Fishing has long been a mini-game and mechanic in The Legend of Zelda. First introduced in Link's Awakening for the Game Boy in 1993, fishing has made several appearances since, usually as a side activity with rewards such as a Piece of Heart. Fishing became more important than ever in Breath of the Wild, where the aquatic creatures can be cooked into meals to replenish health and provide temporary stat boosts. Unfortunately, despite Link's need for sustenance in BOTW, he must resort to fishing without a rod, even though previous Links have enjoyed the luxury of such a tool.
Without a fishing rod, this version of Link must resort to more clever methods of fishing in Breath of the Wild. Simply swimming after fish seems to be a decent method, but can be time consuming since they are much better swimmers than Link. Spear fishing is apparently one of Link's talents, though it also requires him to get in the water in order to retrieve the fish and spear. The same is true for bow fishing, though particularly deft players might be able to skewer multiple fish at once. Oftentimes the best fishing solution in BOTW is the most maniacal - chucking a bomb in the water and blowing them up.
None of these methods are particularly efficient, requiring Link to get in the water. He has a hundred-year hunger that needs to be satiated, and there are apparently no extra fishing rods that survived the Second Great Calamity. Even the adept fishermen of Lurelin Village appear to spear fish, but it's time for Nintendo to give a fishing pole to Link in Breath of the Wild 2.
Link Really Needs A Fishing Rod In Breath Of The Wild 2
As the other methods of retrieving fish in BOTW prove, a fishing rod is not entirely necessary, but it would probably save Link a lot of undue stress in Breath of the Wild 2. Giving Link - and by extension, players - a fishing rod is an easy way to break up the monotony of gathering supplies in the next Zelda game. Cleanly catching a fish on a hook could even reward players with bonus hearts or stat boosts when that fish is used in meal preparation.
While the Breath of the Wild sequel gameplay trailer shows Link taking to the skies, it's likely Nintendo will expand on the ground-level areas of Hyrule as well. Giving Link a fishing rod and having him complete fishing quests might make for some interesting side content. Perhaps fishing competitions can be entered or legendary fish tracked down. If Link is still incapable of diving below the surface in BOTW 2, giving him weighted tackle might be a good way to introduce new fish to the already impressive list of wild animals. It is by no means a necessity, but Breath of the Wild 2 seems ripe for the inclusion of traditional fishing, something that has been featured in The Legend of Zelda numerous times.