Fishing Extrava-lose-a
by Alex Ziebart 
Mar 16th 2008 at 6:00PM
Booty Bay's Fishing Contest started just an hour ago. I don't participate every week, far from it. Once a month, tops. I've been doing this since the contest started, and I just can't seem to pull off a win.I'm not nearly aggressive enough for the contest, the winners always seem to be the people that muscle others away from 'their' Tastyfish Schools on my server, and I just feel bad doing that to people. That's probably why I don't play on a PvP server. I've gotten close to winning a few times, usually only 4-5 Tastyfish short, and I would've pulled off a win if I didn't run by so many schools that had other people fishing them.
I'm sure there's other factors at work, I don't exactly have a proper circuit down because I do it so infrequently. I can't really 'practice' when I do it once a month or less. Looking at forums and the like, I don't seem to be alone in my failings. There's not a whole lot of winners when only one person per week can take the crown. So I'm curious, how many of you participate or have participated in the contest? How many of you have actually won? As a bonus question, how many of the rare fish have you caught? I've only gotten the Blue Striped Racer. QQ.
Filed under: Fishing, Events, Odds and ends
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Aikiwoce Mar 16th 2008 6:04PM
I got the pole, hat, boots, and line within like 3 weeks of trying on my server.
Aikiwoce Mar 16th 2008 6:04PM
I got the pole, hat, boots, and line within like 3 weeks of trying on my server.
L2Fish :)
Everto Mar 16th 2008 6:15PM
I've won the contest twice on my main. However, I have yet to see a rare fish on my main or my twink.
Ragvel Mar 17th 2008 6:32AM
have taken
Brownell's Blue Striped Racer / Nat Pagle's Extreme Anglin' Boots
Dezian Queenfish / High Test Eternium Fishing Line
Keefer's Angelfish / Lucky Fishing Hat
some of these fish have droped more than once for me.
(there should be more prizes to select from )
yet to win the contest , but i guess as most will be busy at the sunwell 2.4 so better chances ahead ;)
also new fishing equip drops from the new fishing dailyes in 2.4.
i allready got chuck and Weather-Beaten Fishing Hat on ptr cant wait to fish for those on live ;)
JaneLame Mar 17th 2008 7:28AM
What annoys me most about the fishing contest is people who steal your pools of tastyfish. It's a lose-lose situation, because when a second player throws a pole into a pool of fish, it seems to despawn much faster.
And yes, I'm a master angler myself, got all 3 rare fish rewards but never Pagle's pole. QQ :)
nav Mar 17th 2008 7:55AM
Don't make the mistake of thinking 2.4 will make it quieter. First Sunday of The Burning Crusade I hit the extravaganza thinking it'd be quieter. It was busier, because so many people had shown up thinking it'd be quieter.
Popalicious Mar 16th 2008 9:25PM
I ran the contest for about 5, maybe 6 weeks - ended up winning it twice in a row. I never did get the fishing line, and I was considering going back to get the upgrade - but then the fishing daily in 2.4 was announced, and the rewards there are pretty much just as good or better.
Dunwich Mar 16th 2008 6:32PM
I've won once (Chose the rod) and got the full set of extras on my main. A master fishergnome is me.
Hint - Before the contest starts, set your hearth to Booty Bay. Also, an Epic Mount and Riding Crop may help. It's a bugger to do, but with the right preperation and a little luck you can do it. Just depends how badly you want the rod, reel, boots and hat.
Brasson Mar 17th 2008 10:20AM
Those are some pretty good tricks. Nothing terrible, just things to get you moving a little faster.
There are a limited number of Tastyfish per pool. Find a fresh one and pull all you can out of it. If someone's already fishing at one, pass it by. You can't afford the time it'll take to cast, get nothing, and remount. Same applies if someone else starts poaching your node. By doing so they make it inefficient to stay there. Finish up your current cast and take off.
CaffeineRage Mar 16th 2008 6:49PM
I had some odd luck, and won my first attempt. Then, I repeated my performance, and won the following week, much to the hatred of everyone in the area at the time.
I did have some rough luck getting the hat, and I finally just gave up on the boots. I may go back someday to try to get the boots to just finish the set, but I am not too worried about them.
Hotsauce Mar 16th 2008 7:09PM
I don't participate in the contest. There are a couple of guilds on my server (horde & alliance) that work together during the contest and kill anyone who is not a member of either guild. It just makes the contest very miserable to attempt.
TiM Mar 17th 2008 7:39PM
After three attempts I won the rod. This was way back before twinks started realizing that Yojamba isle had no mobss to kill them. I fished that place solo and won. I've done it on and off since then. i just got my first rare after months of trying. of course it was the racer lol
Jack Mar 16th 2008 7:20PM
I'm never playing at that time of day on a Sunday, so it's hard for me to participate in the contest. But I did try once, and though I didn't come anywhere near winning I got the eternium fishing line, so it wasn't a complete loss.
Joseph Mar 16th 2008 7:25PM
I've had a very VERY bad experience with this.
One week (after weeks and weeks of trying) I actually got all 40 fish!! Nobody else had won. I was delighted. I went to click my HS which is 99.99995% of the time set to Booty Bay. This time however. It was not.
I managed to click it off in time - WHEW! So I started to run back praying to god that I'd still get it.
I got into the bay, and was about 6 yards away from the guy. And someone else won. If I had only set my HS like I always do I would have won - it pissed me off so much I didnt play for like.. 30 mins lol
Psychosis Mar 16th 2008 7:58PM
it seems to me that the fishing competition is for serious twinks or people who REALLY want mr pinchy, or if you hhave nothing better to do on a sunday afternoon
Elph Mar 16th 2008 8:26PM
I've caught Mr. Pinchy many times with 375 fishing, +100 lure, and the fishing pole from a quest in Shattrath. You don't need any other special fishing gear. I'm the proud owner of the magical crawdad on two of my characters.
Balasan Mar 16th 2008 8:25PM
I just won my first ever fishing extravaganza after playing WoW from beta, and dammmn it felt goooooooood. Granted this time I made sure I was fully prepared, picked the right spots, etc. The only thing I didn't do as suggested by others was to hire a 'scout' to look for the next school of fish.
If you want to win this you have to be serious about it. Set your HS to booty bay, park your character at the proper location, be there on time so that the moment the game starts you can drop a line immediately, all the stuff. I won mine today just a few seconds ahead of second place.
Unfortunately for me, though, even after months of fishing (whether seriously or not) I have never had the luck to EVER fish a rare fish. Quite dissapointed, but I'm happy enough to get the arcanite pole.
Protip: if you're on a PvE server, absolute best place after months of trying to find the perfect fishing location is Yojamba isle, up north. Large enough to have plenty of pool spawn locations, yet small enough that you don't waste time travelling instead of fishing.
peaglemancer Mar 16th 2008 9:06PM
I play on a PvP server, so basically you win based on your luck of not getting ganked (or hiring some mercenaries to protect you). If you die once you'll almost certainly fail to win the contest.
In general the contest is won in around 17mins (very fast) to 24mins (nothing special). I've won 4 times, but sort of lost heart for it after that because you can't do much but vendor the trinket (you can't have two of the rods).
In my experience as Alliance you win (other than luck-of-the-gank), by starting around the Grom-Gol area. There's less twinks trying to get stam gear (from the special fish) on that coast due to mobs and the horde, so pending the number of horde that are out that day, you can get to a lot of pools. If you are attacked run/bubble/shield/fade whatever, because an all out fight - even if you win - will take too long.
On a final note, I really like the fishing contest, just as something different and fun in the game. It really is a blast to compete =)
Timbo Mar 16th 2008 9:15PM
I can do you one better, I had my mouse on the complete quest button and lost. Needless to say that put me off the contest for a while.
Draenors Mar 20th 2008 9:17AM
I've won the tournament three times. There are only 2 rewards, so after having won it twice on my main, I'm starting on my alt. Leveling your fishing skill is almost grotesquely slow, but the tournament makes it more fun and challenging. There's also the special fishes to catch.
I was once having an argument with another player when he got mad at me for fishing in his school. I can understand his point, but I still think that this should be allowed since it's is a competition. I don't any longer fish in schools that are already being used by someone else from my own faction, mainly because I don't more people to get mad.
But recommend to fish in schools already used by the opposing faction. They are more likely to do the same with you. And they can't complain if they get mad at you. At least you won't be able to understand what they say.
On the other hand, if you are only fishing to get one one of the rare fish, I think you should either wait till someone wins (they can still be caught until 4.00) or fish a place where no one else is as I don't see any reason to disturb the players who are actually trying to win. Also, don't win more than 2 times so you have both rewards. Otherwise, you will prevent others from getting them.
Of course, it's very important to be 100% focuses even though it's hard. Don't talk to guild mates. Don't help the level 19 who are about to get killed by a level 40 mob. Focus, focus, focus.
Oh, and for the love of Lady Vashj, remember to set your HS to BB. I forgot it all the time (in one of my victories, I actually had to ride back :P)