As is usual in the Pokémon franchise, there are three different fishing rods for players to find in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. There’s the old rod, the good rod, and the super rod. While the old rod is relatively easy to get, some players have had trouble getting the good rod and, by extension, the super rod.
Once a BDSP player has a hold of the old rod found just outside of Jubilife city, they’ll want to upgrade as soon as possible for more and better fishing encounters. Since the old rod catches Magikarp and not much else, players can get frustrated quickly. On the other hand, the good rod allows for more and better Pokémon to be fished up from oceans and lakes.
Route 209 is the route just east of Hearthome city and a connecting route from Hearthome to Veilstone City. On this route, players may spot a lone fisherman on a small, jutting dock to the right of the main route. If the player already has the old rod in hand, he will gift them a good rod out of the kindness of his heart. As with most gifts from BDSP NPCs, he asks the player for nothing in return.
The Good Rod Location in Pokémon BDSP
As stated previously, the good rod allows for better fishing encounters in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl. Where the old rod only fished up low-level Magikarp, the good rod will enable players to catch Magikarp over level twenty. This means that players need only level their Magikarp up once to evolve it into a Gyarados, made much easier by the games’ inclusion of automatic experience share. Thus, players don’t even have to put the Magikarp on the battlefield to evolve it! The good rod also allows players to fish up Goldeen, which is perfect for any generation one fan looking for a Water-type, and Finneon, which is an excellent choice for those more interested in the aesthetic of their Pokémon.
Players can use their new good rod for fishing in any body of water that they can stand next to in-game, excluding those in the Grand Underground. The rod can also be registered, so players need only click a single button to use it, or it can be grabbed from the key items pocket in the bag. But this isn’t the final rod to be found in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. To fish up the best possible Pokémon, players will want to get the good rod and then go on the hunt for the super rod.
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond & Pokémon Shining Pearl are available now for the Nintendo Switch.