Fishing, or "Patience Gets You Cooking Supplies"

Fishing is one of three secondary professions, meaning it does not count as one of your two main professions. It's also very different than any other profession in how it skills up.

In fishing, you must equip a fishing pole and hotkey the fishing skill. Press it, and it casts your line into the water.

When the bobber bobs and splashes, click on it and you will catch a fish. (I recommend auto-loot.)

1. You can level your fishing 1-375 in any pool of water anywhere.
2. When just starting, use lures to increase your chance to catch.
   
3. Skill points gained are fewer and farther between the higher your skill gets. So leveling fishing is a time investment. (Because of this, I recommend just one character as your fisherman.)
   
4. Some areas are unfishable if your skill is too low.
5. You will pass pools of fish and/or wreckage while leveling -- they are like mining or herb nodes -- if you cast your lure in these pools, you will always catch what is in the pool node until it runs out (respawn timer just like other nodes). There is also a chance of catching chests, which might have this.

Leveling

Level skill to 150 using any fishing trainer.

Expert Fishing: Get guide from Old Man Heming in Booty Bay.

Artisan Fishing: Start with Grimnur Stonebrand (A-IF) or Lumak (H-Org). They send you to Nat Pagle (Dustwallow Marsh) who gives you the quest for Artisan fishing: Nat Pagle, Angler Extreme.

• [Feralas 62,51] Feralas Ahi
• [Swamp of Sorrows 90,72] Misty Reed Mahi Mahi
• [Desolace 25,77] Sar'theris Striker
• [Stranglethorn Vale 33,32] Savage Coast Blue Sailfin

Master Fishing: Get Guide from Juno Dufrain in Cenarion Refuge (Zangarmarsh).

Why fish?

• Fishing is the best way to level cooking.
• Rare small pets: Magical Crawdad, Snarly (green), Toothy (yellow), Muckbreath (brown), Chuck (dark green).
• Fishing daily.
• Chance to catch some interesting things, like Deviate Fish.
• Soothing water noise. :)

Other Resources

Check out WoW Insider's fishing posts, and try bookofwarcraft.com's fishing guide (tells which fish will make you the most money on the AH). And the king of all Warcraft fishing sites: El's Anglin'.

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I enjoy fishing. In the down time when your group isn't doing anything but you still want to progress a little, it's a nice break.