So, you want to be the Emeril Lugassi of wow. Follow this little write up and you will be hollering BAM in no time.
Fishing and Cooking go hand in hand. You can get your cooking skill from zero to 300 in a matter of days if you start out post level 40 (level required to get the artisan cooking quest), and already have a high enough fishing skill to support it. Just stay on the orange recipes and upgrade your cookbook regularly and you will hit 300 cooking skill in no time. You can also do this with minimal cost. You will have to pay for the recipes and whatever ingredients needed to cook them. Most fish, however, can be cooked with no needed ingredients. All you need is a fire, any fire, of any color. Almost every camp I went to had a fire of some sort that could be used for cooking. No, you can’t use torches.
When you read through the rest of this write up, you will have to keep something in mind. I use a fishing bot. Whether you do or don’t agree with botting is not an issue that I care to take up. This write up is for getting your cooking skill up by using what you get from fishing, regardless of how you get your fish.
You can get the fishing bot I use here: http://www.multiplayerstrategies.com/ms/index.cfm?page=topic&topicID=27044&categoryid=20
Here is another one: http://www.multiplayerstrategies.com/ms/index.cfm?page=topic&topicID=27824&categoryid=20
You can get some info on fishing quests and skill npc’s here: http://www.multiplayerstrategies.com/ms/index.cfm?page=topic&topicID=29299&categoryid=20
Ok, first you need to get some recipes. Please pay attention to faction notes. The list goes in order from easiest to hardest, and with consideration given to the fishing skill needed to get it. There is an enormous mix of fish caught in different areas, so it is nearly impossible to list them all with an area breakdown. You can raise your fishing skill by 20 if you want to go loot crab traps right next to Shadowprey Village in Desolace. Here is the pole: http://www.thotbott.com/?i=2950
I would recommend filling your bags with enough recipes to get you all the way to level 300. When you hit level 225 in cooking and are level 40 you can head to Gadgetzan and do the quest that allows you to get to level 300. WARNING: The quest was bugged back when I did it. I was able to raise my skill above 225 after doing it, but some people could not. So fair warning, I don’t know if it is still bugged or not.
That quest is here: http://wow.allakhazam.com/db/quest.html?wquest=6610 It is for both alliance and horde.
Ok Back to the fishing. Master list: http://www.thotbott.com/?t=Cooking or http://wow.allakhazam.com/dyn/skills/skillline185.html
Easy to catch and cook: Skill format is learned/green/trivial.
Slither Skin Mackerel: http://www.thotbott.com/?i=735 1/45/85
Brilliant Smallfish: http://www.thotbott.com/?i=394 1/45/85
Rainbow Fin Albacore: http://www.thotbott.com/?i=2086 50/80/130
Longjaw Mud Snapper: http://www.thotbott.com/?i=734 50/80/130
Deviate Fish: THE COOLEST FISH EVER!!! : http://www.thotbott.com/?i=4710 85/125/165. Be sure to stock up on this one for hours and hours of fun. You will have to spend some money on ingredients to cook it though.
Bristle Whisker Catfish: http://www.thotbott.com/?i=733 100/140/180
Mithril Head Trout: http://www.thotbott.com/?i=Mithril%20Head%20Trout 175/215/255
Redgill: http://www.thotbott.com/?i=10072 225/265/305
Spotted Yellowtail: http://www.thotbott.com/?i=730 225/265/305
Here is some stuff you get from fishing that will provide some stats when cooked:
Grilled Squid (10 Agility): http://www.thotbott.com/?i=10066
Glossy Mightfish (10 Stamina): http://www.thotbott.com/?i=5184
Summer Bass (10 Spirit): http://www.thotbott.com/?i=10076
Nightfin Snapper (8 mana/ 5seconds): http://www.thotbott.com/?i=5766
Sunscale Salmon (6 health/5 seconds): http://www.thotbott.com/?i=10334
While fishing you will catch various things that don’t cook but will either sell in the AH or you can use towards your tradeskills. Firefin Snapper, Oily Blackmouth, and Stonescale Eel are all used in Alchemy and sell decently in the AH. Black Pearls, Iridescent Pearls, and gold Pearls sell good and are looted from various clams. Remember, this is just an added benefit, so don’t ever think that fishing will make you rich by selling what you catch.