Learn Fishing
Fishing is the simplest tradeskill in EverQuest and the quickest to turn profitable. Equip a pole, add bait, click near water, and wait. The fish you catch feed into Baking, Brewing, and Tailoring recipes, and vendor for decent coin even at low skill levels.
Overview
Unlike most tradeskills, Fishing is partly passive — you click and wait rather than managing container combines. However, it also has a Fly Making Bench component where you combine materials to craft lures and bait, which uses the standard tradeskill combine system.
Fishing has a lower skill cap than most tradeskills (250 vs. 350) and no freebie quests in Crescent Reach or Abysmal Sea. You level it the old-fashioned way: by fishing.
Containers & Equipment
Fishing Poles
Poles come in two categories: unbreakable (quest/reward items) and expendable (purchased, can break on use). Always aim for an unbreakable pole.
| Pole | Modifier | Breakable | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Bone Rod | +7% | No | Anniversary season quest |
| Brell's Fishin' Pole | +3% | No | Fisherman's Companion quest (Ramos Jerwwan, Plane of Knowledge) |
| Ancient Fishing Pole | +3% | No | Quest reward |
| Uliorn's Fishing Pole | +2% | No | Quest reward |
| Basic fishing poles | 0–5% | Yes | Vendors |
Bait
Bait goes in the ammo slot to apply its skill modifier. The modifier from bait does not stack with the pole modifier — only the highest applies.
| Bait | Modifier | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Hermit Crab | +5% | Purchased/found |
| Rock Crab | +5% | Purchased/found |
| Animated Bait | +3% | Crafted |
| Homemade Bait | — | Made via Anizok's Bait Dispenser (self-sustaining loop from caught fish) |
| Various vendor baits | 0–3% | Vendors |
Other Equipment
| Item | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Tackle Box / Collapsible Tackle Box | Inventory container for fishing supplies |
| Fly Making Bench | Stationary container for crafting flies and lures (found in PoK, Sunrise Hills, or placeable) |
| Scaler | Processing caught fish |
| Filleting Knife | Processing caught fish |
| Skinning Knife | Processing caught fish |
What You Can Make
Fishing produces:
- Fish — the primary catch, used in Baking and Brewing recipes
- Fish scales and eggs — secondary products from processing fish
- Crafted flies and lures — made at the Fly Making Bench, used as bait
- Junk items — tattered sandals, rusty daggers, and other trash (vendor these)
- Zone-specific special fish — certain fish only appear in specific zones and are used in quests or recipes
Fishing can generate 6+ gold per hour even at low skill levels, making it a solid early income source.
Getting Started
There are no freebie quests for Fishing. You level it by fishing.
- Buy or quest a fishing pole — any pole works to start
- Buy bait from a fishing supply vendor (or make Homemade Bait)
- Find water — any body of water works, though some zones have better fish
- Equip pole, put bait in ammo slot, click near water
- Wait — fishing takes a few seconds per attempt
Fly Making Bench
The Fly Making Bench at Plane of Knowledge (and other locations) lets you combine materials to create flies and lures. These crafted combines follow the standard tradeskill system and contribute to your recipe count for the 201–250 push.
Skill-Up Path Overview
| Skill Range | Approach |
|---|---|
| 0–200 | Fish at any water source with pole and bait |
| 200–250 | Requires Fishing Mastery AAs (up to 13 ranks) and recipe discovery |
Reaching 250
The 201–250 push requires learning 122 of 170 available recipes through the recipe discovery system. This includes both fishing catches and Fly Making Bench combines.
Key Recipes
Fishing's "recipes" are a mix of catches and bench combines:
- Fly Making Bench combines — craft various flies, lures, and bait items
- Zone-specific fish — certain zones produce fish used in high-value Baking or quest recipes
- Fish processing — use Scaler, Filleting Knife, and Skinning Knife to break fish down into sub-components
Consult the Fishing Holes by Zone guide for which zones produce which fish.
Related Guides
- Tradeskill Beginner's Guide — fundamentals before your first combine
- Quick Trivial List — recipe-by-recipe skill-up reference
- Fishing Holes by Zone — what fish appear where
- Fishing Supplies — where to buy poles, bait, and tools
- Skilling Up 301–350: The Basics — recipe discovery explained (for 201–250 range)