Watch: Your First Catch
This 2 minute movie illustrates the 7-step guide written below.
Read: Your First Catch
To start fishing you must have:
- Reached at least level 5.
- At least 1 Silver 23 Copper spare cash.
Now simply follow the seven steps below:
1. Buy Fishing Pole (Optional)
Buy a basic Fishing Pole from Fishing Suppliers or Trade Suppliers. You will normally find a fishing supplier by water, close to a fishing trainer. A basic pole will cost you 23 Copper (assuming no reputation or rank related reductions). More advanced poles may be available. These are introduced later in the Equipment and Pools section.
Tip: You do not require a fishing pole to fish! Without a pole you will fish with a twig. Unfortunately twigs cannot be lured (detailed later).
2. Find Fishing Trainer
Every capital city (such as Stormwind) has a Fishing Trainer, and there are some in other zones to. These people are normally found near water, where you might expect them. If you have trouble finding a trainer in a city, ask a guard for directions. Learn from any fishing trainer.
Learn the Apprentice Fishing skill from the trainer. This will cost 1 silver (assuming no reputation or rank related reductions).
3. Find Open Water
Travel to almost any lake, river, sea or large open area of water.
Stand (or sit) next to a patch of water, with a clear view of the water in front of you. Your feet must be on dry land - you cannot be swimming.
Tips: It helps if you are safely away from enemies, so you are not engaged in combat while fishing. It is also helpful to be able to hear splashes in the water, so don't stand next to something noisy like a waterfall.
4. Spellbook Icon
Open your Spellbook. Select the "Professions" tab, and find the Fishing icon from the Fishing panel. (If you don't see the icon, you have not learnt it: return to a trainer.)
This Fishing icon is what you select to cast a line into the water.
Drag the Fishing icon onto the tool/action bar ((the bar of icons at the bottom of the screen)), so you don't have to keep the Spellbook open while you fish.
Tip: You can assign a hot-key to the button you placed the Fishing icon on, via Key Bindings on the main menu. This will allow you to re-cast quickly using a hot-key.
5. Equip Pole (Optional)
Equip your new fishing pole in your main hand. ((Open the character screen, and drag the pole from your inventory onto the "main hand" slot.)).
Tip: Without a pole equipped you will fish with a twig. If your fishing skill is good enough, this is the best way to fish in hostile lands, since you can keep your weapons equipped while you fish. However, skill is often important when fishing open water. The role of skill is explained in the Fishing Skill section.
6. Cast
Cast by clicking the Fishing icon. Do not click on the Fishing Pole itself.
If your cast is successful, you will see a bobber appear in the water.
If your cast did not land in fishable water ((and you got a message to say so)), try and find a wider or deeper area of water, or adjust where you are standing to face more water.
Now wait for the bobber to splash...
7. Reel In
As soon as the bobber splashes, reel your fish in: Right-click once on the bobber.
Transfer the fish from the loot box to your inventory: Congratulations - your first fish!
If there was nothing on your hook, you reeled in at the wrong time: Either too late or too early.
Tips: Select "auto-loot" from the interface options screen (via the main menu) to automatically transfer catches to your inventory. Alternatively, assign a key (such as SHIFT) for auto-looting (on the same screen). You can avoid early junk catches by using a Shiny Bauble lure: Lures are covered in the Equipment and Pools section.
Great! You've mastered the basics. But perhaps you caught a junk-quality item, such as Driftwood?Learn More
- Training - Teaches you how to level your fishing skill.
- Also in Getting Started: Why Fish?, (Not) Catching Junk, Fishing Skill, Equipment and Pools, Skill and Locations, and Frequently Asked Questions.
Comments about Your First Catch
Below are readers' comments about "Your First Catch":
Seth's Graphite Fishing Pole
Daphine, October 2008:
I did the quest and got Seth's Graphite Fishing Pole. I try to fish with it, but it just doesn't work. I cast and nothing happens. Has anyone else had this problem or does anyone know if there is a bug that needs fixing?
NiceBloke, October 2008:
Are you using any addons? Sometimes I find Fishing Buddy can stop me casting for some reason - using the skill in my spellbook (P) works fine (and then FB starts working again).
Try disabling all your addons and then turning them on 1 by 1.
Daphine, October 2008:
Ok, will give that a try, thanks - I don't have fishing buddy, but I do have a couple of other addons.
kolvir, May 2010:
Why not mention that the bobber always splashes when the timer is on 7.5s or 2.5s?
Shantoka, December 2010:
I believe it is 11.5, 7.5 and 2.5 seconds but i can't be sure. Be sure to modify for your current ping.
