Welcome to the Fishing Guide. This will guide you on how to raise your fishing skill from level 1 to 450. We will focus on doing this quickly as raising your fishing skill, especially at later levels, can take many hours. There are other ways to level your skill and make some gold along the way, but requires more travel.

Save those fish! Fishing is great to level with cooking!

First off, make sure you buy a basic Fishing Pole and a Shiny Bauble from a fishing supplier. Next, buy the book Expert Fishing - The Bass and You from Old Man Hemming in Booty Bay, or check the Auction House. Also, grab the book Master Fishing - The Art of Angeling from Cenarion Refuge in Zangamarsh or the Auction House.

Next, go learn Apprentice Fishing from a fishing trainer. Check with guards, the trainers are in the major cities and starting zones. Once you have learned Apprentice Fishing, head out to your starting zone. Apply your Shiny Bauble to your fishing pole and start fishing. Keep going until you reach level 75. You will only need the 1 Bauble to get you over skill 25. After that, you will be able to fish without the fish getting away. Once you are skill level 75, head to your nearest capital city. Train Journeyman Fishing.

Fish away in the capital city. Once you are skill level 125 you can read the book Expert Fishing - The Bass and You. This will enable your skill to reach 225. Fish here until your skill level is 225.

Once you are up to 225, you need to travel to Nat Pagle in Dustwallow Marsh. He will give you a quest for the Artisan skill. This is required to raise your skill past level 225. You will be required to catch 4 quest-only fish:

• Feralas Ahi in Feralas
• Misty Reed Mahi Mahi in Swamp of Sorrows
• Sar'theris Striker in Desolace
• Savage Coast Blue Sailfin in Stranglethorn Vale
  

Click the links for map locations. You may need some lures for Feralas as the skill of 300 is needed to stop fish from getting away. A Bright Bauble should give you +75 skill to do this.

Once you get the 4 fish, return to Nat Pagle for your quest and get your Artisian Skill. You can fish right there in Dustwallow Marsh until skill level 350. Be sure to read your Master Fishing - The Art of Angling book at skill 275.

Once you make skill level 350, you can now travel to Northrend and train your Grand Master rank from any fishing trainer in Northrend. Once you have your Grand Master rank, return to any fishing location where the fish do not get away, like Wetlands or Orgrimmar, depending on your faction. You can skill up to 450 anywhere really, but keep in mind, it will take around 8-10 hours.

Note: keep some baubles and lures on you in case fish are getting away. It is likely your skill level is too low for the area you are in.