Secondary Professions in WoW Classic
Vanilla WoW Classic 1.12 · x5 realm · wowx5.ruSecondary professions in WoW Classic are unique: unlike primary professions (limited to two), you can learn all three secondary ones on the same character without restriction. Fishing, Cooking, and First Aid are not mere flavour skills — at level 60 they provide meaningful advantages in raids, PvP, and general gameplay.
Fishing
Fishing is WoW Classic's most meditative profession. A fishing rod and patience unlock access to rare fish required for the best cooking buffs and valuable alchemy ingredients.
Leveling Fishing 1-300
| Skill | What to do | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| 1–75 | Fish in any freshwater pool | Starting zones |
| 75–150 | Inland lakes and rivers | Elwynn Forest, Durotar |
| 150–225 | Coastal saltwater | Stranglethorn Vale, Tanaris |
| 225–300 | Deep coastal / special pools | Azshara, Winterspring, Felwood |
Craft or buy Aquadynamic Fish Attractor (crafted by Engineers or sold at fishing supply vendors) — grants +100 fishing skill for 10 minutes. This significantly speeds up leveling past 200 skill by reducing the number of failed casts.
Why Fish at Level 60
- Nightfin Snapper → Nightfin Soup (+8 MP5) — BiS for casters in raids
- Stonescale Eel → Stonescale Oil (alchemy ingredient) — sells for high prices on the AH
- Firefin Snapper → Firefin Oil (alchemy) — used in Fire Protection Potions
- Oily Blackmouth → Blackmouth Oil (alchemy) — key ingredient in Swiftness Potion
Best Fish for Cooking
| Fish | Fishing Skill | Cooked Product |
|---|---|---|
| Nightfin Snapper | 300, at night | Nightfin Soup (+8 MP5) |
| Stonescale Eel | 300, coastal | Stonescale Oil (alchemy) |
| Raw Summer Bass | 225+ | Grilled Squid (+10 Agility) |
| Firefin Snapper | 175+ | Firefin Oil |
Cooking
Cooking transforms raw materials — fish, meat, herbs — into food with combat buffs. The best recipes provide buffs that last 30-60 minutes, comparable in value to potions.
Leveling Cooking 1-300
| Skill | Recipes | Materials |
|---|---|---|
| 1–40 | Roasted Boar Ribs / Charred Wolf Meat | Boar/wolf meat |
| 40–80 | Crab Cake / Murloc Fin Soup | Fish, crab |
| 80–130 | Crocolisk Steak / Curiously Tasty Omelet | Crocolisk, eggs |
| 130–175 | Roast Raptor / Turtle Bisque | Raptor meat |
| 175–225 | Tender Wolf Steak / Grilled Squid | Wolf meat, squid |
| 225–285 | Runn Tum Tuber Surprise / Mithril Head Trout | Dire Maul herbs |
| 285–300 | Smoked Desert Dumplings | Silithus worm meat |
The recipe for Dirge's Kickin' Chimaerok Chops (+25 Stamina) is obtained via a quest chain involving the island of Maraudon-adjacent content. This is the single best Stamina food buff in all of Vanilla WoW — every tank and melee DPS should aim to get it.
Best Raid Food (BiS)
| Food | Buff | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Dirge's Kickin' Chimaerok Chops | +25 Stamina | Tanks, warriors |
| Smoked Desert Dumplings | +20 Strength | Melee DPS, shamans |
| Nightfin Soup | +8 MP5 | Casters, healers |
| Grilled Squid | +10 Agility | Hunters, rogues |
| Runn Tum Tuber Surprise | +23 Intellect | Mages, priests |
Cooking Synergies with Other Professions
- Fishing + Cooking — the classic duo: fish your own ingredients, zero gold cost
- Skinning + Cooking — hunters and leatherworkers can cook their own kills in the field
- Alchemy uses Stonescale Oil and Firefin Oil from the Fisher-Cook's catches
First Aid
First Aid is WoW Classic's survival profession. Bandages let you restore health quickly without spending mana or requiring a healer nearby — critical for non-healing classes.
Leveling First Aid 1-300
| Skill | Bandage | Cloth |
|---|---|---|
| 1–40 | Linen Bandage | Linen Cloth |
| 40–80 | Heavy Linen Bandage | Linen Cloth |
| 80–115 | Silk Bandage | Silk Cloth |
| 115–150 | Heavy Silk Bandage | Silk Cloth |
| 150–180 | Mageweave Bandage | Mageweave Cloth |
| 180–210 | Heavy Mageweave Bandage | Mageweave Cloth |
| 210–240 | Runecloth Bandage | Runecloth |
| 240–300 | Heavy Runecloth Bandage | Runecloth |
At skill 225, learn the next-rank recipe from NPC trainers in Dustwallow Marsh (Alliance: Theramore) or from Horde-side equivalents. This unlocks Heavy Mageweave Bandage, a significant jump in healing output per cast.
Best Bandages
| Bandage | Healing | Cast Time |
|---|---|---|
| Runecloth Bandage | 1360 HP | 8 seconds |
| Heavy Runecloth Bandage | 2000 HP | 8 seconds |
Heavy Runecloth Bandage is the BiS bandage for all Vanilla content. Its effectiveness rivals a Minor Healing Potion but costs only a stack of Runecloth (roughly 2-5 silver per bandage).
When to Use Bandages
1. Warrior — no self-healing whatsoever outside of Second Wind (talent) 2. Rogue — use between fights; Evasion + bandage means almost no downtime 3. Mage/Warlock — bandage while drinking water, saving valuable time between pulls 4. Hunter — heal up between mob pulls without spending mana
First Aid Synergies
- Tailor + First Aid — Tailors craft the cloth themselves, near-zero gold cost for leveling
- Grinding humanoids provides large stacks of Runecloth for free Heavy Runecloth Bandages
- All raiding characters without heals must reach 300 First Aid before entering MC/BWL
General Tips for Secondary Professions
- Start leveling all three secondary professions from level 1 — there is no opportunity cost
- Always bring buff food to every raid session — it is one of the highest value-per-gold upgrades
- Keep a stack of Heavy Runecloth Bandages on every character, regardless of class
Internal Links
- WoW Classic Raiding Guide — what to bring to every raid
- Cooking Guide WoW Classic — detailed Cooking profession walkthrough
- Fishing Guide WoW Classic — where to fish and what to catch
- First Aid Guide WoW Classic — full bandage progression
FAQ
How many secondary professions can you have in WoW Classic?
You can learn all three secondary professions simultaneously — Fishing, Cooking, and First Aid — with no cap. They do not count against the two-profession limit for primary professions. Every character should have all three maxed by level 60.
Why bother leveling Cooking in WoW Classic?
Cooking provides access to the best raid food buffs — Smoked Desert Dumplings (+20 Strength), Dirge's Kickin' Chimaerok Chops (+25 Stamina), Nightfin Soup (+8 MP5), and Grilled Squid (+10 Agility). These buffs are essential for raid progression and competitive PvP.
Is First Aid necessary for raiding?
Yes, especially for classes without self-healing (Warrior, Mage, Hunter, Rogue). Heavy Runecloth Bandage heals 2000 HP over 8 seconds — it's a lifesaver in dangerous situations and saves healing potions for emergencies.
Where is the best place to fish for skill points in WoW Classic?
For 1-150 fish in any freshwater zone near your starting area. 150-225 use Stranglethorn Vale or Tanaris coast. 225-300 fish in Azshara, Winterspring, or Felwood. For top-tier fish (Nightfin Snapper, Stonescale Eel) you need skill 300 in coastal or nighttime zones.