Aleczan's New Diary (FFXIV: ARR)

Some people asked for tips to level up fisher faster in FFXIV. Today I’ve been grinding EXP on my fisher, so I feel it is a good time to write about leveling up in fishing. But first thing first, let’s see how different fishing is, compared to the other two Disciples of the Land.

Advantages:
– We are not limited by the gathering node. We can just cast the line into any body of water (well, most of the time, as there are some bodies of water where there is no fish).

– We don’t have to run around finding exact specific spots which will pop in fixed possible places and then exhausts after 4 or 5 gathering attempts. We can just stand there at the same spot and keep fishing without moving until the fish gets agitated. (I have only experienced it once in ARR, it happened in Limsa Lominsa near the Fisherman’s guild.)

– In general, EXP per fish is higher than EXP per successful logging or mining attempt. And when you obtain HQ fish, you get +300% EXP as a bonus, while Botanist and Miner only get +200% for HQ item!

– Once you cast your line, you can hardly miss the fish (except if you don’t hit “Hook” button fast enough, or if you hit it too fast – before anything bites). Mining nodes and logging nodes have success rate on each item, and you can get “You obtain nothing” even when your success rate is 98%.

– Mooching is FUN!!!!!

Disadvantages:

– We have to carry baits or lures around, which consume inventory space.

– We have to choose and use proper bait/lure for the level of the fish and the location.

– Unlike choosing item from the mining/logging node, you cannot exactly specify what fish you want to gather. It is pretty much random, although you can control the scope of the fish to bit by selecting your bait and location.

– Fishing locations are not revealed to you on the mini map (radar), and you won’t see it in your Fishing Log unless you have already fished (and landed a catch) in the location at least once. So, for the first time in a region, you have to make some effort to locate the fishing spots.

– Unlike gathering log for logging and mining, you cannot see the fish you have never caught before. Your Fish Guide will only reveal the fish entry once you manage to catch the species for the first time.

– From both the two disadvantages above, it means you cannot foresee where to catch a specific type of fish until you have already caught it.

That’s all I can think of for now.

Next, leveling up tips for fisher:

I’ll write from my experience, and as I was already level 43, my insight might not be as useful for the low level people, but I believe that the general ideas I provide here can be applied to any range of level.

1. Try to complete every guild test quest as soon as you can access it, you get free gear and free fishing rods from these quests.
2. Update your outfit for stats at least every 10 levels.
3. Boost Perception if you can, as Perception will influence the rate to catch larger fish. Larger fish, if large enough to be a HQ (High-Quality) one will yield huge amount of EXP (+300% to be specific).
4. For lower level fishers, you can buy and eat Jack O’ Lantern if you like. It is cheap and is sold at food vendor NPC in any of the three city-states. Food effect will also grant +3% EXP bonus. It is not much, but it adds up in the long run!
5.  Buy (or make) and equip new bait (or lure) whenever you can. Higher level bait will be able to catch higher level fish, which means more EXP.
6. Try to explore and open new fishing location when you can. Also, landing a new type of fish for the first time will give +100% EXP bonus for new entry being recorded.

That’s about it for the tips I could recall for now.

For more specific tips, I can only say that at level 15, once you can equip Midge Basket for freshwater fishing, you may want to check out Raincatcher Gully (Docks) in Eastern La Noscea (closest Aetheryte for teleport is Wineport). Although that location is level 40, the lowest fish available in that spot is level 20 (Copperfish) and it will be the only fish you can catch from there with that bait. At level below 20, I could land Copperfish for 1,000 EXP each. And if I got lucky and landed a HQ one, I get like 4,000 EXP.

Another specific spot great for EXP is at Forgotten Spring (level 35) in Southern Thanalan. You can also catch the Copperfish here using Midge Basket. This spot is great for EXP even at my level, which was 43.

At level 43, I used Honey Worm (level 35) which can be bought right here at the Merchant & Mender NPC shop. I was reeling in a ton of EXP. While NQ Ropefish (level 32) gave about 2,200 EXP (with rested bonus effect from Sanctuary/Inn Room, which is +50% EXP), a Clown Loach (level 36) gave about 3,300 EXP NQ, and 10,000 EXP when HQ! It was 10309 (+353%) experience points, to be exact. Moreover, if you’re lucky enough to catch a Golden Loach, that will net you around 4,100 EXP (I had +53% effect) for normal quality, and about 12,000 EXP for HQ.

I leveled up from 43 to 44 in a short span of time in this convenient location.

Well, I better stop bragging and continue my fishing. Happy hunting, everyone! ^^