Alchemists' Fish
Alchemists make use of the fish. Since not all alchemists enjoy fishing, or have the patience to learn, these fish may sell at auction.
| Catch | Makes | Auction | Catching | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Albino Cavefish | Deepstone Oil. 2 Deepstone Oil are required to make Mysterious Potion. Deepstone Oil "may cause stiffness" when drunk. | 4g | Where to catch » |
 | Deviate Fish | Elixir of Giant Growth. | 8g | Catching Deviate Fish » |
| Firefin Snapper | Fire Oil (2 fish per oil). This is primarily used to make Elixir of Greater Firepower. | 2g 50s | Where to catch » |
 | Glassfin Minnow | Ethereal Oil (2 fish per oil). | 3g | Where to catch » |
 | Oily Blackmouth | Blackmouth Oil (2 fish per oil). Blackmouth Oil is used in several low-level potions that have no higher-level equivalent, such as Elixir of Water Breathing. | 1g 50s | Where to catch » |
 | Pygmy Suckerfish | 1-2 Pygmy Oil. Drinking Pygmy Oil makes you a little smaller for 10 minutes. After drinking 6-10 oils in a row, you gain a buff described as "Pygmified!", which turns you into a Pygmy for 10 minutes. Pygmy Oil is also used to make several other alchemy potions and the Indestructible Alchemist's Stone. | 1g 50s | Where to catch » |
 | Spinefish | Desecrated Oil (3 fish per oil). "Drink the foul liquid." Desecrated Oil can be drunk raw (making you "feel empty inside" and lacking color), or used to make Darkwater Potion. Darkwater Potion briefly transforms you into a Jinyu assassin, increasing movement and swim speed. | 4g | Where to catch » |
 | Stonescale Eel | Stonescale Oil. Stonescale Oil is commonly used to make high-end, pre-Burning Crusade flasks. | 1g 50s | Catching Stonescale Eels » |
Some herbs can also be caught. These are used by Alchemists and Scribes:
- Azshara's Veil - Rarely from Cataclysm coastal open water and pools.
- Stranglekelp - Rarely from Old Azeroth pools.
Trunks
Pools, particularly wreckage pools, often contain trunks. Trunks and other containers can be opened. Some of their contents are valuable. The most valuable crate is Sealed Crate (Pandaria), for their professions reagents.
All those boxes look rather similar from the outside, don't they?
When fishing in open water on the coast of Old Azeroth, items are contained within a chest or container. These chests are locked: Ironbound Locked Chest, Reinforced Locked Chest, Small Locked Chest, and Sturdy Locked Chest. Locked boxes can be opened by a skilled rogue or by using Blacksmiths' skeleton keys. Commonly locked chests contain single bolts of cloth or leather. They rarely contain equipment. When fishing inland open waters in Azeroth, similar items are found - just not contained in trunks.
Old Azeroth's open coastal water also contains non-locked boxes formerly belonged to the Venture Company: Dented Crate, Heavy Crate, Sealed Crate (Venture), and Waterlogged Crate. These contain engineering goods, such as blasting powders. Perhaps the Venture Company employ a lot of careless deck hands?
And yes, there are 4 types of "Sealed Crate", each caught in different places, containing different things. Names are such strange things. Imagine if everything was called El?
Volatiles, Eternals, Primals and Essences
Volatiles, Eternals, Primals and Essences can be obtained from many different sources, including fishing. Fishing may be the most effective way to gather these materials, but not always. They are used by many professions to make or improve items.
| Catch | Use | Auction | Catching | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Crystallized Water | Turn 10 Crystallized Water into an Eternal Water. Eternal Water is used in many "Northrend" profession recipes. | 1g 50s [1] | Where to catch » |
 | Essence of Fire | Used in many high-end pre-Burning Crusade profession recipes. | 2g 50s | Where to catch » |
 | Mote of Water | 10 Mote of Water combine to make Primal Water. Primal Water is used in many high-end "Outland" profession recipes. | 2g 50s [2] | Fishing Pure Water » |
 | Volatile Fire | Used in many manufacturing professions, to make Cataclysm-level items. | 4g | Fishing Pool of Fire (Volatile Fire) » |
 | Volatile Water | Used in many manufacturing professions, to make Cataclysm-level items. | 6g | Where to catch » |
- [1] Also sells as Eternal Water.
- [2] Also sells as Primal Water.
Scrolls
Parchment documents tend to be found within containers. Otherwise the documents would get wet, and become impossible to read!
- Message in a Bottle
- Contents: Basic and type-II scrolls, Low-level profession recipes, Damp Diary Pages that tell of one mystery shipwreck survivor's battle with bananas - fascinating: Damp Diary Page (Day 4), Damp Diary Page (Day 87), Damp Diary Page (Day 512)
- Where to catch »
Fish That Can Be Opened
Some fish contain pearls, gems and other items. It is normally quicker to kill monsters or mine for these items than to fish for them: Regard them as a bonus catch, not something to specifically fish for.
- Big-mouth Clam
- Contents: Zesty Clam Meat, Rarely also Black Pearl, Golden Pearl, Iridescent Pearl, Small Lustrous Pearl
- Where to catch »
- Bloated Giant Sunfish
- Contents: Seaweed, Mostly Digested Fish, Rarely a variety of Outland herbs and minerals, V-type scrolls, Stranglekelp, Luminous Bluetail, Darkclaw Lobster, Mote of Water, Gems such as Star of Elune
- Where to catch »
- Darkwater Clam
- Contents: Succulent Clam Meat, Rarely Northsea Pearl, Siren's Tear
- Where to catch »
- Jaggal Clam
- Contents: Jaggal Clam Meat, Rarely Golden Pearl, Jaggal Pearl, Shadow Pearl
- Where to catch »
Jaggal and Shadow Pearls are also sometimes contained in the Bag of Fishing Treasure, the reward from the Outland Daily Fishing Quests. Northsea Pearl and Siren's Tear may be found in the reward from the Northrend Daily Fishing Quests.
Other bloated fish can still rarely be caught while fishing inland open water in Azeroth: Bloated Catfish, Bloated Mud Snapper, Bloated Redgill, Bloated Rockscale Cod, Bloated Salmon, Bloated Smallfish, and Bloated Trout. Bloated fish normally contain gems, but sometimes contain rings and necklaces. Historically bloated fish were also caught from pools.
Learn More
- Fishing Pool of Fire (Volatile Fire) - Explains how to fish Pool of Fire for Volatile Fire.
- Fishing Pure Water (Mote of Water/Primal Water) - How to fish pools of Pure Water in Nagrand for Mote of Water, which combine to make Primal Water.
- Catching Deviate Fish - How to catch Deviate Fish, which may be cooked to make Savory Deviate Delight.
- Catching Stonescale Eels - Answers the question, where is the best place to catch a Stonescale Eel?
- Pool Contents - Describes the contents of pools and trunks found in Azeroth.
- Also in Valuable Fish: What's Valuable?, Buff Food, Valuable Gear, Minipets and Mounts, Catching Mr. Pinchy, Catching the Sea Turtle Mount, Catching Tiny Carp, and Other Valuable Fished Items.
