Fishing: the rod, the baits and the fish

Equip the rod, right click a bait to attach it, then hold attack to charge the cast and release. When the bobber dips under, press block to hook the fish, then hold block to reel. Casting and reeling both burn stamina, and a struggling fish drains it fast: if you empty the bar, the fish is gone. Once it is within a couple of meters, look at it and press use to grab it. Fish also strand on shores and occasionally jump into your boat, so you technically never need the rod, just patience.

Two tricks carry the whole skill. First, you do not have to reel: with a fish hooked the line length is locked, so walking backwards up the shore drags the fish aground for free. Second, big fish are a stamina war: eat stamina food and bring stamina meads for anything past the starter biomes.