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.

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 only allow players to catch more fish and sometimes items such as boots. 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.

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.

Karambwan vessel
Karambwan vessels (also known as just 'vessels') are only available to members. Karambwan vessels can be obtained from Lubufu south of Brimhaven once a player has started the Tai Bwo Wannai Trio quest. Karambwan Vessels are loaded with karambwanji which are caught from the lake that is near Lubufu. Karambwan are caught at the northeast shore north of the ship yard.

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. For players who want the best xp per hour, yet still want to fish lobsters, it is a common practice to drop the fished lobsters, or cook them and drop them.


 * 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.


 * Wilderness: At level 35 to 38 in the Wilderness are some harpoon and cage fishing spots in the waters at the eastern edge. This is a good way for low level players with high fishing but not much money or teleports, as you can walk to the bounty hunter bank fairly easily. 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: Close to a bank
 * Entrana
 * Isafdar: Could be useful for emergency food supplies
 * Piscatoris Fishing Colony: Northwest of Grand Tree, players can use a small net to catch Monkfish, which are exclusive to this area. Piscatoris is only accessible after the completion of the Swan Song Quest.
 * Karamja lake: Shrimp & Karambwanji. South of Tai Bwo Wannai

Lure/Bait fishing spots

 * Between Seer's Village & Sinclair Mansion
 * Entrana
 * Tree Gnome Stronghold
 * Shilo Village
 * Observatory: Not too far North of Castle Wars
 * East of The Barbarian Village

Cage/Harpoon fishing spots

 * Catherby beach. Close to a bank and also a fishing shop
 * Rellekka: Very useful if fighting in the area due to the lack of bank.
 * Fishing Guild
 * Piscatoris Fishing Colony: Here players can cage/harpoon fish after the completion of the quest Swan Song. The bank is very close.
 * Jatizso: Very close to a bank.

Net/Harpoon fishing spots

 * Catherby beach
 * Fishing Guild
 * Rellekka
 * Burgh de Rott
 * Elf Camp: Good area if you are fighting, otherwise, it is far from a bank.
 * Jatizso: Very close to a bank.

Other fishing spots
These generally are one specific place for one specific type of fishing.
 * Lumbridge Swamp Caves, Mort Myre and south of Mort Myre: Bait fishing for Slimy eels and Cave eels
 * Lumbridge Swamp Caves: Net fishing for giant Frog spawn
 * Taverley Dungeon and the Lava Maze: Bait fishing using special equipment for lava eels - only available after starting Hero's Quest
 * North of the East Karamja island: Karambwan fishing
 * Piscatoris Fishing Colony: small net fishing for Monkfish
 * Port Khazard: Trawler fishing
 * ScapeRune: Here players can net-fish cooked fish and uncook them in the uncooking pot. This is part of the Evil Bob random event.

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 20: Net fish at the fishing spots just outside of Lumbridge, in Draynor Village, or in Al-Kharid. This may seem slow and long, but players earn experience faster this way than by baiting fish.


 * 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: Lobsters can be caged at Karamja. Lobsters are obtained starting at level 40, and begin to come in quickly around level 60. The experience is still significantly lower than fly fishing, but the profit is significantly greater.


 * Level 50 to 99: Swordfish can be harpooned at Karamja. Swordfish are slower to catch than lobsters, 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 20: Small net fish at Draynor Village, Catherby, or such.


 * Level 20 to 99: Fly fish at at Shilo Village or at Barbarian 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. A player who fly fishes until 99 will still turn a few million gp profit selling the raw salmon and trout.


 * Level 40 to 62: Fly fishing is still the fastest method, but if you're looking for more profit, you can fish lobsters in Catherby.


 * Level 50 to 62: Once you reach level 50 you can choose to harpoon for tuna/swordfish in Catherby, although it isn't a big improvement over lobsters.


 * 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. 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.


 * 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. 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. Bring a knife and a handful of bait or feathers, and then use roe, caviar, and fish offcuts as bait. Be aware that this method does not turn a profit.


 * Level 96 to 99: Monkfish are better experience and catch faster than sharks, with the higher catch rate of monkfish mostly making up for the higher value of sharks. But if you have 76 strength and 96 fishing, you can catch sharks barehanded with Barbarian training, which gives you a small amount of bonus strength experience. The extra experience could make it more worthwhile, but sharks are still the slowest method of leveling.

Making money
Fishing can be a great 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. The banks at Edgeville and Catherby are also good places to sell fish.

Below is a list with the prices fish are usually traded for, and these prices can change at any time. Note that raw fish tend to fetch higher prices than cooked fish, due to the high demand of players who want to train cooking, as well as the much smaller demand of cooked fish now due to the removal of player killing. Therefore, it is recommended you leave your fish raw if you want to gain maximum profit.


 * Shrimps: 3 to 5 coins
 * Karambwanji: 10 to 20 coins
 * Sardine: 5 coins
 * Herring: 10 coins
 * Anchovies: 10 to 20 coins
 * Mackerel: 20 to 30 coins
 * Trout: 30 coins
 * Cod: 25 coins
 * Pike: 40 coins
 * Salmon: 50 to 70 coins
 * Tuna: 50 to 100 coins
 * Lobster: 200 to 270 coins
 * Bass: 150 to 250 coins
 * Swordfish: 300 to 350 coins
 * Monkfish: 300 to 500 coins
 * Karambwan: 300 to 500 coins
 * Shark: 700 to 1000 coins
 * Sea Turtle: 2,000 to 3,000 coins
 * Manta Ray: 2,000 to 3,000 coins

Many free players buy and sell lobsters and swordfish, while members prefer sharks.

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.

Moving fishing spot
After a while, a fishing spot may move from one spot to another. Players will have to move to the new spot or another spot to continue fishing. This is not really an event, and it is similar to a tree turning into a stump after chopping it.

Evil Bob
While fishing or practicing Magic, 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)

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)
 * (7650 Legends Quest)
 * (7650 Legends Quest)
 * (7650 Legends Quest)
 * 10 000 Swan Song