawler Bait
Nightcralwer bait is, thankfully, much easier to grab than Clam Bait. All players need to do is head to a nearby beach and search the shores for Flint. Any time a player snags some Flint on the beach, they have a chance of finding some Nightcrawlers wiggling around underneath it. There is no special mechanic to grabbing the Nightcrawlers themselves, they’ll simply pop up and be added to a player’s inventory whenever they grab some Flint. After scouring the beach for a bit, players should have a healthy amount of both Flint and Nightcrawler bait.
How Fishing Works In New World
Once players have some Nightcrawler bait, they’ll need to actually fish a Clam out of the ocean. To do so, they can head to any beach and simply cast their line into the ocean (players will need a Fishing Rod, which can be grabbed from an early quest or crafted at a Tool Workbench). The default key to “start fishing” is usually F3 on PC but players may need to check their keybindings if that isn’t working.
It’s important to note that Clams can ONLY be caught in Salt Water and will not spawn in Fresh Water. Beaches outlooking the ocean are the easiest places to snag them, to ensure the area is Salt Water. Once players place bait on their rod and toss their line into the water, they’ll need to wait for a bite. The game will alert that a fish is “going to bite the line” prompting near the circle icon that shows up when a line is placed into the ocean. Once the fish is “ready” the line will fill with a green color and quickly drain. Players will need to quickly click during this time to “hook the fish.”
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Clicking too early or too late will cause the fish to escape, forcing players to cast out again. Once a fish is hooked, a small mini-game will start in which the player must hold the same button they used to hook the fish in order to reel it in. During this time a “tension meter” will show up in the center of the circle. If tension builds too high (indicated by a red line and the meter touching the outsides of the circle itself) the line will snap and the fish will escape. Players must “let go” of reeling the fish in to let the meter drain once more. It’s a battle of patience, making sure the fish is being reeled in, while not reeling it in too quickly. The larger the fish, the harder it is to keep up with reeling in and giving slack.
How To Get Clam Bait And What It Does
Once players have been fortunate enough to hook a clam and catch it, they’ll need to salvage it to get the Clam Bait. Salvaging is as simple as going into the inventory, finding the clam, and right-clicking on it (on PC). Once salvaged, the players should find the bait in their inventory. Some clams may produce more bait than others. As for the bait itself, it will give a medium-sized boost to fishing in Fresh Water areas should players place it onto their hook before casting.
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