Fisher 1-90 Leveling Guide (Updated for 6.3)
This guide will show you how to quickly level your Fisher class in Final Fantasy XIV. We will assume you have no prior knowledge of the Fishing system, although it is admittedly quite simple when leveling up is your main focus. This guide aims to be as simple as possible, what to gather at which levels and what to do to keep things progressing smoothly.
Useful Resources:
Main Class Level 90
- It is expected that your main class is Level 90 with the Endwalker Main Scenario completed for access to all maps
1-2 Million Gil
- You will need some starting gil to prepare for the journey from 1-90
- Check out our Gil Service if you need funds for the journey
- It’s strongly advised to use universalis.app to check the Market Board prices for all Worlds on your Data Center, it will save you a lot of gil in the long run
Access to Survival Manuals
- You will need access to Survival Manuals to provide a +150% boost to EXP
- There are various types of Survival Manuals scale their EXP boost depending on your level
- The easiest way to obtain Survival Manuals is by Grand Company Seals
Cordials
- Cordials will be needed throughout the leveling process to replenish GP
- GP can be used to catch fish more often so Cordials are essential to leveling as fast as possible
- NQ or HQ Cordials can be used
Carrot Nibbles / Mushroom Saute (HQ)
- Carrot Nibbles / Mushroom Saute will be our foods of choice as it can be found cheaply on the Market Board and provides great stats in addition to the 3% EXP boost
- The Gathering stat bonus will have an effect even at lower levels and increases your chances of successfully catching fish
EXP Boosts & Bonuses
Aside from the Rest EXP Bonus and the +3% from consuming Food items; there are a number of stackable buffs, gear and methods that can be used to increase EXP yields and level up even faster:
Road to 80 (Preferred Worlds) (+100%)
Those who are on Preferred Worlds are the most privileged group, receiving a +100% bonus to ALL EXP gained until Level 80. This means the effort required to reach Level 80 is essentially halved.
Survival Manuals (+150%)
Survival Manuals grant +150% EXP and in most cases, hugely cut down the amount of time required to level your gatherers. They will expire after granting you a specified allowance of EXP. Bonus EXP is halved once your surpass the level cap for each Survival Manual. This buff does not affect hand-ins or levequest EXP rewards.
- Company-issue Survival Manual (Up to Lv. 40)
- Company-issue Survival Manual II (Up to Lv. 50)
- Commercial Survival Manual (Up to Lv. 70)
- Revised Survival Manual (Up to Lv. 80)
Commercial Manuals are rewarded for completing level 50 and 60 Class Quests for gatherer classes. Revised Manuals are rewarded for completing Crystarium Deliveries, and can be bought with White Gatherers’ Scrips.
Earth and Water II (Free Company Buff) (+10%)
For those who are part of a Free Company willing to activate this buff, you’ll receive a small boost of +10% EXP while gathering. This buff does not affect hand-ins or levequest EXP rewards.
Bonus EXP Gear
- Friendship Circlet +20% EXP (up to level 26)
- Ala Mhigan Earrings +30% EXP (up to level 51)
Those fortunate enough to have access to Bonus EXP gear can wear this gear until their level caps for a nice boost. Bonuses from this gear does stack and swapping in this gear will not affect the Macros suggested in this guide. That said, this buff does not affect hand-ins or levequest EXP rewards.
How to Fish
I’ll quickly go over how to actually catch Fish for leveling purposes to keep things as simple as possible. Unlock the Fisher Class in Limsa Lominsa Lower Decks (X: 7.9 Y: 14.2) if you haven’t done so already.
- Set Versatile Lure as your Bait
- Approach desired Fishing Hole
- Use Chum to make the next fish appear sooner
- Use Cast
- Wait and use Hook when you see [!] or [!!] (one chance)
- Use a Cordial and Thaliak’s Favor when your GP dips too low
- Repeat steps 2 to 5 to catch more fish
- Chum makes the next fish appear more quickly
- Thaliak’s Favor restores 150 GP (consumes Angler’s Art stacks earned from catching Large (HQ) fish
- Be sure to set your own Battle Effect Settings to Show All in the Character Configuration -> Control Settings -> Character tab to enable the Bite indicators (! / !! / !!!)
Ocean Fishing, Levequests or Diadem?
As of patch 6.0, there are various methods of leveling up your gatherer classes which can lead to confusion for newer players. This guide will show you how to employ these methods to level up your Fisher as quickly as possible in a straightforward manner (i.e. avoiding the Fishing Log like a plague).
- Diadem – Best used between Level 10 and 60 (60+ Optional)
- Levequests – Any Level (60+ Recommended)
- Ocean Fishing Session – Any Level (Only Available Every 2 Hours)
We’ll outline each method, and how you can utilise their advantages to make your leveling experience as smooth as possible. However, first we must reach Level 10 so we have access to Diadem. We’ll also complete the Fisher Class Quests up to 10 for the bonus EXP to skip this stage as quickly as possible. Now is a great time to complete your Daily Grand Company Supply and Provision hand-in for Fisher if you haven’t already.
- Obtain 10 Versatile Lure from the Merchant & Mender at the Limsa Lominsa Ferry Docks (Ocean Fishing Area)
- Purchase 99 Cordials from the Market Board
- Use Survival Manual
- Use any Gathering stat Food
- Buy 5 Lominsan Anchovy for the Level 1 Quest
- Buy 3 Harbor Herring for the Level 5 Quest
- Buy 1 Princess Trout for the Level 10 Quest
Equip Gear that is appropriate for your level; Armour and Fishing Rods can be bought from Iron Thunder (Limsa Lominsa Lower Decks X: 8.1 Y: 11.6) and Syneyhil (Limsa Lominsa Lower Decks X: 6.3 Y: 11.9) respectively.
Ocean Fishing
We will now unlock Ocean Fishing; while not mandatory, it is a great source of EXP at any level whenever it is available as an option. Ocean Fishing can only be accessed via NPC Duty Finder every 2 hours in real-life time, meaning that it isn’t spammable. The queue will be open for 15 minutes only so speak to Dryskthota to check when the next boat is for your Time Zone. Ocean Fishing is generally more fast-paced than fishing elsewhere with a high score mechanic and rewards so you may find yourself returning even after reaching level 90.
- Accept the All the Fish in the Sea quest by speaking to Fhilsnor at Fisher’s Guild in Limsa Lominsa
- Go to the Limsa Lominsa Ferry Docks (Teleport to the Arcanists’ Guild and continue West through the Gates)
- Speak to Foerzagyl to complete the quest
- You can now speak to Dryskthota to check Departure times or queue to board the Ship
- Once the Ship departs, walk to the edge of the deck and fish to your heart’s content
Diadem aka Ishgardian Restoration
Diadem will be our main method of leveling from 10-70 if you are not opting to use Levequests. EXP can be gained very quickly due to the high rate of fish with Chum and good GP management. You can level from 10-60 without changing locations making Diadem a great place to just plant yourself and fish away.
Unlock The Firmament & Ishgard Restoration
You can now head to Ishgard and complete the short quest chain to unlock The Firmament if you haven’t done so already. [Towards the Firmament] can be accepted by speaking to the Recruitment Notice next to the Ishgard Aetheryte in Foundation (X: 9.7 Y: 11.5).
You’ll be transported to The Firmament to complete the quest. Once complete, speak to the Augebert (sidequest icon). After Augebert, speak to any NPCs in the Firmament (Potkin, Lizbeth, Enie etc) with a sidequest icon above their head to listen to their dialogue. You’ll now have unlocked Diadem, and can now speak to Aurvael to travel there allowing you to level up your Fisher quickly. You can hand in caught fish to Flotpassant in exchange for Skybuilders’ Scrips that can be redeemed for rewards by speaking to Enie.
Be sure to equip Gear that is appropriate for your level.
Level 10-60
The Fishing location for Level 10 to 60 is Southern Diadem Lake in the Southwestern Pavilion area. Fly southwest to the bagel shaped island at approximately X: 11.0 Y: 31.0. This Fishing Hole is great for early levels due to the lenient Gear requirements and fast EXP rate.
Level 60-70 (Optional)
From Level 60-70, you’ll be fishing at Northern Diadem Lake in the Northwestern Pavilion area. Fly northwest to the island at approximately X: 10.0 Y: 9.0.
This Fishing Hole is far more strict with Gear / Stat requirements, the following Gearsets are recommended for this fishing hole:
All Gear must be High Quality (HQ)
| Head: | Gyuki Leather Hat (G +10) |
| Body: | Gyuki Leather Jacket (G +10 / G +10) |
| Hands: | Gyuki Leather Gloves of Gathering (G +10 / G +10) |
| Legs: | Gyuki Leather Chaps (G +10) |
| Feet: | Gyuki Leather Boots of Gathering |
| Ears: | Gyuki Leather Earrings (G +10) |
| Neck: | Gyuki Leather Choker (G +10) |
| Wrists: | Gyuki Leather Wristband (G +10) |
| Left Ring: | Gyuki Leather Ring (G +10) |
| Right Ring: | Gyuki Leather Ring (G +10) |
All Gear must be High Quality (HQ)
| Head: | Ironworks Cap of Gathering (G +10) |
| Body: | Ironworks Vest of Gathering (G +10 / G +10) |
| Hands: | Ironworks Gloves of Gathering (G +10 / G +10) |
| Legs: | Ironworks Slops of Gathering (G +10) |
| Feet: | Ironworks Boots of Gathering |
| Ears: | Ironworks Earrings of Gathering (G +10) |
| Neck: | Ironworks Necklace of Gathering (G +10) |
| Wrists: | Ironworks Armillae of Gathering (G +10) |
| Left Ring: | Ironworks Ring of Gathering (G +10) |
| Right Ring: | Ironworks Ring of Gathering (G +10) |
You can use the Muudhorn Fishing Rod or higher as your main tool.
Levequests
Levequests can be used at any level, but they are best used to speed through Level 60 to 90 very quickly without catching a single fish. Use the following list to complete Levequests at any level for an EXP bonus, but be mindful of your Levequest Allowance:
Level 60-90 Levequest Fish
Purchase the following fish (quantity) from the Market Board to level from 60-90 via Levequests:
- Highland Perch (36) – Kugane – There Can Be Only One
- Doman Bubble Eye (54) – Kugane – Unbeliebubble
- Koromo Octopus (18) – Kugane – Pre-octopied
- Sand Egg (36) – The Crystarium – Needs More Egg
- Little Flirt (135) – The Crystarium – The Bride Aquatic
- Ruby-spotted Crab (135) – Old Sharlayan – Crabs for the Crabby
- Dream Pickle (135) – Old Sharlayan – What Would You Do for a Picke
- Rummy-nosed Tetra (18) – Old Sharlayan – What’s in the Air
So You've Kinda Just Leveled Your Fisher to 90
Now that we’re Level 90, we can equip the cheapest / highest level gear we can afford or upgrade your gear to the current gatherer BiS with materia melds.
Fisher Class Quests and Spearfishing
Now that you’re sufficiently overgeared; buy all the Class Quest fish from the Market Board and hand them in to complete the quest chains. The fish required for the level 63-70 quests are only available to catch while the quests are active.
Unlock Spearfishing
- Speak to Sumitsubo at Tamamizu (X: 29.0 Y: 16.0) to accept the A New Fishing Ex-spear-ience quest
- Speak to the kindly Kojin to just outside Tamamizu (X: 27.3 Y: 13.2) to complete the quest
- Equip your Spearfishing Gig reward
- Spearfishing is a simple timing based mini-game, use the Small, Normal or Large Gig Head depending on which fish you intend to catch
- Specific fish can be distinguished by the size of their shadow (small, large or medium) and their speed (slow or fast)
- You can
Level 63 Quest
- Accept the A Rousing Reunion quest from Wawalago at the Fisherman’s Guild (Limsa Lominsa Lowser Decks X: 8.1 Y: 15.2)
- Complete the steps until you are tasked with catching 3 Deep Velodyna Carp
- Go to The Fringes (X: 19.1 Y: 4.3) to catch 3 Deep Velodyna Carp for the quest
Level 65 Quest
- Accept the Search for the Spawning Grounds quest from Wawalago at the Fisherman’s Guild in Limsa Lominsa
- Complete the steps until you are tasked with catching 3 Harutsuge Sprag
- Go to the Ruby Sea (X: 35.9 Y: 5.2) to catch 3 Harutsuge Sprag for the quest
Level 68 Quest
- Accept the Always a Bigger Fish quest from Wawalago at the Fisherman’s Guild in Limsa Lominsa
- Complete the steps until you are tasked with catching 3 Dafangshi
- Go underwater to Yanxia around X:11.0 Y: 37.0 and ensure the Truth of Oceans buff is active
- Use the Large Gig Head to Catch 7 Ichthyosaur from the Spearfishing Nodes; it is the large and fast-moving silhouette
- While spearfishing Ichthyosaur, you will receive notifications alluding to the [Swimming Shadows] taking shape
- After the Ichthyosaur have been caught, an Unspoiled Spearfishing Node will appear on your Map called [Swimming Shadows]
- Catch 3 Dafangshi from the Swimming Shadows Node; it is the thin, shark-shaped silhouette
Level 70 Quest
- Accept the Farewell and Thanks for the Fish quest from Wawalago at the Fisherman’s Guild in Limsa Lominsa
- Complete the steps until you are tasked with catching 5 Giant Plesiosaur
- Go to the Ruby Sea (X: 22.1 Y: 11.0) to catch 5 Giant Plesiosaur for the quest
Congratulations on leveling your Fisher class to 90 and completing all the Class Quests.
Ocean Fishing at 90
Now that we are level 90 with BiS Gear. We can tackle Ocean Fishing again to aim for the Achievements that grant Mount and Minion rewards. This section will help you develop a strategy to obtain 10,000 Ocean Fishing Points in a single run to obtain the shark Mount, Hybodus. The various Achievements are likely to be completed while attempting this and can be found under the Crafting & Gathering -> Fisher page.
Ocean Fishing Tips and Strategy
It is recommended to use Yakow Moussaka HQ food for the GP boost enabling you to have 950+ starting GP as a Fisher
Lulu’s Ocean Fishing Tracker will tell you which bait and Fishing Objectives for each voyage in real time. This is vital information and the crux of developing the strategy to catch the best yielding fish and bonus points. Location, Bait and Weather are the two biggest factors for which fish will appear. Use the high-value fish filter to determine which Bait you require to catch the absolute best fish long the route. The green-background fish are your main Spectral targets.
First Area and Spectral Current
Conserve GP outside Spectral Current and stock up on Angler’s Art stacks by using Prize Catch when at full GP. This will allow you to pull off combos beginning with 950+ GP by using Thaliak’s Favor to replenish GP during Spectral Currents.
If you encounter a Spectral Current in the first area. Refrain from using Thaliak’s Favor and continue stocking up on Angler’s Art stacks as you are aiming to build between 6 and 9 for the next Spectral Current.
During the first area’s Spectral Current, use Prize Catch -> Identical Cast -> Double Hook -> Cordial HQ -> Double Hook when you encounter a high-value fish to obtain a good burst of points.
Second and Third Area Spectral Currents
Outside Spectral Current continue conserving Angler’s Art with Prize Catch or Double Hook blindly if you are at 9 stacks and Full GP.
During Spectral Current, you should have 950+ GP and between 6-9 stacks of Angler’s Art. When you encounter a high-value fish noted in the Tracker, use Prize Catch -> Identical Cast -> Thaliak’s Favor -> Thaliak’s Favor -> Triple Hook -> Cordial HQ -> Thaliak’s Favor -> Prize Catch -> Double Hook.
With some two to three Spectral Current runs, you should have no problem reaching 10,000 points and obtaining the Hydrobus Mount with these resources and strategy at your disposal.
