Stranglethorn Fishing Extravaganza in WoW Classic: How to Win

◆What the tournament is and why join

The organizer is the goblin Riggle Bassbait, Fishmaster of Booty Bay. On event day he offers the quest Master Angler: be the first to bring 40 Speckled Tastyfish caught along the coast of Stranglethorn Vale. The grand prize is the best fishing pole of the Vanilla era and a unique trinket. Only one player completes the quest per tournament, so it is a real race.

Two more NPCs stand nearby: his apprentice Jang buys Tastyfish in batches of 5 once the winner is known, and the Fishbot 5000 accepts three rare fish and hands out angler gear for them. So even the losers leave with something.

◆How to take part: step by step

1. Learn the rules. The tournament heralds — Barrus in Ironforge and Grinkle in Orgrimmar — hand out the Fishing Tournament! flyer with the rules.
2. Reach Booty Bay early. The route is in the guide how to get to Booty Bay. Bind your Hearthstone to the local inn so you can get back with the catch faster.
3. Prepare a pole and lures. Take the best available pole from the fishing poles in WoW Classic hub and a stack of lures.
4. At 14:00 look for Schools of Tastyfish. Special schools appear along the coast. Your bobber must land inside the pool, otherwise you catch ordinary fish.
5. Hand 40 fish to Riggle. The quest has a 2 hour timer. Whoever turns in first wins.
6. Lost? No problem. Sell Tastyfish to Jang for money and turn rare fish in to the Fishbot 5000.

Tournament rewards

All three rare fish come only from Schools of Tastyfish during the event and at a very low chance. The hat, boots and line are covered in detail in the article on fishing gear.

Arcanite Fishing PoleBinds when picked upUniqueTwo-HandFishing Pole42 - 63 DamageSpeed 3.00(17.5 damage per second)Durability 45 / 45Requires Fishing (300)Equip: Increased Fishing +35.«It looks like Nat Pagle himself used this.»

Hook of the Master AnglerBinds when picked upTrinketUse: Turns you into a fish giving water breath and increasing your movement speed, but attacking or casting while in this form breaks the effect. Does not work out of water or at the water's surface. (5 Sec Cooldown)

Tips: how to win the fishing tournament

• Skill means speed. The higher your Fishing, the fewer fish get away. If you have not leveled the profession yet, start with the fishing guide. A lure helps too, but applying it costs time.
• Spot schools by eye. There is no fish-tracking ability in 1.12.1, so study the shoreline in advance and keep moving along it instead of waiting at empty spots.
• Schools deplete. After a few catches a pool disappears and later respawns. Split the coast with friends instead of crowding a single school.
• Mind the PvP. Stranglethorn Vale is contested territory: on a PvP server players of the other faction can attack you on the coast. Travel in a group, keep your health up and watch the map. The world PvP guide is worth a read.
• Fish go bad. Tastyfish bind to your character and only last a limited time in your bags, so you cannot hoard them for next Sunday.
• Server time. On WoW x5 the tournament starts at 14:00 server time. Check it against the in-game clock in advance.

◆Related articles

• Fishing poles in WoW Classic: all poles and the best one
• Angler gear: hat, boots, line
• Stranglethorn Vale zone overview
• How to get to Stranglethorn Vale
• Booty Bay reputation
• Nat Pagle quest

Ready to fight for the Arcanite Fishing Pole? Register on WoW x5, connect and wait for Sunday in Booty Bay.