Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl Fishing Guide: Where To Get Old, Good, and Super Rods


A Pokémon Trainer with their Palkia, going fishing along Route 218 situated next to Jubilife City in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl.

Fishing has been a core component of all the Pokémon titles, and this hasn't changed when it comes to Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. Fishing allows players to catch different Water-type Pokémon, including those that may not appear elsewhere or while surfing and such.

In this guide, we explain how to fish and how to get the Old, Good, and Super Rods in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl.

Read More: Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl: How To Increase Pokémon Friendship Level & Happiness Fast

How To Fish in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl

A Pokémon Trainer with their Palkia has an exclamation bubble above their heads indicating they've hooked a fish along Route 218 situated next to Jubilife City in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl.
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Fishing in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl is easy. As soon as you have a Rod, approach a body of water and select the Rod from under 'Key Items' in your Bag to use it. When a Pokémon bites, an exclamation mark will appear above the Pokémon Trainer's head; you need to press 'A' when this happens to attempt to reel the Pokémon in.

At this point, you will either have to battle with the hooked Pokémon, or if you're unlucky, they will flee. Each Rod in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl functions in the same way, but if the Rod is of a higher standard, then you are much more likely to catch the attention of rarer Pokémon, like Gyarados or Poliwhirl.

How To Get the Old Rod

The Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl map, showing where Route 218 is and the Old Rod can be acquired.
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The Old Rod is the first and easiest one to acquire, as you can get it before you've even participated in a gym battle.

When you make your way to Jubilife City, head towards the left-most gate that takes you to Route 218. Inside the gate, there will be a Fisherman located here who will gift you the Old Rod and offer you some fishing tips.

How To Get the Good Rod

The Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl map, showing where Route 209 is and the Good Rod can be acquired.
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The Good Rod is the Rod you should aim to get and use for much of your gameplay. This Rod will stop the onslaught of Magikarp and allow you the chance to encounter Pokémon like Tentacool and Goldeen more often.

This Rod can be acquired after leaving Hearthome City and entering Route 209. There will be a Fisherman along the start of this route who will kindly gift you the Good Rod.

How To Get the Super Rod

The Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl map, showing where the Fight area of the Battle Resort is and where the Super Rod can be acquired.
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The Super Rod is a task to get your hands on. You will not be able to get this Rod until you have beaten the Elite Four and the Champion, which then unlocks the Battle Resort.

Once you have eventually done this and made your way to the Fight area of the Battle Resort, you can talk with a Fisherman who resides at the entrance of 225. Once again, the NPC will be kind enough to gift you a Super Rod!

That's all there is to know about fishing and getting new Fishing Rods in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. You'll have boxes full of Water-types in no time at all. For more activities and the chance to unlock more Pokémon across Sinnoh, we recommend exploring the Grand Underground, Super Contest Shows, or checking out how to evolve your Pokémon in our evolution guide.

For more articles like this, take a look at our Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl and Guides page.