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A Skill Guide
With thanks to: Darren0901
Fishing is an extremely important skill in Runescape. Not only does it provide essential high-level food which will help you defeat monsters, complete quests and survive the various dangers of Runescape, but it is also a great way to earn money.
There are numerous kinds of lures, nets and other tools used during the skill, and Members can take part in a mini-game ("Fishing Trawler") and a diversion ("Fish Flingers"), both of which provide quick and fun experience, as well as additional fish and rewards to take along with you.
There is a wide variety of fish to catch, and many different places to train fishing – including a Fishing Guild for Members – which makes this a thoroughly enjoyable skill to train.
For the Beginner
During the tutorial, you are taught only the most fundamental aspect of Fishing in which you are given a Small Fishing Net 
, and told to catch Shrimp 
. These small fish, along with Crayfish 
, which can be caught using a Crayfish Cage 
in the pond near Lumbridge, are good starter-fish for training your Fishing skill. As you progress in the skill of fishing, it is helpful to know about other fishing spots, offering better quality fish, which will provide you with better healing abilities and more experience per catch.
There are numerous fishing spots located all over the game map. A fishing spot is identifiable on your mini-map by the fishing spot icon 
. By walking over to a place with a fishing icon, and then clicking on the bubbles in the water, with the proper fishing gear and bait in your inventory, you will start to catch fish.
It is best to fish the spot until you have completely filled your Inventory with Fish. Be watchful though, as these fishing spots will move from time to time. After your inventory is full, you can choose to cook the fish you caught over a fire or on a range, or you may simply want to bank them for cooking later. You can also choose to sell your raw fish. It is entirely up to you.
The best places for beginners to start fishing is either the Crayfish pond in Lumbridge (which is also task under the Lumbridge Diary):
Or you may want to try the fishing holes near the Willow Trees in Draynor:
The Draynor fishing holes are most likely the better choice for someone who wants to raise the skill quickly, as they are very close to a bank, and this will allow you to bank your full inventory of fish quickly, for cooking or selling later.
Unlike Mining and Woodcutting, Fishing is a non-competitive skill, which means that it does not matter how many people are using the same fishing spot, one person will not be able to claim the fish first in advance of another player. As such, for fast and efficient fishing, it is best to fish on a busy world (which will have quicker respawn rates) and at fishing spots with as many people as possible.
Fishing Equipment
Where to Buy Fishing Equipment:
As you raise your fishing level, you will need to find new and better types of fish – which means you will need to seek out new and better fishing spots, and obtain new and better equipment to catch these higher level fish. This equipment can be bought at a many of the shops around Runescape or from another player. You can also buy fishing gear, bait and lures at the Grand Exchange in Varrock. There are also several designated "fishing" shops which offer a wide variety of fishing gear, and will buy and sell the fish that you catch or need:
Hank’s Fishing Shop - Lumbridge
Hank’s shop in Lumbridge is a good "first stop" for beginner fishers. It is the only store that stocks Crayfish, and one of the only two stores that sell Fly Fishing Rods in Free to Play ("F2P") worlds.
Gerrant’s Fishy Business - Port Sarim:
Gerrant’s shop, located near the docks in Port Sarim, sells a wide variety of fisihng gear – most noticeably it is the only other F2P store, aside from Hank’s shop in Lumbridge, where you can buy a Fly Fishing Rod. Gerrant's shop is also occasionally stocked with higher level fish, such as tuna, lobsters and swordfish, if you care to purchase same.
Harry’s Fishing Shop - Catherby
Harry’s shop, conveniently located near the beach in Catherby, also sells fishing gear – it is the only store where you can buy a Big Net. Harry's shop is also equipped with aquariums where you can obtain a pet fish 
, using a tiny net obtained from Harry, and a fishbowl 
filled with water and seaweed 
.
Shilo Village
After completing the Shilo Village Quest, you will be able to shop for fishing gear from Fernahei, in Shilo Village. This is a very useful shop for those players wanting to raise their fishing level quickly, as Fernahei's shop is well equipped to help the avid fly fisher maintain his or her stock of feathers for fly fishing. Fly fishing at Shilo Village is highly regarded as one of the fastest ways to level fishing efficiently.
Piscatoris Fishing Village
Arnold’s General Store offers a small variety of Fishing gear in addition to the normal equipment found in a general store. Arnold also, conveniently, doubles as a banker. Arnold will also buy and sell Monkfish – so be mindful when "banking" with Arnold and be sure you are not "selling" your monkfish to him by mistake – this is a common error and happens far more frequently than one may think.
Witchaven Fishing Shop
The Witchaven shop is run by Ezekial Lovecraft, who sells the standard equipment. This is a convenient store to those people seeking equipment close to the Ardougne area.
You can also purchase fishing equipment from other players, at the Grand Exchange in Varrock, or at the Fishing Guild – see below.
Fishing Equipment:
The fishing equipment you need is dependent upon your fishing level and the type of fish you want to catch. Higher level fish require slightly more complicated equipment.
Crayfish Cage Fishing:
This small cage is only used for fishing Crayfish (Level 1) fishing in Lumbridge. The cage itself can be bought from the General Store in Lumbridge or Gerant's Store in Port Sarim. Crayfish are good starter fish but it is recommended that the sooner the fisher can move on to more complicated fishing, the better. There is not much experience to be obtained from Crayfish, and they do not provide much in terms of healing power.
Small Net Fishing:
In Free to Play worlds, the Small Net is useful for fishing Shrimp (Level 1) and Anchovies 
(Level 15). These small fish can be obtained at any "Net" fishing spot located in F2P worlds.
Pay to Play ("P2P") Members can also use the Small net to catch Karambwanji 
(Level 5) near Tai Bwo Wannai Village and in Shilo Village on the island of Karamja.
Likewise, upon completion of the Swan Song Quest, Members can also use the Small Fishing Net to catch Monkfish 
(level 62) in the Piscatoris Fishing Village.
The Small Fishing Net can be bought from any of the Fishing stores, and from Arnold at the General Store in Piscatoris, as well as from other players and the General Exchange.
Bait Fishing: 
Using a rod and reel along with some fish bait 
in your inventory, you can fish at Bait Fishing spots anywhere in Runescape. You will use one (1) fishing bait for each fish caught. Bait fishing is used to catch Sardines 
(Level 5), Herring 
(Level 10), Pike 
(level 25), Slimy Eels 
(Level 28), and Cave Eels 
(Level 38).
At higher fishing levels, you can use Bait Fishing to catch Cavefish 
(Level 85) and Rocktails 
(Level 90) in the Living Rock Caverns. The Rod and Reel are likewise used to catch Rocktails, however Rocktails require that you use Living Minerals 
for bait. Living Minerals are mined from the Living Rock Creatures that reside in the Living Rock Caverns, or they can be bought from other players or at the General Exchange.
You can buy the Fishing Rod from any of the Fishing Stores, from other players and the General Exchange. Fishing Bait can also be bought from stores – but it also comes in a monster drop, particularly from Zombies.
Big Net Fishing: 
Big Net Fishing is for Members only. You can buy the Big Net only from Harry’s fishing chop in Catherby. When fishing with a big net, you will catch a wide variety of fish -- Mackeral 
(Level 16), Oysters 
(Level 16), Cod 
(Level 23) and Bass 
(Level 46) – along with numerous other objects: Gloves, Boots, Caskets 
(Level 16) and Seaweed 
(Level 16). You can also Big Net Fish for Frog Spawn 
(Level 33) in the Lumbridge Swamp Slayer Dungeon.
Fly (Lure) Fishing: 
Fly Fishing is one of the fastest ways to gain fishing experience. Using a Fly Fishing Rod (available at Gerrant’s Fishing Shop in Port Sarim, the Lumbridge Fishing Shop or bought from another player or the Grand Exchange) and ordinary white chicken feathers for bait 
, you can fish for Trout 
(Level 20) and Salmon 
(Level 30). Trout and Salmon are very fast to fish, and an average player can fill an inventory of Trout and Salmon in a very short amount of time. As such, they are very popular fishing spots for obtaining fast fishing levels.
If you choose to use striped bird feathers, obtained from the Tropical Wagtail 
through the Hunting Skill, you can fly-fish for Rainbow-Fish 
(Level 38). Rainbow fish are likewise fast experience, however the cost of a Wagtail feather is considerably higher than the normal white (chicken) feather and, as such, is rarely the choice of players seeking to raise fishing levels efficiently.
Harpoon Fishing: 
You can use any one of three (3) possible harpoons:
[1] Standard Harpoon: The standard form of harpoon can be bought from any store. This harpoon will take up one space in your inventory, laving the other available spaces for your caught fish.
[2] Barb-tailed Harpoon (Members only): 
This harpoon is obtained through the Hunter Skill. It can also be bought from another player or through the Grand Exchange. The barb-tailed harpoon is a common and popular fishing tool, as it can be wielded in the weapon slot and therefore opens an additional space in the inventory for one more fish.
[3] Sacred Clay Harpoon (Members only): 
This Harpoon is obtained through the Morphic Tools obtained from the Stealing Creation mini-game. It is held in the wepon slot, like the bard-tail harpoon. The Clay Harpoon provides, effective, double the experience obtained for each fish, during the duration of its charges. The drawbacks of the Clay Harpoon are that it appears to fish slower than the other harpoons, and it needs to be recharged from time to time.
Using a Harpoon, F2P players can catch Tuna 
(Level 35) and Swordfish 
(Level 50). These fish can only be caught in F2P at Musa Point on Karamja Island – see below. In addition to Tuna and Swordfish, members can use the Harpoon to also catch Sharks 
(Level76). Sharks can be caught at any "Net/Harpoon" fishing spots.
Cage Fishing: 
Cage Fishing for Lobsters 
(Level 40) is a very popular form of fishing because it is relatively fast and quite profitable. Lobsters are popular because they have a relatively high healing level (healing 120 lifepoints each) while maintaining a relatively lost cost. They are reasonably easy to catch, requiring only Level 40 Fishing, are quite plentiful – and found in numerous areas in Runescape.
Lobsters are very likely the most commonly bought and sold fish in Runescape.
Karambwan Vessel Fishing: 
The Karambwan Fishing Vessel 
is obtained during the Tai Bwo Wannai Trio Quest. It requires Level 65 Fishing to use, and a Karambwanji 
to be used as “bait” to obtain a full vessel . The only place to use this Vessel is at the fishing spot in the Northeast corner of Karamja Island – see map below. If you lose this Vessel, you can obtain another one by speaking to Tiadeche at Tai Bwo Wannai Village.
The fishing verssel is used to obtain Karambwan 
, which is an octopus-type fish. The Karambwan are high level fish, offering a good healing level, but they also will steal your bait, and are not suggested as efficient fishing experience.
Fishing Gloves 
You can obtain Swordfish Fishing Gloves or Shark Fishing Gloves 
from the Fist of Guthix Mini-game. You can also obtain Fishing Brawlers .png)
from Player kill drops on Player vs Player ("PvP") worlds.
Using these gloves will give you an extra 100 bonus experience points for each fish of the glove-type you catch – i.e. Shark Gloves give 100 bonus experience for each shark caught. The gloves last for 1,000 fish caught, after which they crumble into dust. The Brawlers can only be used for fishing on PvP worlds.
Summoning Familiars
Certain "forager-type" Summoned familiars will provide you with assistance while you fish, namely:
Granite Crab: 
The Granite Crab (16 Summoning) provides an “invisible” +1 to your Fishing level and will also forage additional fish (Cod, Pike, Seaweed and Oysters) while you fish.
Ibis: 
The Ibis (56 Summoning) provides an “invisible” +3 to your Fishing skill and will forage additional fish for you (Tuna and Swordfish).
Granite Lobster: 
The Granite Lobster (74 summoning) invisibly increases your Fishing by +4. The Granite Lobster will also forage additional Swordfish and Sharks.
Fishing Boosts:
Fishing Potions
A Fishing Potion (Avantoe + Snape Grass) .png)
(50 Herblore) will give you a temporary boost of +3 to your current Fishing skill level.
A Juju Fishing Potion 
can be made with 70 Herblore, after having completed certain tasks in the Herblore Habitat mini-game. This potion purportedly gives a one-in-three-chance of catching a raw Baron Shark 
, when fishing for sharks while the potion is in effect.
Admiral Pie: 
An Admiral Pie is made by adding a Salmon + Tuna + Potato (in that order) to a pie shell and then baking the pie (70 Cooking). It will give you a temporary boost of +5 to your current Fishing skill level.
Agility Boost:
Agility is a helpful booster to your ability to catch fish. The agility modifier only applies to Harpooning fish. This means that, when catching Tuna, Swordfish or Sharks, you have a percentage chance of catching more than one of these fish, based on your agility level.
Basically, the higher your agility, the more likely you are to catch mulitple fish. To catch two Tuna requires Level 35 Agility. Swordfish require 50 Agility and Sharks require 76 Agility.
Quests:
There are several Quests that will provide you with Fishing Experience:
| Quest | Fishing Experience |
|---|---|
| Swan Song | 10,000 |
| Sea Slug | 7,175 |
| Rum Deal | 7,500 |
| Tai Bwo Wannai Trio | 5,000 |
| Fishing Contest | 3,225 |
| Land of the Goblins | 3,000 |
| Fremennik Trials | 2,813 |
| Recipe for Disaster | 1,000 |
Barbarian Fishing
By speaking to Otto Godsend, at his grotto, south of the Barbarian Outpost, and North of the Baxtorian Waterfall, Members will be taught the techniques of Barbarian Fishing:
Heavy Rod Fishing: 
Using Fishing Bait and the Heavy Fishing Rod found under Otto’s bed you can catch Leaping Trout 
(Level 48 Fishing + 15 Strength), Leaping Salmon 
(Level 58 Fishing + 30 Strength) and Leaping Sturgeon 
(Level 70 Fishing + 45 Strength). These fish are very popular with "power fishers" who are keen on obtaining fast levels for fishing, as you can use a knife with the Leaping fish to obtain bait, and fish for an indefinite period of time without banking – in addition to obtaining a consistent amount of fishing experience per fish caught. Of course, the drawback to using Heavy Rod fishing in this manner, is that you will not make much money from your catch.
In addition to Fishing experience, you also receive a small amount of Strength experience for Heavy Rod Fishing.
Hand Fishing:
You can "hand fish" any fish that you can catch by Harpoon, provided that you have the following requirements:
Tuna (Level 55 Fishing + 35 Strength)
Swordfish (Level 70 Fishing + 50 Strength
Sharks (Level 96 Fishing + 76 Strength)
Hand fishing is a very convenient manner of fishing, as it allows you to obtain fish from any harpoon fishing spot without requiring any fishing equipment. In addition to Fishing experience, you likewise receive Strength experience for Hand Fishing.
Fishing Locations
There are numerous fishing locations throughout Runescape where one can fish any variety of fish. Indeed, there are far too many fishing locations to list herein. As such, this guide will provide those "key" fishing areas, that are close to a bank and/or other facilities, which are essential training spots for those interested in raising their Fishing skill rapidly and efficiently.
Free to Play (F2P) Fishing Spots:
The best free-to-play (F2P) fishing spots are:
Draynor Village:
Draynor Village is a primary fishing spot for beginner fisherman in both F2P, as it provides a variety of “Small Net” and “Bait” Fishing spots that are all very close to a bank. This is a very good beginner fishing spot.
Barbarian Village:
The Barbarian Village is a very useful fishing spot for both "Bait" and "Fly (Lure)" Fishers who want to obtain fast experience in F2P worlds. This is a choice spot because it is relatively close to two banks - Edgeville and Varrock, and offers the only Fly Fishing in F2P.
Karamja (Musa Point):
Musa Point is the only spot for fishing using a Cage and a Harpoon in F2P, that is not located in the Wilderness – as such, it is the only place to obtain the “high level” fish (Tuna, Lobster and Swordfish) available to Free to Play players. You can also use “Net” and “Bait” Fishing here.
This fishing spot has been made more convenient with the relatively recent addition of “Stiles”. Stiles sits on the south shore of Musa Point, near the volcano on the South side of the island. Stiles will exchange your fish for banknotes, making it easier to continue fishing at Musa Point long term without the need for consistent banking.
Pay to Play (P2P) [Members] Fishing Spots:
Catherby:
Catherby is the primary fishing spot in Runescape: providing numerous fishing spots for Small Net, Bait, Big Net, Harpoon and Cage Fishing, plus a nearby bank and a conveniently located Cooking Range, which is right-next-door to the bank. Catherby beach is a very popular fishing spot on all worlds, as it provides access to all of the popular high level types of fish, as well as the Fish Flingers fishing diversion, without having any requirements to access it, aside from membership.
Shilo Village:
Upon completion of the Shilo Village Quest, a player may access the fishing spots in Shilo Village. Shilo is a key fishing spot for those players interested in "power leveling" their fishing skill by Fly (lure) Fishing for Trout and Salmon. There is a conveniently located bank nearby and the nearly fishing shop is helpful to re-supply feathers.
Piscatoris Fishing Village:
Upon completion of the Swan Song Quest, one may access the fishing spots a t the Piscatoris Fishing Villiage. Piscatoris is the only place to catch Monkfish (level 62). These fish are extremely popular as they fish nearly as fast as lobsters and heal 160 lifepoints each. In order to fish Monkfish, you need to first complete the Swan Song Quest.
You can also fish for Lobster, Tuna and Swordfish here, however, for some reason you cannot Barbarian Hand Fish any of the Harpoon spots in Piscatoris. There are no shark fishing spots in Piscatoris.
Arnold's general store doubles as both the "bank" and the "general store" in this village – so be careful that you bank your Monkfish with him instead of selling them to him by mistake.
Burgh de Rott
Upon completion of the In Aid of the Myreque Quest, you can access the fishing spots and bank in Burgh de Rott. Of particular interest in this dilapidated village is the fact that there are so many Big Net and Harpoon fishing spots in one area. The bank is a little farther away from the fishing spots, but there are so many of them in close proximity to each other, that this place is a convenient spot for fishing – particularly for those people doing frequent Barrows runs and who need sharks.
The bank is reasonably close to the fishing spots, as well, and “the Burgh” provides a nice and quiet spot to fish with a Big Net or catch Sharks.
Jatizso
You can access the Fishing spots in Jatizso after you have started the Fremennik Isles Quest. There are numerous fishing spots for Big Net, Cage and Harpoon fishing, along with a bank within reasonable walking distance.
Like Burgh de Rott, Jatizso provides a relatively quiet place to fish Lobsters, Tuna, Swordfish and Sharks.
Living Rock Caverns:
The Living Rock Caverns located under the Dwarven Mines in Falador is the only place to obtain Cavefish 
(Level 85) and Rocktails 
(Level 90). These fish can only be caught using a Fishing Rod with Bait for the Cavefish or Living Minerals for the Rocktails.
Cavefish and Rocktails are very popular fish, as they provide 300 and 380 experience, respectively, per fish caught, and heal 200 and 220 lifepoints each. Rocktails, in particular, will increase your lifepoints over your maximum lifepoints level.
The Living Rock Caverns are jealously guarded by level 120, 140 and 200 Living Rock creatures, so it is recommended not to fish there if you are not prepared for combat. That said, certain worlds – in particular World 2 – tend to draw numerous players who fish in these caverns, which provides a certain “safety in numbers”, and will allow you to fish Cavefish and Rocktails relatively uninterrupted. In any event, the fishing spot along the west side of the cavern has a convenient "gap" amongst the Living Rock creatures that will allow you to fish Cavefish and Rocktails mainly unmolested by the inhabitants of the cavern.
There is a convenient “Bank Pulley” located in the Cavern which is a “Deposit Only” bank, wherein you can drop off your catch, and return to your Fishing.
The Fishing Guild
At level 68 Fishing, you qualify to enter the Fishing Guild, located North of Ardougne, near the Village of Hemenster, where you can buy fishing equipment and fish for a wide variety of fish from the docks. It provides a conveniently located bank, which is very close to the fishing spots. If you do not have 68 Fishing, you may still enter the Fishing Guild using skill boosters, such as a Fishing Potion or Admiral Pie.
The Fishing Guild provides all types of Fishing spots, except those for “Fly (Lure) Fishing”.
The Guild is also the home of the Master Fisher, who will sell you a Fishing Cape of Achievement for 99,000 coins.
Points of Interest:
1. Bank
2. Fishing Spots (Docks)
3. Fishing Shop
4. Cooking Range
5. Entrance
Fishing Mini-games and Distractions
The Fishing Trawler
Talk to Murphy in Port Khazard and you can play the the Fishing Trawler Mini-game.
The Fishing Trawler is a Members only mini-game in which players participate by maintaining the Trawler – so it does not sink – while it catches fish. You need a level of 15 Fishing to play the game. World 116 is the designated Fishing Trawler world.
The basic game play is rather simple – armed with a bucket for bailing, some swamp paste to patch leaks and some rope to fix the torn nets, you set sail from Port Khazard aboard the trawler, out to the open sea, and trawl for fish. Well – the trawler does the actual fishing – you are merely there to keep the boat from sinking and the nets from falling apart.
Each game lasts 20 minutes, and you will receive roughly 40 percent experience per fish for all fish caught.
The Fishing Trawler is the only place in Runescape where fishers can acquire the Sea Turtle 
(Level 79) and Manta Ray 
(Level 81). Because the Fishing Trawler only provides 40% of the total fishing experience per fish caught, a Sea Turtle and Manta Ray only provide 38 and 46 experience per fish caught.
Fish Flingers
Fish Flingers is a Members only diversion. Every ninety (90) minutes or so, a Fisherman will appear at Catherby Beach, the Fishing Guild, the Barbarian Village, Piscatoris and Shilo Village, and if you Talk to him, he will ask if you want to join in the fishing competition on Isla Anglerine – which is located in the lake North of the Fishing Guild. If you answer “Yes” you will be teleported to the island.
There is no fishing level requirement to play Fish Flingers and you are not required to bring any items either, as they are all provided.
Your ability to participate in the competition is not related in any way, whatsoever, to your Fishing level. It is simply a matter of selecting the proper weight, hook type and bait that will allow you to score a one hundred percent (100%) rating at each of the three fishing locations on the island. If you ask the Fisherman for a clue prior to being teleported to the island, he will give you a clue consisting of a type of fish, the place to find the fish, and bait/hook/distance. Everyone can ask the Fisherman for a clue – and everyone can receive one clue per game. If you share clues with one another, you can all score a 100% rating.
Each fishing competition lasts roughly 15 minutes (plus a 5 minute wait in the “lobby”). As a reward, you will receive a fair amount of Fishing experience, some Lobsters, Swordfish and Sharks, and some tokens which can be redeemed for a Tackle Box 
, that can be used to store your fishing gear.
The Fish
As has been set out before, there is a wide variety of fish that can be caught. Below is a summary of all the Fish in Runescape, the required Fishing levels for catching same, the type of equipment and/or bait required to catch same, and the amount of experience per catch:
The Fishing Cape of Accomplishment
The Fishing Cape can be purchased upon you successfully achieve Level 99 Fishing.
The cape itself provides certain bonuses:
The trimmed Fishing Cape provides a +4 Prayer Bonus. In addition, the Cape will also allow the bearer the ability to “Boost” their Fishing level, temporarily to 100/99.
Notes and Comments
This guide is, by no means, meant to be an exhaustive guide to everything about Fishing. It is, however, meant to provide a positive leg-up in helping those people who want to fish for fun, food and profit.
Fishing has proven to be a rather lucrative means of both training a skill and earning coins. The average player, fishing sharks from Level 76 to Level 99 Fishing, can earn as much as 170+ million coins. There are faster ways to train Fishing to 99, but Sharks still remain the most lucrative fish while training to 99 Fishing. Rocktails are more valuable per fish, and offer more experience per fish, but on a coins to experience-earned ratio, Sharks earn more coins per fish while training Fishing to 99.
