OSRS Pay to Play Fishing Guide

25.02.2023 - 13:03:43
Game Guides , Runescape

OSRS Pay to Play Fishing Guide

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Fishing can be a great way to pass the time in Oldschool Runescape, and players can use it to level up their characters and earn some extra gold. But in order to get the most out of Oldschool Runescape's fishing minigame, it pays to know the best equipment, methods, and strategies to make the most of the experience. Let's take a look at what you need to know to make the most of the time you spend fishing in Oldschool Runescape.

 *If you'd rather skip grinding the game, you can buy OSRS gold from us, delivered instantly! You can also Sell or Swap your rsgp!

Equipment

To equip yourself for fishing in Oldschool Runescape, you'll need a combination of consumables and tools. Here's a breakdown of what you'll need depending on the type of fishing you choose to do:

Net Fishing

  • Small Fishing Net (not consumable)

Bait Fishing

  • Fishing Rod
  • Fishing Bait

Fly Fishing

  • Fly Fishing Rod
  • Feathers (for bait)

Harpooning

  • Harpoon (or Barbarian Rod if you've completed the Barbarian Training miniquest)

Cage Fishing

  • Lobster Pot (not consumable)

Barbarian Fishing

  • Barbarian Rod
  • Usable Baits (fishing bait, feathers, fish offcuts, roe, caviar)

Aerial Fishing

  • Cormorant
  • Usable Baits (king worms, fish chunks)

The Angler's outfit from the Fishing Trawler minigame is also worth getting. It adds an additional 2.5% fishing experience per fish caught. Additionally, the Rada's blessing from the Kourend & Kebos diary can help you earn some money. It gives a 2%, 4%, 6%, or 8% chance (depending on diary completion) of catching two fish at once, though you won't gain any experience from the extra fish.

Finally, players can use the Fish Barrel from Tempoross to store 28 raw fish, allowing them to spend more time between trips to the bank.

 

Fastest Experience

Levels 1-33: Questing

The best way to level up quickly in the early stages is to complete quests. Sea Slug, Fishing Contest, and the Freeing Pirate Pete quest of Recipe for Disaster will grant you 10,612 experience, taking you up to level 27. Both of these quests have few requirements and are suitable even for lower levels. Players who are able to complete Tai Bwo Wannai Trio and The Fremennik Trials can gain an additional 7,812 experience, taking you all the way up to level 33.

Levels 20-47/99: Fly Fishing

For the fastest experience up to level 58 (assuming you use tick manipulation), fly fishing for trout and salmon is the way to go. You'll need a fly fishing rod and feathers to bait the fish, as well as certain items to create a 3-tick action such as a herb and tar or knife and teak/mahogany logs.

To get the best experience rates, it's best to use the 3-tick cycle and drop the fish between catches. This requires a bit of practice, but it's more efficient than dropping a full inventory. Banking your catches is not recommended since it slows down your experience rate and the fish aren't worth much. Low-level Ironman players who need to get early Cooking experience can use the fishing spot in Shilo Village (near a bank) or Barbarian Village (where there's a permanent fire).

If you use tick manipulation, you should be able to get around 30,000 experience per hour at level 20 and 40,000 experience per hour at level 30, increasing to around 55,000-65,000 experience per hour at level 58. If you don't use tick manipulation, you can get around 30,000 experience per hour at level 40 and 34,500 experience per hour at level 50, increasing to around 42,000 experience per hour at level 58. At level 95 and above, players fishing at the spots south-east of Prifddinas can expect to get 55,000-61,000 experience per hour, with 90 seconds of AFK time per inventory.

Levels 47-99: Drift Net Fishing

Once you reach level 47, drift net fishing is the most efficient way to level up both Fishing and Hunter at the same time. However, it's not the fastest way to level up Fishing alone, since the experience rate is split between the two.

If you want to get the best experience rates, you'll need a merfolk trident, trident of the seas, or dragon harpoon, as well as stamina potions to restore your energy. You should also prioritize fish shoals near to the drift nets when chasing them.

When it comes to banking, you can save time and money by waiting until the drift net is full before banking. Each net costs 5 numulites, but the fish caught can offset the cost. At level 50 Fishing and Hunter, you'll get 64,000 Fishing experience and 81,000 Hunter experience per fish shoal. With 70+ Fishing and Hunter, you can get 77,000 Fishing and 101,000 Hunter experience per hour. At maximum rates, it's possible to fill 113 nets and get 87,000 Fishing and 115,000 Hunter experience per hour.

 

Barbarian Fishing

Barbarian Fishing is a great way to train Fishing, especially if your Agility and Strength levels are low. This method becomes available at level 48, but it’s actually faster to use drift net fishing or 3-tick fly fishing until level 58. This allows you to catch leaping salmon, which gives small amounts of passive Strength and Agility experience.

To start Barbarian Fishing, you’ll need to complete a portion of Barbarian Training and have either a level 30 in Agility and Strength for catching leaping salmon, or level 45 in both for leaping sturgeon. You’ll also need suitable bait, such as feathers, and a barbarian rod obtained from Otto’s Grotto. To do tick manipulation, you’ll also need items like herb and tar or knife and teak/mahogany logs, as well as a knife to cut the fish.

The best place to Barbarian Fish is at the pond next to Otto’s Grotto. You can quickly get there by using a games necklace or Grouping teleport to Barbarian Assault and running south-west.

The most basic method for 3-tick fishing is to drop the fish between catches. This means starting the 3-tick cycle, dropping the fish using shift drop and then clicking on the fishing spot. The “cut-eat” or “eat-cut” method is slightly more complicated and requires a higher level of Cooking (at least level 80 is recommended). This method requires tick manipulation with herb and tar, cutting the fish with a knife, and eating the roe/caviar to tick manipulate. When you run out of roe/caviar to be eaten and fish to be cut, you can use herb and tar again to kick-start the 3-tick cycle. The benefits of this method are that it gives some extra passive Cooking experience, it doesn’t require dropping the fish, and it’s cheaper due to fish offcuts also being produced which can be used as bait.

|Fishing Level | XP/h (AFK) | XP/h (3-tick) | | --- | ---: | ---: |

|48|23,000 |2,300 |

|58|37,000 |3,400 |

|70|48,000 |4,400 |

|80|52,000 |4,700 |

|90|54,000 |4,900 |

|99|57,000 |5,200 |

2-tick Harpooning Swordfish/Tuna

2-tick harpooning swordfish and tuna in Piscarilius is the fastest way to get Fishing experience in the game. This requires tick manipulation, and it’s comparable to 3-tick Barbarian Fishing in terms of efficiency when using the crystal harpoon. If you have a low Agility or Strength level, Barbarian Fishing is a better option though as it gives more passive experience.

The fishing spots for 2-tick harpooning are located in the north-western part of Piscarilius, just west of the bank. You can quickly get there by using the The fisher’s flute teleport on the Kharedst’s memoirs or Book of the dead and running north-west.

To get the most out of 2-tick harpooning, you’ll need to be attacked by three rats, two of them attacking two ticks apart. After that, the only clicking you need to do is clicking the fishing spot on the ticks that a hitsplat appears on your character. The crystal harpoon is strongly recommended, as it has a higher catch rate than the dragon or infernal harpoon.

|Fishing Level | XP/h | | --- | ---: |

|35|25,400 |

|50|60,700 |

|61|69,600 |

|71|78,400 |

|85|90,200 |

|99|103,400 |

Using the crystal harpoon and a Fishing level near 99, it’s possible to get up to 135,000–138,000 experience per hour. If you’re using the infernal harpoon, you can expect to get around 20,000–26,000 passive Cooking experience per hour, depending on your Fishing level.

 

Tempoross

Fighting the Tempoross offers relatively fast experience and low effort compared to tick manipulation methods. When it comes to Fishing, not cooking the harpoonfish will give you more experience but fewer rewards. With a crystal harpoon and a Fishing level near 99, this is the fastest experience in the game if not using tick manipulation methods. Otherwise, drift net fishing is a better option.

|Fishing Level | XP/h | | --- | ---: |

|35|30,000 |

|70|62,000 |

|80|65,000 |

|90|68,000 |

|99|70,000 |

Cooking the harpoonfish will give you more rewards but less experience. It’s recommended for iron players and pet hunters to use the infernal harpoon when they reach the level requirements.

|Fishing Level | XP/h | | --- | ---: |

|35|22,000 |

|70|52,000 |

|80|56,000 |

|90|60,000 |

|99|64,000 |

 

Lobster Fishing at Catherby

For players between levels 40 and 76, Lobster fishing at Catherby is an efficient way to gain experience in both Fishing and Cooking. Completion of the Family Crest quest is recommended before using this method, as it will provide some additional benefits.

The advantages of Lobster fishing are that the range point is only 1-2 clicks from the fishing spot and 1 click from the bank – a round trip of 7 clicks. Compared to tuna/swordfish fishing, which requires a total of 9 clicks, this method saves you time. And, since there’s only one fish type to cook, you’ll also save 1 click over tuna/swordfish.

However, this method has slower experience rates and higher burn rates due to the lack of the Hosidius range bonus, so you should use Cooking gauntlets to help compensate for this. With minimal attention and proper cooking, you can expect to gain around 15k xp/hr at level 65 Fishing and up to 19.5k xp/hr of cooking xp (depending on burn rate).

 

Aerial Fishing

Aerial fishing is a viable alternative method of training both Fishing and Hunter, though it’s not as fast as drift net fishing. However, if you’re looking to obtain the angler's outfit or the unique rewards from Alry the Angler, this is the quickest way. You’ll need level 43 Fishing and level 35 Hunter in order to use this method.

The fastest way to reach the island in the centre of Lake Molch is to travel via the fairy ring DJR. Experience rates vary based on your Fishing and Hunter levels; the table below shows the rates for each level, assuming you’re catching 1,600 fish per hour.

Fishing Level

XP/hr

Hunter XP/hr

Total XP/hr

43

18,400

26,400

44,800

56

20,088

28,088

48,976

73

32,856

42,659

75,515

91

51,649

68,188

119,837

99

62,593

82,311

144,904


If you’re cutting the fish, you’ll gain some passive Cooking XP as well.

 

Monkfish Fishing at the Piscatoris Fishing Colony

At levels 62-99, Monkfish fishing at the Piscatoris Fishing Colony is a low-effort way to gain experience in both Fishing and Cooking. You’ll need to have completed Swan Song and have a small fishing net in your inventory to use this method.

The experience rates for this method are as follows:

Fishing Level

XP/hr

GP/hr

62

35,800

58,706

70

37,000

60,676

80

38,500

63,237

90

40,000

65,798

99

42,000

68,950

You’ll need to catch 105,839 Monkfish in order to reach level 99 Fishing, and you can expect to make a profit of 20,850,283 coins (not counting the XP gain). If you’re cooking the Monkfish, you’ll make even more – 102,694,008 coins.

 

Karambwan Fishing

At levels 65-99, Karambwan fishing is a low-effort way to gain experience in Fishing. You’ll need to have completed the Tai Bwo Wannai Trio to use this method.

You’ll need to catch 251,701 Karambwans in order to reach level 99 Fishing. You can expect to make an estimated profit of 61,252,357.32 coins (without Tokkul) or 76,457,710.83 coins (with Tokkul). You’ll also get around 30,000 XP/hr at level 80 Fishing and 35,000 XP/hr at level 99.

 

Swordfish/Tuna Fishing

At levels 75-99, Swordfish and Tuna fishing is the best way to gain experience in Fishing. You’ll need to have level 75 Fishing (and level 85 Cooking) to use an infernal harpoon to fish at the Fishing Guild.

You’ll need to catch 42,000 Swordfish/Tuna in order to reach level 99 Fishing. With an infernal harpoon, you can expect to gain around 35,000 XP/hr at level 75 and 42,000 XP/hr at level 99.

 

Infernal Eel Fishing

At levels 80-99, Infernal Eel fishing is a great way to gain experience in Fishing and make some profit at the same time. You’ll need to have level 80 Fishing and show a fire cape to a TzHaar-Ket guard to gain access to Mor Ul Rek.

You’ll need to catch 116,299 Infernal Eels in order to reach level 99 Fishing. You can expect to make an estimated profit of 61,252,357.32 coins (without Tokkul) or 76,457,710.83 coins (with Tokkul), as well as around 28,000 XP/hr at level 80 and 35,000 XP/hr at level 99.

The Best Fishing Methods in Oldschool Runescape for Levels 82-99

If you’re looking to level up your Fishing skills in Oldschool Runescape, you’re in luck. There are several lucrative spots to practice your Fishing abilities in-game, each offering different rewards and experience rates. We’ve compiled a list of the best spots for levels 82-99, along with the pros and cons of each.

 

Minnows

Minnows are relatively slow in terms of experience, but offer a decent profit. At Kylie Minnow's Fishing Platform in the Fishing Guild, you can catch minnows if you reach level 82 Fishing and have the complete Angler's Outfit. You can exchange the minnows for noted raw sharks, which can then be sold for profit.

It’s important to note that the fishing spots move clockwise every fifteen seconds. In addition, a fishing spot can occasionally become a flying fish, which will eat 20 minnows in your inventory until the fishing spot changes position. Wearing a Rada's Blessing will give you an extra 2% per tier of diary completed, making the fishing spot much more lucrative.

Fishing Level

XP/h

Minnows/h

Sharks/h

GP/h (no blessing)

GP/h (Rada’s Blessing 4)

82

40,000

15,000

16,200

158,625

171,315

85

43,000

17,000

18,360

179,775

194,157

90

45,000

19,500

21,040

206,212

222,498

95

48,000

22,000

23,760

232,650

251,262

99

56,000

25,000

27,000

264,375

285,525


Anglerfish

For level 82 Fishing and 100% Port Piscarilius favor, you can start catching Anglerfish in Port Piscarilius. You will need Sandworms to catch the Anglerfish, which can be purchased from Tynan's Fishing Supplies nearby or from the Grand Exchange.

At level 82 Fishing, you can get around 15,000 experience per hour. At level 99, you can get around 23,000 experience per hour. You can gain around 2,421,087 experience to reach level 99, and will need 88,445 Anglerfish in total. You can gain a total profit of 119,842,975 (or 136,293,745 if cooked).

 

Dark Crabs

At level 85 Fishing and after completing elite tasks in the Wilderness Diary, you can catch Dark Crabs inside the Resource Area in the Wilderness. The diary reward increases your fishing speed, and you’ll also get free access to the Resource Area.

It’s best to wear cheap defensive gear and bring high-healing food (along with super restores) to protect yourself from player killers. You can also equip an imbued ring of wealth for a better chance to obtain clue bottles.

You can gain around 40,000 experience per hour at this spot. You need 3,258,594 experience to reach level 99, and will need 75,199 Dark Crabs in total. You can gain a total profit of 64,219,946.

 

Sacred Eel

At level 87 Fishing and partial completion of the Regicide quest, you can catch Sacred Eels at Zul-Andra. This spot gives you 105 Fishing experience per Sacred Eel.

You will need a Cooking level of 72 to dissect the fish with a knife and extract Zulrah’s scales. Dissecting the fish can give you 3-9 scales and 109-127 Cooking experience. You will get more scales the higher your Cooking level is. You can get an average of 5 scales per fish at a Cooking level of the mid-80s, and around 7 scales per fish at a Cooking level of 96.

At level 90 Fishing, you can get around 21,000 experience per hour. At level 99, you can get around 23,000 experience per hour. You need 3,972,294 experience to reach level 99, and 86,307 Sacred Eels in total. With 5 scales per fish, you can gain a total profit of 78,970,905. With 7 scales per fish, you can gain a total profit of 110,559,267.

 

The Ultimate Guide to Fishing in Oldschool Runescape

If you’re looking to take a break from the dungeon-crawling and swords-and-sorcery of Oldschool Runescape, why not try a spot of fishing?

Fishing is a great way to pass the time and gain experience points, as well as catch some tasty fish to cook and heal your character. Plus, if you’re lucky you may find some bigger fish which you can stuff and mount in your house.

Read on to find out all you need to know about fishing in Oldschool Runescape and you’ll be catching and cooking in no time!

Different Types of Fish

There’s a huge variety of fish to be found in the waters of Oldschool Runescape. Here’s a breakdown of the types and their stats:

Fish

Fishing Level

Cooking Level

Experience Points

Heals

Grand Exchange Price

Members?

Raw shrimps

1

10

30

3

57

Free

Raw sardine

5

20

40

4

40

Free

Raw karambwanji

5

5

-

-

-

Members

Raw guppy

7

8

12

-

-

Free

Raw herring

10

30

50

5

115

Free

Raw anchovies

15

40

30

1

31

Free

Raw mackerel

16

20

60

6

16

Members

Raw trout

20

50

70

7

43

Free

Raw cavefish

20

16

23

-

-

Free

Raw cod

23

45

75

7

30

Members

Raw pike

25

60

80

8

98

Free

Slimy eel

28

65

95

6-10

499

Members

Raw salmon

30

70

90

9

36

Free

Frog spawn

33

75

-

3-6

-

Members

Raw tetra

33

24

31

-

-

Free

Raw tuna

35

80

100

10

50

Free

Raw rainbow fish

38

80

110

11

297

Members

Raw cave eel

38

80

115

7-11

167

Members

Raw lobster

40

90

120

12

135

Free

Bluegill

43

11.5

3

-

189

Members

Raw bass

46

100

130

13

14

Members

Raw catfish

46

33

43

-

-

Members

Leaping trout

48

50

10

-

20

Members

Raw swordfish

50

100

140

14

188

Free

Raw lava eel

53

60

30

11

-

Members

Common tench

56

40

10

-

1007

Members

Leaping salmon

58

70

10

-

23

Members

Raw monkfish

62

120

150

16

197

Members

Raw karambwan

65

50

190

18

295

Members

Leaping sturgeon

70

80

15

-

61

Members

Mottled eel

73

65

20

-

143

Members

Raw shark

76

110

210

20

423

Members

Raw sea turtle

79

38

212

21

516

Members

Infernal eel

80

95

-

11

-

Members

Raw manta ray

81

46

216

22

897

Members

Minnow

82

26.1

-

-

-

Members

Raw anglerfish

82

120

230

3-22

1355

Members

Raw dark crab

85

130

215

22

854

Members

Sacred eel

87

105

108-124

-

-

Members

Greater siren

91

100

25

-

117

Members

Fishing Methods

How you go about fishing depends on the type of fish you’re trying to catch. Here’s a breakdown of the equipment you need and the fish you can catch with it:

  • Net: Raw shrimps, raw karambwanji, raw guppy, raw anchovies, raw cavefish, raw tetra, raw monkfish, raw manta ray, minnow.
  • Bait: Raw sardine, raw herring, raw pike, slimy eel, raw salmon, frog spawn, raw tuna, raw rainbow fish, raw cave eel, raw lobster, raw bass, raw catfish, leaping trout, raw swordfish, raw shark, raw anglerfish, raw dark crab, sacred eel, mottled eel, greater siren, leaping salmon.
  • Big Net: Raw mackerel, raw cod, raw tetra, raw bass, raw catfish.
  • Drift Net: Raw anchovies, raw tuna, raw lobster, raw shark, raw sea turtle.
  • Harpoon: Raw tuna, raw swordfish, raw shark, raw manta ray.
  • Fly Fishing: Raw trout, raw salmon.
  • Stripy Fly Fishing: Raw rainbow fish.
  • Cage with Dark Bait: Raw dark crab.
  • Cormorant: Bluegill, common tench, mottled eel, greater siren.
  • Heavy Rod: Leaping trout, leaping salmon, leaping sturgeon.
  • Oily Rod with Bait: Raw lava eel, infernal eel.
  • Vessel: Raw karambwan.

Cooking Your Catch

You can cook your fish for more experience points and more healing points. Here’s a list of the cooked fish and their stats:

Fish

Cooking Level

Experience Points

Heals

Grand Exchange Price

Members?

Shrimp (cooked)

1

30

3

57

Free

Sardine (cooked)

1

40

4

18

Free

Guppy (prepared)

7

12

-

-

Free

Herring (cooked)

5

50

5

17

Free

Anchovies (cooked)

1

30

1

35

Free

Mackerel (cooked)

10

60

6

14

Members

Trout (cooked)

15

70

7

37

Free

Cavefish (prepared)

20

23

-

-

Free

Cod (cooked)

18

75

7

10

Members

Pike (cooked)

20

80

8

32

Free

Slimy eel (cooked)

28

95

6-10

182

Members

Salmon (cooked)

25

90

9

53

Free

Fish chunks (cut)

1

3

-

6

Members

Bass[1] (cooked)

43

130

13

82

Members

Catfish (prepared)

46

43

-

-

Members

Roe (cut)

1

10

-

75

Members

Swordfish[1] (cooked)

45

140

14

215

Free

Lava eel (cooked)

53

30

11

-

Members

Fish chunks (cut)

     

Unlocking the Full Potential of Fishing in Oldschool Runescape

Do you want to reach new heights in fishing in Oldschool Runescape? If so, you'll need to complete quests that offer experience rewards for fishing. With the right quests and a little bit of patience, you can get your fishing level to the max!

Quest Experience Rewards for Fishing

Each quest in Oldschool Runescape offers experience rewards for fishing, and some even have additional requirements for completion. Here's an overview of the quests you should target if you're looking for a fishing experience boost:

Quest

Experience Reward

Fishing Requirement

Other Requirements

Recipe for Disaster - Freeing Pirate Pete

1,000

-

Cooking 31

Fishing Contest

2,437

Fishing 10

-

Heroes' Quest

2,725

Fishing 53

Quest points 55, Cooking 53, Herblore 25

The Fremennik Trials

2,812

-

-

Tai Bwo Wannai Trio

5,000

Fishing 5

Agility 15, Cooking 30

Rum Deal

7,000

Fishing 50

Crafting 42, Farming 40, Prayer 47, Slayer 42

Sea Slug

7,175

-

Firemaking 30

Swan Song

50,000

Fishing 62

Quest points 100, Magic 66, Cooking 62, Smithing 45, Firemaking 42, Crafting 40

Tips for Success

Now that you have an overview of the quests you should be targeting for experience rewards in fishing, here are some tips to keep in mind to help you succeed:

  • Read the requirements for each quest carefully before you start. Some quests have multiple requirements, and you don't want to be stuck in the middle with no way of completing it.
  • Don't rush. Quests take time, and rushing through them could mean you miss out on rewards or make mistakes that cost you progress.
  • Make sure you have enough inventory space. You'll likely need to pick up items along the way, so make sure you have plenty of space to store them.
  • Use a fishing bait. Fishing bait increases your chances of catching a fish, so make sure you have some on hand before you start fishing.

Conclusion

Fishing in Oldschool Runescape can be a great way to earn experience, but only if you take the right quests. With the quests listed above, you can get your fishing level to the max! Just remember to read the requirements for each quest carefully.

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