Fishing and Foraging — EverQuest Guide

Master Fishing and Foraging in EverQuest to gather valuable resources for crafting, earn steady income, and find rare treasures.

Beyond the thrill of combat and the pursuit of epic loot, EverQuest offers a more tranquil, yet equally rewarding, path for adventurers: Fishing and Foraging. These tradeskills provide valuable resources for other crafting professions, offer a steady source of income, and can even yield rare, unexpected treasures.

Getting Started: The Essentials

Before you can cast a line or pluck a berry, you'll need the right tools:

• Fishing: You absolutely need a Fishing Pole and Fishing Bait. Both can be purchased from various merchants throughout Norrath. Good starting locations include the general goods vendors in the common lands, or the fishing supply vendors found near major bodies of water in cities like Freeport or Qeynos.
• Foraging: No special tools are required for foraging, as your character's natural senses and dexterity are all that's needed. However, certain classes (like Rangers and Druids) have an innate advantage with higher starting skill and faster skill-ups.

Fishing: The Art of the Catch

Fishing is a patience-based skill that can be performed in almost any body of water. Your success rate is determined by your Fishing skill, the type of water, and sometimes even the time of day.

1. Equip Your Gear: Place your Fishing Pole in a primary or secondary weapon slot and your Fishing Bait in a regular inventory slot.
2. Find a Spot: Stand near a body of water. Rivers, lakes, and coastal areas are all viable. Popular early-game fishing spots include the docks in Freeport, the river in North Karana, or the shores of Lake Rathetear.
3. Cast Your Line: Use the /fish command or click the "Fish" button on your actions window. Your character will cast their line.
4. Wait for a Bite: This is where patience comes in. You'll see a message like "You cast your line." or "You feel a tug on your line!"
5. Reel it In: If you get a bite, you'll automatically attempt to reel in your catch. Success means an item appears in your inventory; failure means you lose your bait.

What You Can Catch:

• Common Fish: Small Fish, Large Fish, Freshwater Fish, Saltwater Fish. These are useful for cooking or selling to vendors.
• Junk Items: Rusty Dagger, Old Boot, Waterlogged Scroll. These are generally vendor trash, but some can be used in specific quests or tradeskill recipes.
• Rare Finds: Occasionally, you might pull up a Fish Scale (used in tailoring), Pearls, or even a Sunken Treasure Chest (requires a key or lockpicking to open).

Foraging: Gifts from the Earth

Foraging allows you to gather natural resources from the ground. Unlike fishing, foraging can be done almost anywhere, though certain zones are richer in specific materials.

1. Find a Zone: Foraging yields are zone-dependent. For example, Greater Faydark is excellent for Mushrooms and Berries, while Everfrost Peaks might yield Snow Lillies or Arctic Rhubarb.
2. Use the Skill: Use the /forage command or click the "Forage" button on your actions window. Your character will attempt to find something.
3. Collect Your Bounty: If successful, an item will appear in your inventory. Failure simply means you found nothing.

What You Can Forage:

• Food Items: Berries, Mushrooms, Roots, Vegetables. Essential for cooking and can reduce your food expenses.
• Crafting Components: Spider Silk, Feathers, Pelts (though these are more commonly obtained from mob drops).
• Herbs and Spices: Sage, Thyme, Rosemary, Allspice. Crucial for alchemy and cooking.
• Rare and Quest Items: Some zones have unique forageables tied to specific quests or high-end crafting. For instance, Bloodpetal in Jaggedpine Forest or Dream Dust in The Emerald Jungle.

Skill-Up Strategies:

• Persistence is Key: Both skills improve with repeated use. The more you fish or forage, the faster your skill will increase.
• AFK Training: These are excellent skills to train while AFK (Away From Keyboard) or while waiting for groups. Just ensure you have enough bait for fishing.
• Zone Selection: Foraging skill-ups are often faster in zones with a wider variety of forageable items. Fishing skill-ups are less dependent on zone, more on consistent attempts.
• Tradeskill Synergy: Consider pairing these skills with Baking (for fish and foraged food) or Alchemy (for foraged herbs) to make the most of your gathered resources.

Embrace the calm of the waters and the bounty of the land. Fishing and Foraging not only provide a relaxing alternative to combat but also contribute significantly to your self-sufficiency and wealth in the world of EverQuest.