Here is some good dinformation on the fishing competition (from thottbot post). I competed Sunday for the first time. I didn't even come close to winning. I had like 25 when it was over. Took about 30 minutes. I did catch the rare "racer" and turned it in for some Extreme Anglin Boots (fishing +5).

Show up in Booty Bay a little before 2:00 p.m. server time on a Sunday. There are 3 questgivers just north of the inn who are only there from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m. Talk to them to get the contest rules. If you're serious about trying to win the competition, you will also want to set your hearthstone to the Booty Bay inn.

Small "whirlpools" appear on the water all along the Stranglethorn Vale coast (including the coasts of some of the islands) EXCEPT for in Booty Bay. These pools start appearing at 2 p.m. on Sunday and all of them disappear at 4 p.m. Also at 2 p.m., the fishing competition master will announce "Let the fishing begin!"

If you cast into one of the pools (on the edge of the whirlpool is usually good enough) and successfully catch a fish, most of the time you will get a Tastyfish. Once in a while (I think it's 1 in 100 or worse) you will catch a special fish -- Dezian Queenfish, Keefer's Angelfish, or Brownell's Striped Racer. (I may have these names slightly wrong, but they're close.)

The fishing skill required is the same as elsewhere in STV -- I think it's 150 minimum, but some of your fish will get away unless it's 200+ (including lure and/or other items that increase fishing skill). Once someone starts fishing in a pool, the pool will disappear within a few minutes (I think it's based on number of fish caught, but there might also be a timer). New pools constantly appear all around STV (EXCEPT off Booty Bay).

The first fisher (Horde or Alliance) to catch 40 Tastyfish and turn them in to the competition master wins the contest and may choose either the Arcanite Fishing Pole or a trinket that lets you turn into a fish (underwater breathing and increased swimming speed). To equip these, you need Fishing 300 for the pole or Level 60 for the trinket. This is a repeatable quest -- You can try to win a new pole or trinket every week -- but of course the rewards are soulbound, so there is no real advantage to winning more than twice. The vendor price for the pole is around 40 silver, so it's just rude to win if you already have both rewards.

When someone turns in the 40 Tastyfish, the competition master will announce the winner. On an RP or PvE server, this typically happens about 35 minutes into the contest. It will probably take longer on a PvE server. Even after the winner is declared, anyone (including the winner) may continue fishing until the pools disappear at 4. This gives everyone the opportunity to catch more Tastyfish or special prize fish.

There is a robot to the left of the contest master and an assistant to his right. Up until 5 p.m., you can turn in Tastyfish in groups of 5 to the assistant. For each group of 5 fish (this is a repeatable quest), you will receive 23 silver. If you wait until after 5 p.m., your fish will spoil and become worthless.

You can turn in the other special fish to the robot to receive immediate rewards. Each is a repeatable quest. The rewards all give +5 to fishing skill if equipped -- a cool-looking fishing hat for a Keefer's Angelfish, an Eternium fishing line (which must be attached to a fishing pole) for a Dezian Queenfish, or a pair of fishing boots for a Brownell's Striped Racer. As with the Tastyfish, you can only turn them in until 5 p.m. I assume they "go bad" after that, but don't intend to find out!

See my next post for strategy tips.

- Basilicus, Master Angler (and incidentally 56 Human Priest), Earthen Ring