Leveling Fishing Guide
- See also: Fisher
A Gentleman's Guide To Leveling Fishing
Introduction
Welcome to the Gentleman's Guide to leveling the Fishing profession in Final Fantasy XIV. In this guide I will explain the basics of Fishing and how to level the profession in style! This guide is currently a work in progress, so feel free to leave me a message in the Discussion tab at the top of the page if you have any suggestions.
The basics
Once equipped with a fishing rod, your class will change to the Fisher class and you will have access to the following abilities:
- Bait - Allows you to designate what Bait or Lure is attached to your fishing rod.
- Cast - Assuming you're facing a body of water, this ability will allow you to begin fishing.
- Hook - Catches the fish currently on your line (indicated by a noise and your rod bending towards the water).
- Quit - Exits fishing, can also be accomplished by moving.
- Cast Light - Activates a glowing light on the tip of your rod. Helpful when fishing at night.
- Stealth - Allows a gentleman to fish uninterrupted by hostile creatures. Sadly, also slows movement speed. Level 8 Fisher
- Release - If used after catching a fish, it releases it and avoids catching that type of fish again until current fishing session has ended. Level 22 Fisher
- Mooch - An advanced technique used to catch large fish. It becomes usable after a high quality "moochable" fish has been caught. Level 25 Fisher
As a gentleman fisher you should dress for success by incorporating not just stylish clothes, but also ones that give bonuses to the Gathering and Perception stats. Gathering determines your ability to catch difficult or "higher level" fish. Perception enhances your ability to catch "high quality" fish and comes into play quite often with the fishing ability Mooch. Currently the Fisher class does not benefit from Gathering Points or GP as other gathering professions do.
To unlock the Fisher class you must speak with the Guild Receptionist in Limsa Lominsa Lower Decks and accept the quest Way of the Fisher to join. You will be provided with your very first fishing rod, Weathered Fishing Rod, and 99 Lugworm.
Using This Guide
This guide recommends using Guildleves to assist in the leveling process. If you have used up all your Leve Allowances or are saving them for another class, fear not! Simply follow along and keep those fish you might have handed in to sell on the markets instead.
Guildleves don't mind if you didn't catch the fish, only that you provided it to hand in. Those who wish to expedite the process of leveling their craft at the expense of additional Leve Allowances can feel free to purchase fish from the market and hand in for additional experience points.
The Journey Begins - Levels 1 to 15
[1-5] We begin by assisting the Fishing Guild with the quest My First Fishing Rod. It is immediately available once you've equipped your first rod from Sisipu at the Fishing Guild. Go head and fish up the 5 Lominsan Anchovy required for the quest by using your Cast ability while facing towards the water around the fishing guild. Continue fishing after you've handed in this quest until you reach level 5. Your next quest, Bigger Fish to Fry, requires 3 Harbor Herring which can also be found in the waters in town. Go ahead and fish at the guild until you've completed this quest.
[5-10] Next we'll try our hand at fresh water fishing. With the Crayfish Balls we obtained from the last guild quest we'll head out to Middle La Noscea and fish at either of two fresh water rivers just north of the entrance to Limsa Lominsa. Our next class quest at level 10, The Princess and the Fish, will require a high quality Princess Trout. If by the time you reach 10 you have not acquired such a fish, don't worry! Just check the market boards in town (The guild master can't tell the difference).
[10-15] At this point I recommend beginning to use Guildleves to speed up our leveling. In Western La Noscea, nestled in the far eastern side is a small village called Swiftperch. There is a vendor here that sells Goby Balls which we'll use to catch the fish we need. Fish off the cliff side in town and you'll catch everything you need to hand in for the leves. Be sure to hang onto any White Coral and Rothlyt Clam for the level 15 leves.
| Leve Name | Fish Required |
|---|---|
| Fish by Many Other Names | 3xMoraby Flounder* |
| Brain Candy | 3xPebble Crab |
| Just Add Water | 3xTiger Cod |
| The Fertile Incandescent | 3xHarbor Herring* |
*These can be handed in 3 times per Leve for additional experience.
The level 15 class quest, Every Fish Has a Silver Lining, requires 5 Navigator's Dagger. You can find these in the waters behind the lighthouse west of Swiftperch in Western La Noscea. Be sure to use some Rat Tail to catch them before heading back to town.
Gaining Speed - Levels 15 to 30
[15-20] Let's head to Aleport in Western La Noscea! Conveniently it's located a short boat ride away from the Fishing Guild. Using Rat Tail bait, we can find all of our Leve fish these in the waters of Aleport.
| Leve Name | Fish Required |
|---|---|
| Crab Life by the Horns | 3xHelmet Crab* |
| The Moral of the Coral | 3xWhite Coral* |
| My Own Private Shell | 3xRothlyt Oyster |
| The Deepest Cut | 3xRazor Clam |
*These can be handed in 3 times per Leve for additional experience.
Unfortunately Helmet Crab and White Coral are really difficult to isolate. The solution to this is a technique I call "Leve Sifting". Talk to the Levequest NPC and open the fishing Leve menu. Take a look at what two Leves are available to you. Simply pick the better of the two (ideally one you have lots of fish for) and accept only that quest. Hand it in and recheck what quests are now available. Sometimes you'll get lucky and the quest you have fish for will be available again. If not, pick the easier of the two options and hand that in to try and refresh the list.
When you've reached level 20, head north to Upper La Noscea and cast your rod into the large lake in the center of the map with a Crow Fly lure. There's a vendor near by that sells them. Fish up 5 Warmwater Trout for the next guild quest and head back to town.
[20-25] This is a really easy stretch, but at level 20 you should make sure you're wearing a piece of gear in each slot (except jewelry) that's helping your Gathering or Perception skill. Head out to Quarrymill in South Shroud and Fish in the river that runs through town with the Crow Fly lure.
| Leve Name | Fish Required |
|---|---|
| Sounds Fishy to Me | 3xCopperfish |
| Blind Ambition | 3xDark Sleeper* |
| The Long and the Shortcrust | 3xBlack Eel |
| Food Chain Reaction | 3xFaerie Bass* |
*These can be handed in 3 times per Leve for additional experience.
When you hit 25, head to North Shroud and fish in the waters around town with the Aetheryte location. Use a low level bait like Moth Pupa to target some easy fish. When you get a Large version of one, hit the Mooch button and fish up the Shadow Catfish you need for your next guild quest.
[25-30] Once again, we'll be fishing in South Shroud so head to Quarrymill. Just east of town there's a small pond called Goblinblood. It's surrounded by small encampment of goblins, so use your stealth ability to avoid being harassed while you fish. This round is a little trickier, try to Leve Sift for Salmon and Dark Bass.
| Leve Name | Fish Required |
|---|---|
| Fishing 101 | 3xDark Bass* |
| A Shocking Soiree | 3xBlack Ghost |
| A Watery Web of Lies | 3xYugr'am Salmon |
| The Truth Will Set You Free | 3xFive-ilm Pleco* |
*These can be handed in 3 times per Leve for additional experience.
The Salmon and the Dark Bass are the easier ones to catch. Black Ghost requires Mooch from Ala Mhigan Fighting Fish, and the Plecos don't bite very often unless you use a Floating Minnow. At 27, switch to the Chocobo Fly for the highest catch rates on Salmon and Bass.
At 30, you should head to Costa del Sol in Eastern La Noscea and fish at night with Spoon Worm for the 10 Fullmoon Sardines you need for the next guild quest. Don't worry if it's day, just keep fishing until night. You'll also be catching fish you need for the next tier of Levequests.
Fishing the Sea, Sand and Snow - Levels 30 to 40
[30-35] Welcome to sunny and warm Costa del Sol where you'll be spending the next five levels. Head up the coast to the North Bloodshore fishing hole with about two stacks of Spoon Worm. You'll want to avoid taking the Indigo Herring levequest when possible as they aren't caught here. If you need some, wait till 34 and use a Sinking Minnow in Costa del Sol.
| Leve Name | Fish Required |
|---|---|
| The Blue Period | 3xSea Pickle* |
| Kitchen Nightmares No More | 3xBlack Sole* |
| A Recipe for Disaster | 3xAsh Tuna |
| Just Call Me Late for Dinner | 3xIndigo Herring |
*These can be handed in 3 times per Leve for additional experience.
You can switch to a Steel Jig once you hit 32, it catches Sole and Tuna more than the Sea Pickles. At 35 you unlock Sand Fishing. Head to the guild and accept your next quest. You'll be sent to Southern Thanalan so pick up some Sand Leech from the vendor in Forgotten Springs and head out to the east and cast your line in the Sagolii Dunes. Snag a Desert Catfish and head back to the guild.
[35-40] It's time to head to colder climates, so dress warmly. Coerthas Central Highlands will be our go-to location until level 45. For the first half of this stretch, we'll be doing Leves in the Observatorium at the south east corner of the map. Our fishing will take place in two locations, first I'd recommend going to the Exploratory Ice Hole (Near Snow Cloak on the map) and using the Chocobo Fly to catch about 40 to 50 Lamp Marimo. Then go to the Coerthas River (there's a nice safe area to fish near the entrance from North Shroud). From the river we'll stock up on Seema, Giant Bass and Crimson Trout.
| Leve Name | Fish Required |
|---|---|
| Fry Me a River | 3xGiant Bass* |
| The Perks of Politics | 3xSeema |
| Gathering Light | 3xLamp Marimo* |
| Hands Off Our Fish | 3xCrimson Trout |
*These can be handed in 3 times per Leve for additional experience.
At 40, your guild quest will task you with getting 5 Raincaller. This can be very problematic as they're only caught in Gridania city (either zone) when it's raining. If the weather isn't on your side, you may want to consider the market boards.
Fishing Finale! - Levels 40 to 50
[40-45] Back in Coerthas Central Highlands we'll be headed to the North West side to the Whitebrim Front. The Leves there all require fish which can be found nearby. Just south there's a short tunnel called Daniffen Pass, this is where we'll be getting our Golden Loach with Honey Worm bait. Just north of the pass, there's a small fishing hole to the side of the road called The Nail. We can find the remaining fish we need here with the Stem Borer bait.
| Leve Name | Fish Required |
|---|---|
| Empire Builder | 3xBronze Lake Trout |
| Laird of the Lakes | 3xNorthern Pike |
| Make a Fish | 3xAbalathian Smelt* |
| Rationally Speaking | 3xGolden Loach* |
*These can be handed in 3 times per Leve for additional experience.
Your next guild quest is going to ask the seemingly impossible. Cloud Cutters, a variety of flying fish. That's right flying fish. Much like fishing in the dunes of the Sagolii desert, you'll need a special trait earned at 45 to do this. With Hoverworm bait (sold in Whitebrim), you can find the Sea of Clouds fishing hole off the cliff north of Whitebrim.
[45-50] Are you excited? You're almost there! Practically a master fisherman already. I hope you had fun on the journey so far. For our next location, we'll be fishing in Mor Dhona with our leve quests in the small camp in the south east side of the zone.
| Leve Name | Fish Required |
|---|---|
| Snail Fail | 3xIgnus Snail* |
| Awash in Evidence | 3xIlsabardian Bass |
| Sleeper Creeper | 3xSludgeskipper* |
| Putting the Zap on Nature | 3xBoltfish |
*These can be handed in 3 times per Leve for additional experience.
Let's completely ignore Boltfish because they're a pain. Sift that leve out by accepting and completing other quests to refresh the list. Fishing in the North Silvertear (that big lake with the dragon skeleton wrapped around the airship) with the Snurble Fly will yield two of the fish you require. Swap to the Topwater Frog for the bass. Alternatively Glow Worm can catch all 3 fairly equally. These last few levels go by a bit slower, but keep at it and you'll be there in no time.