Fishing

Fishing is one of the oldest skills in the game, and one of the most common activities. It lets players catch fish from fishing spots. Caught fish may be cooked using the Cooking skill, and are often sold to other players due to their property of healing Hitpoints. The highest level (and therefore highest healing) fish can often fetch high prices. The current minimum to be ranked on the hiscores in Fishing is 59 Fishing and experience.

Equipment
Players need the right kind of equipment to catch the fish they want. Fishing equipment can be purchased in fishing stores. Free players can buy fishing equipment from the fishing store in Port Sarim, while members can also buy from the fishing store in Catherby.

Nets
The first few fish players can catch require nets. Fishing nets can only be used in the seas. Free players can only use Small fishing nets while members can also use big fishing nets. The big nets allow players to catch different, higher-level fish and sometimes items such as boots, seaweed, or caskets. When a player has found a fishing spot, they can then use their net if the option 'net fishing spot' is available.

Fishing rods and bait fishing
Fishing rods are required for mid level fish. Fishing rods can be used in both rivers and seas. Along with a fishing rod, players also need fishing bait to attract fish. Bait can be bought in stores (3gp each at Port Sarim fishing shop), but is also dropped by some monsters and random events. When a player has found a fishing spot, they can then use their fishing rod if the option 'bait fishing spot' is available. For every fish you catch, you lose one piece of bait.

There is also an Oily fishing rod. However, only members can use this rod. It is required to fish lava eels and is needed in the Heroes Quest.

Fly fishing rods and feathers - lure fishing
Fly fishing rods are also required for mid level fish. These rods can only be used in rivers. Along with a fly fishing rod, players also need feathers to attract fish. Feathers can be bought in stores, but are also dropped by chickens and evil chicken random events. When a player has found a fishing spot, they can then use their fly fishing rod if the option 'lure fishing spot' is available.

Stripey feathers (introduced with the Hunter skill) can be used for fly fishing, as well. Those feathers work the same as normal feathers, but players will only be able to fish Rainbow fish, rather than the usual trout and salmon. Note that if you have both types of feathers in your inventory, you will be asked which feathers you would like to use.

Harpoons
Harpoons are required for mid and high level fish. Harpoons can only be used in the seas. When a player has found a fishing spot, they can then use their harpoon if the option 'harpoon fishing spot' is available.

There are two types of harpoons - the regular harpoon and the barb-tail harpoon. Both harpoons catch fish at exactly the same rate, however the barb-tail harpoon can be wielded. Many players prefer the barb-tail harpoon as it saves an inventory space.

After being taught by Otto Godblessed, a player can catch fish that are harpoonable with absolutely nothing but their hands. Levels are higher and also require a Strength level, but fish are caught a bit faster and it saves an inventory space.

Lobster cages
Lobsters are caught in the sea, using lobster pots. When a player has found a fishing spot, they can then use their lobster cage if the option 'cage fishing spot' is available.

Fishing spots
There are 4 main types of fishing spots in Runescape: Net/Bait, Lure/Bait, Cage/Harpoon, and Net/Harpoon (members only). Net/Bait spots require a small fishing net to net fish whilst Net/Harpoon spots require a big fishing net to net fish. Each spot can catch the following fish:


 * Net/Bait: Shrimps, Anchovies/Sardine, Herring


 * Lure/Bait: Trout, Salmon, Rainbow fish (only with stripy feathers)/Pike


 * Cage/Harpoon: Lobsters/Tuna, Swordfish


 * Net/Harpoon: Mackerel, Cod, Bass, Casket, Junk/Sharks

Net/Bait fishing spots

 * Draynor Village: To the west of Draynor Village's bank are some fishing spots. Here players can net and bait fish. It is a great place to start fishing as there is a bank nearby, so players can fill their inventory with fish and then bank them and go back to fishing. However, there are 2 level 7 Dark Wizards that can be a problem for players under level 15.


 * Thurgo's Peninsula: South of Port Sarim are two to three fishing spots dotting the western shore of the peninsula, located behind the church and near Thurgo's shack. However, the nearest bank is in Draynor Village.


 * Karamja: Northwest of Karamja are some fishing spots. However, these spots are far away from a bank, so if a player wants to deposit their fish, it is recommended to fish at Draynor Village.


 * Lumbridge Swamp: At the east side of the swamp is the fishing tutor, giving a free small net to players that have lost theirs, and some low level fishing spots.


 * Al Kharid: There are some shrimp fishing spots south of Al-Kharid Bank, approximately as far as the fishing spots in Draynor Village are from the Draynor bank. However the scorpions can be a problem for people with low levels.

Lure/Bait fishing spots

 * Barbarian Village: On the east side of the village is the River Lum. In the river are some spots where players can lure and bait fish. Although this spot isn't far from a bank, Lumbridge is preferable.


 * Lumbridge: In the centre of Lumbridge is the River Lum. In the river are some spots where players can lure and bait fish. This used to be an unpopular fishing spot, until the addition of Lumbridge Castle's bank. This is the most convenient lure and bait fishing spot for free players.

Cage/Harpoon fishing spots

 * Karamja: Behind Luthas' banana plantation on the northern part of the island is a small dock that has fishing spots where players can harpoon, cage, or net fish. Unfortunately a bank is very far away and players have to pay 30 coins to go to the island and 30 coins to leave the island. Teleporting is faster, but is only helpful if players have jewelery or a weapon that can teleport them some place close. Having teleport runes makes it hard to carry many fish, but is the only way for free players to avoid paying the 30 coins to get on/off Karamja, and speeds up banking significantly. Members have an advantage while fishing here, as they can use the TzHaar bank to store their fish, which not only avoids paying 30 coins to get off Karamja, but is closer than banking at Draynor Village or Falador. This is moot, however, since members can access the Catherby fishing spots that are still much closer to a bank.


 * Wilderness: At level 35 to 38 in the Wilderness are some harpoon and cage fishing spots in the waters at the eastern edge. Thanks to Bounty Hunter, they're much closer to a bank than the Karamja spots. The only downside is revenants wandering around, which will attack you and disrupt your fishing even if they don't kill you.

Pay-to-play fishing spots
Members have many more fishing spots than free players, in addition to the free-to-play fishing spots.

Net/Bait fishing spots

 * Catherby beach: While close to a bank, the spots at Catherby are still less convenient than those in Al-Kharid and Draynor Village.


 * Entrana: Entrana is about as far from a bank as Karamja, and is not particularly useful.


 * Isafdar: The only bank that's remotely near here requires passing through a number of traps that can easily heavily damage you, and it isn't even very close. As such, fishing here is inadvisable.

Lure/Bait fishing spots

 * Shilo Village: This is the most popular place to fly fish, because it's the closest to a bank and there's a fishing shop right in town. The downside is that a quest is required to use it, albeit not a very difficult one for most mid-level characters.


 * Between Seer's Village & Sinclair Mansion: This spot is comparable to Lumbridge and Barbarian Village in terms of proximity to a bank, and is an acceptable location for members who have not done the quest to get into Shilo Village.


 * Entrana: As with the Net/Bait spot here, Entrana is not a convenient location because it is so far from a bank.


 * Tree Gnome Stronghold: Located in the southwestern corner of the stronghold near Brimstail's cave and the Terrorbird pen, this area is close to a bank and a strong choice for those unable to enter Shilo Village.


 * Observatory: Not too far North of Castle Wars, this spot is far enough from a bank to be less than optimal.

Cage/Harpoon fishing spots

 * Catherby beach. Close to a bank and also a fishing shop, this area is the most popular place for lower-level fishers to catch lobsters or swordfish.


 * Fishing Guild: The Fishing Guild is the closest Cage/Harpoon spot to a bank, and there are spawns of a harpoon and a lobster cage nearby as well as a fishing shop. It is preferable for fishers with 68 fishing or higher. With the help of a Fish pie, Fishing potion, or Admiral pie, the guild can be accessed as low as level 63; however, if a player logs out in the fishing guild without the required level, they will log in outside. Keep this in mind if you plan to cheat your way in on a shaky internet connection.


 * Jatizso: Accessible after starting The Fremennik Isles, this spot is frequently deserted despite being at least as close to a bank as Catherby. It's not quite as good as the Fishing Guild, but it's a fine place to cage or harpoon.

Rellekka: Far from a bank and not in a convenient location, these spots are not an effective place to fish.

Note: Swordfish and Tuna can also be harpooned close to a bank at the Piscatoris Fishing Colony, but monkfish are caught there with a small net instead of lobsters.

Net/Harpoon fishing spots

 * Catherby beach: A popular spot that's close to a bank; however, big net fishing is not a popular method, and most shark fishers prefer the Fishing Guild.


 * Fishing Guild: The closest spot to a bank, with a fishing shop in the area as well as a spawn of a harpoon and a big net.


 * Rellekka: As with the cage/harpoon spots here, this location isn't very useful, although it could be used to catch a shark to recharge an Enchanted lyre.


 * Burgh de Rott: While farther from a bank than most alternatives, a player already in Burgh de Rott who needs more food might conceivably use these spots to restock without going to the trouble of leaving and coming all the way back.


 * Isafdar: As with the Net/Bait spots here, this area is too far from a bank to be practical.


 * Jatizso: Just like the Cage/Harpoon spots, the Net/Harpoon spots here are very close to a bank and excellent for players who don't like a lot of company when they fish.


 * Ape Atoll: There is a fishing spot located near the agility course and another on the south-west side of the island. There's no bank on the whole island, and the general area is full of aggressive, poisonous monsters...so it's not a good place to fish.

Other fishing spots
These generally are one specific place for one specific type of fishing.


 * Karamja lake: South of Tai Bwo Wannai, this is the only place to catch Karambwanji, which are needed to catch Karambwan. You can also catch shrimp here.


 * Mort Myre and south of Mort Myre: Here you can catch Slimy eels and Cave eels with bait and a fishing rod. This method of fishing is very rarely used.


 * Lumbridge Swamp Caves: You can also bait fish here for Slimy eels and Cave eels, as well as net fish for Frog spawn. This method of fishing is very rarely used.


 * North of the East Karamja island: Karambwan fishing. This requires Tai Bwo Wannai Trio, a Karambwan vessel, and Raw karambwanji as bait. Unlike other fishing methods, karambwan require you to use the bait on the vessel before they can be caught, and the bait is not stackable. The closest bank is in Zanaris through the nearby fairy ring, code DKP.


 * Piscatoris Fishing Colony: Small net fishing for Monkfish as well as harpoon fishing for tuna and swordfish. Requires completion of Swan Song. Monkfish are one of the most profitable fish, and this is the only place to catch them. The nearby banker also runs a general store that stocks harpoons and small nets. The fastest access to this area is the fairy ring code AKQ.


 * Port Khazard: Although not really a fishing spot, this is where you play the Trawler minigame. It's the only place where manta rays and sea turtles can be caught. There's a deposit box here to store your catches.


 * Otto's Grotto: Located at Baxtorian Falls just south of the Barbarian Outpost, this is where you can do barbarian fishing with a heavy rod. Feathers, bait, fish offcuts, caviar, and roe can all be used as bait, and you need a barbarian rod, obtained from underneath Otto's bed. Here you can catch leaping trout, leaping salmon, and leaping sturgeon, which can be gutted with a knife to obtain roe and caviar, as well as fish offcuts and a small amount of cooking experience. Although far from a bank, fishing here provides faster experience than any other method once all three types of fish can be caught, and each catch gives a small amount of experience in strength and agility.


 * ScapeRune: Here players must net-fish cooked fish and uncook them in the uncooking pot. Small nets respawn on the island. This is part of the Evil Bob random event.


 * Taverley Dungeon and the Lava Maze: Bait fishing for lava eels with an Oily fishing rod. This is only available after starting Hero's Quest. Since lava eels are so inconvenient to get to, there isn't much reason to come back after the quest and catch more.

Fishing and Summoning
The members-only Summoning skill provides some very useful benefits to fishing, in particular when fishing sharks or monkfish. Familiars are indispensable because they can fish for you on their own, while you fish simultaneously. Not only does this give you additional fish to sell or cook, but you'll gain a portion of the experience for each catch! Plus, they'll give your fishing an invisible boost that improves your catch rate slightly. There are three familiars that help with fishing.

Fish
When a player catches a fish, it will be raw and cannot be eaten until it is cooked. The name and colour indicates this. For example, when shrimps are first caught they are named "raw shrimps", but once cooked the name changes to "shrimps".

(*These fish can be cooked to either "poorly cooked" or "thoroughly cooked" depending on your fishing and cooking levels. The "cooked" images for these fish show them thoroughly cooked.) (Sometimes you may catch a big shark, bass, or sword fish. This can be stuffed and used for Construction.)

Free-to-play training

 * Level 1 to 5: Net fish at the fishing spots just outside of Lumbridge, in Draynor Village, or in Al-Kharid.


 * Level 5 to 20: Bait fish in the same fishing spots.


 * Level 20 to 99: Lure fish at Barbarian Village or Lumbridge. This is a the fastest training method available to free players and continues to be so no matter what level you are. You should only fish something else if you are looking for profit.


 * Level 40 to 99: You can now try caging for lobsters at Karamja. The experience is still significantly lower than fly fishing, but the profit is significantly greater. You could also use the fishing spots in the Wilderness that are closer to a bank if you're willing to sacrifice safety for speed.


 * Level 50 to 99: Swordfish can be harpooned at Karamja or the Wilderness. Swordfish are slower to catch than lobsters (especially at level 50), but they're more valuable and give slightly better experience. Tuna is also collected when harpooning, and even if you discard it, you'll still get some extra experience from it. However, lobsters can still be fished a lot faster, so swordfish and tuna aren't necessarily better, and it comes down mostly to personal preference.

Pay-to-play training

 * Level 1 to 5: Small net fish at Draynor Village, Catherby, or such.


 * Level 5 to 20: Bait fish in the same place.


 * Level 20 to 99: Fly fish at at Shilo Village. This is the fastest experience way up until the very top of the level scale, and you can use it successfully all the way to 99. Shilo Village is especially convenient due to its proximity to a bank and fishing shop. Doing the quest is strongly recommended in order to use the best spot, but otherwise, you could go to a different Lure/Bait spot such as the Grand Tree.


 * Level 62 to 99: At level 62, you can fish for Monkfish. This is recommended to fish instead of sharks as they are caught faster and give more experience (120 xp over shark's 110 xp). They are also better than lobsters or swordfish, catching at around the same speed as lobsters and healing more than swordfish, and selling for more than either most of the time. Monkfish are still slower than fly fishing for salmon and trout, but you'll make more money. Note that completion of Swan Song is required. Bring an Ibis if you have a high enough summoning level--there's an obelisk nearby to recharge your summoning points.


 * Level 70 to 99: Starting at level 70, you can use Barbarian training to catch Leaping sturgeons with a Barbarian rod if you also have 45 strength and agility. Combined with the other leaping fish, heavy rod fishing is now the fastest experience all the way to 99, even faster than fly fishing, though not by a large margin. You'll also get small amounts of strength and agility experience for your trouble, which will eventually add up to over a million in each by the time you reach 99. Bring a knife and a handful of bait or feathers, and then use roe, caviar, and fish offcuts as bait. (You can fish with the roe and caviar by dropping the offcuts when your inventory is full.) Be aware that this method does not turn a profit.

Making money
Although far from the best, fishing can be a good way to make money. Every player needs food to heal, making fish a market with a massive demand. It is recommended that players do not sell their fish to general stores or fish stores, but instead sell them to other players. The Grand Exchange is the best place to sell fish.

Raw fish tend to fetch higher prices than cooked fish, due to the high demand of players who want to train cooking. Therefore, it is recommended you leave your fish raw if you want to gain maximum profit.

The fish most commonly caught for profit are lobsters and swordfish for free players, and sharks and monkfish for members.

A list of prices for raw and cooked fish can be found at the Grand Exchange Market Watch.

For some advice on making money through fishing, see the fishing section of the Money making guide.

Random events
Random events are events that happen at random times. They were introduced to stop macros - people who use a program to play automatically. Some random events include non-player characters wanting players to do a task for them and rewarding them if they are successful or a monster that will attack the player. While fishing, players may encounter random events which are specific to Fishing, listed below.

River Troll
While fishing, a river troll may appear and will start attacking a player. They can deal a large amount of damage and their combat level depends on the player, though it will always be higher. The level ranges from level 14 to level 170. Players can either run away from them or fight them. River trolls have meager drops consisting of items related to Fishing, such as 1 raw fish of any kind or 1-5 bait..

Big fish
While fishing, a big fish may appear in a fishing spot and steal a player's fishing equipment and spit it somewhere nearby, usually 3 to 10 squares away. The player has the usual amount of time as if they had dropped it to find their equipment before anyone else sees it and grabs it. When the player has found the equipment, they can go back to fishing. The big fish usually causes fishing spots to move as well.

Whirlpool
While fishing, a whirlpool may appear in a fishing spot. If a player continues to fish in the whirlpool, their fishing equipment may be taken by it and not returned. Players are strongly advised to quit fishing when one appears and wait until it disappears, which usually takes about 30 seconds.

Evil Bob
While fishing (or casting spells), players may be transported to ScapeRune, the dominion of Evil Bob, where everything is the opposite of RuneScape. To escape, players must catch a cooked fish using a small fishing net (several spawn on the beach), uncook the caught fish on a fire, and give it to Evil Bob. After eating the fish (if players feed Evil Bob a cooked fish, they must feed him another uncooked fish for every cooked fish they fed him to get him to fall asleep), Evil Bob falls asleep and the player can enter portal next to Evil Bob to return. The player receives 650 Fishing or magic experience depending on what skill was being used at the time.

Temporary boosts



 * Fishing potion, made using the Herblore skill, temporarily increases Fishing by 3.
 * Fish pie, made using the Cooking skill, temporarily increases Fishing by 3.
 * Admiral pie, made using the Cooking skill, temporarily increases Fishing by 5.
 * A brown spicy stew can raise fishing temporarily by up to 6; however, it can also decrease it by up to 6.
 * The Fishing Cape of Achievement can be operated to increase Fishing by 1 (Requires 99 fishing)
 * Granite crab A summoning familiar, invisibly increases Fishing by 1.
 * Ibis, a summoning familiar, invisibly increases Fishing by 3.
 * Granite lobster, a summoning familiar, invisibly increases Fishing by 4.

Quests that Give Fishing Experience

 * 1000 Recipe for Disaster
 * 2437 Fishing Contest
 * 2812 The Fremennik Trials
 * 3000 Land of the Goblins
 * 5000 Tai Bwo Wannai Trio
 * 7000 Rum Deal
 * 7175 Sea Slug Quest
 * 7650 Legends Quest (Can be chosen four times for a total of 30600 experience)
 * 10,000 Swan Song