TwisTonFire – Better Fishing

Made for the latest Project Zomboid unstable Build 42.

Better Fishing keeps vanilla fishing recognizable, but makes the important parts easier to understand and easier to tune.
It is especially useful on small ponds, pools, and narrow water areas, where vanilla fishing can feel unnecessarily punishing.

TL;DR
This mod keeps the vanilla fishing system, but gives you better sandbox control over the values that matter most:

• shore detection
• casting distance
• time-of-day bonuses
• weather multipliers
• a flat fishing modifier applied at all temperatures
• Vanilla Tables or Better Fishing Tables

This mod uses Sandbox Settings.
It no longer uses ModOptions.
All settings are configured in a dedicated Better Fishing sandbox page.

Most settings apply directly through sandbox values.
The only option that needs a reload is:

• Vanilla Tables ↔ Better Fishing Tables

If you switch the table selection, reload the save or return to the main menu first.

Existing saves are supported.
If you add Better Fishing to an already running world, the mod applies its default sandbox values automatically.
You can then change them however you want in Sandbox Settings.

Smarter, adjustable shore detection
Uses a smaller and cleaner shore check, which works much better on tiny ponds and swimming pools.
No more feeling “too close to shore” just because the whole water area is small.

Adjustable casting distance
Set a less frustrating casting range.
Default: 16 tiles
Range: 16–20 tiles

Adjustable time-bonus windows
Configure the morning and evening bonus windows, plus the strength of the bite-rate bonus.

Adjustable weather multipliers
Tune fog, wind, and rain to fit your preferred balance.

Flat fishing modifier at all temperatures
The temperature setting in Better Fishing is not based on warm or cold ranges.
It is a flat fishing modifier applied equally at all temperatures.
100% = no change.

Adjustable near-shore size behavior
A single Near-Shore Size Shift setting lets you control how strongly near-shore fishing shifts results toward smaller fish.

Switch Catch Size Tables: Vanilla ↔ Better Fishing
Choose between the game’s original catch size tables and Better Fishing’s tuned tables for a smoother progression.

Vanilla “near shore” is very generous.
The game checks a large area around your target tile.
If any shore tile is found, you are treated as near shore.
That reduces the odds for Medium and Big fish and pushes more results into Small fish.

This feels especially harsh on small waters.
On ponds, pools, and tight fishing spots, you often end up getting penalized simply because there is shore almost everywhere nearby.

Vanilla can feel stingy at low and mid skill.
Skill-based size limits and near-shore penalties can keep you in Small and Medium results for a long time.

Weather can also swing results hard.
Fog and strong wind reduce your odds, while rain improves them.
With Better Fishing, you decide how strong those effects should be.

The result:
Fishing becomes easier to understand, easier to balance, and much more sandbox-friendly without replacing the whole vanilla system.

Click the image for a bigger view: Left = Vanilla / Right = Better Fishing
[imgur.com]

Open your world’s Sandbox Settings and go to the Better Fishing page.

There are no feature checkboxes.
You adjust the values directly.

Reload required only for table switching.
If you change Vanilla Tables or Better Fishing Tables, reload your save afterwards.

Does this mod add items, maps, or UI screens?
No.
It only adjusts fishing logic, values, and table selection.

Is this safe for existing saves?
Yes.
The mod does not add map content or item content.

Is this compatible with other mods?
Usually yes.
Conflicts are unlikely unless another mod directly overrides the same fishing logic or the same fishing tables.

Does the temperature setting use cold/warm ranges?
No.

Better Fishing uses a flat fishing modifier for that setting.
It applies equally at all temperatures.
100% = no change.

Why?
Because vanilla temperature checks are easy to bypass.
The game checks the air temperature around the player, not the actual water temperature where you fish.
So a player can place a campfire nearby and improve fishing in cold conditions almost for free.

To avoid that exploit, Better Fishing does not use warm/cold ranges for this setting.
Instead, it uses one flat and transparent modifier that behaves the same at every temperature.

WHAT I COULD IMPLEMENT:
During Winter I could implement that your bite chance is halved. That would be an option to think about!
It would be a better option then to make it player temperature dependent.

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[streamlabs.com]
Your support helps me keep going—thank you very much in advance!

This mod only adjusts existing vanilla fishing logic and sandbox-driven values.
It does not add a separate fishing system.

It should work fine in multiplayer.

Small heads-up:
Multiplayer is not my main focus in Project Zomboid.
My highest priority will always be singleplayer.

Proudly using a ChatGPT-generated image!

Workshop ID: 3570485296
Mod ID: twistonfirebetterfishing