Patch 5.3 interview with Ghostcrawler
Mystery of the Unborn Val'kyr
The latest patch 5.3 news
All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsBreakfast Topic: Have you ever won the Fishing Tournament?
by Fox Van Allen 
Jan 21st 2012 at 8:00AM
Winning the contest is simple ... in theory. Once the contest starts at 14:00 server time, fish in every pool in Northrend you can find until you get a Blacktip Shark. When you get it, bring it back to Dalaran. There's a lot of luck involved, but the contest is definitely winnable, especially now that it's been out for over two years.
The derby offers some pretty sweet rewards. It's the only place in the game where you can obtain an heirloom ring. (You could opt for boots that increase your fishing skill by 15 instead, but who'd ever choose that instead?)
Do you participate in the Kalu'ak Fishing Derby? Have you already won your Dread Pirate Ring prize? Or is the random nature and high competition level of the contest simply not worth your time?
Filed under: Breakfast Topics
Reader Comments (Page 5 of 5)
Shivy Jan 21st 2012 3:24PM
I have not won the Kalu'ak derby, but I did manage to win the Stranglethorn Fishing Extravaganza on New Year's Day this year. I work on Sundays, I have that day off perhaps... 5-6 times a year, with vacation and holidays. Still need a rare fish to get Salty, though... maybe I'll focus on that today!
terph Jan 21st 2012 3:39PM
Never the Northrend one. It is always won by the 6 minute mark. Always. And not by me. I stopped trying.
I have won the STV one. It was great. That one you can actually win if you try hard enough. It took me a couple of weeks to get it down to a science and have just enough luck to pull it off.
I danced after my victory in a beam of light. An Alliance person picked a fight with me out of rage. I was still partially in fishing gear, but I still killed them and then I went back to dancing.
Later I was running an AQ40 for fun with a group, and I got some whispers from this guy. He repeated my character's name, and said "you. You're the one who stopped me from getting my Salty title today!" I shrugged and said I was also working towards it and I had sympathy. But I had the most smug smile on my face. Heh heh heh. To be honest, the guy is a huge jerk and known very widely throughout the server. So I didn't feel bad.
Draelan Jan 21st 2012 3:52PM
I actually did win the Kal'uak derby on my main once, and that was after a close call. The first time when I came close, I was LITERALLY clicking the "Complete Quest" button when someone else was announced as the winner. And because someone else was announced, it wouldn't allow me to complete the quest. I was SO freaking pissed.
The second time, when I actually won, I turned in my quest at the exact same time as someone else. We both got credit, though I didn't get to have my name announced, as the NPC announced the other person's name. =P
Sadly enough, that means I've got the heirloom ring on the one server where almost all my toons were already 80... hah... I'm still keeping my fingers crossed for a way to transfer heirlooms cross-server.
Scunosi Jan 21st 2012 4:12PM
I never even really tried the Kalu'ak one, but I know a lot of people prefer it as there's less hostility and more just random winning.
I did win the BB one, but I roped in some friends to help. Being on a moderate-high pop. PvP server at tourney time means if you don't have people hunting for you you basically have little to no chance of winning. I didn't even have more than 2 or 3 friends helping, but they all enjoyed the PvP and it was kind of a fun diversion. I ended up picking the fishing pole; kinda wish I'd go back and get the fishy transform but since I've already got the title and I'm a Druid I feel some people wouldn't appreciate that very much. >.>
epitts1972 Jan 21st 2012 4:51PM
I participated today and caught a Blacktip shark and as soon as I pressed the button to hearth to Dal, a winner was announced! Blizzard is such a tease....
Tmara Jan 21st 2012 5:12PM
I've tried more times than I can count. It's the only thing holding me back from getting my Salty title and it drives me nuts. I just can't seem to win it.
LouCypher Jan 21st 2012 6:53PM
1/1/11 on US-Archimonde, and I picked the ring.
Amaxe Jan 21st 2012 7:51PM
Tried it twice, but ultimately felt like I was wasting time.
On my server though, there were definitely people competing for the Kaluak one. While leveling a toon through Northrend, it seemed the victory announcement happened minutes after it was announced the tournament began.
rniemritz Jan 21st 2012 8:44PM
I have won it 2 times. Once about a month after it first was started and once just 2 weeks ago.
Dimmak Jan 21st 2012 9:03PM
Winner here, and let me tell you that ring is a head turner in every pug I have ever been in. My monk is going to fly up the levels, in the future, fly fly into the future...
erd4595 Jan 21st 2012 11:28PM
I have only won the Kalu'ak tournament once, and it took close to 20 tries. On the other hand, I have won the STV fishing tourney 4 times (3 diff chars, including a lvl 40) out of about 10 tries.
nonentity Jan 22nd 2012 4:03AM
Twice. Won the Stranglethorn tournament once and finished my fishing meta achievement with it (picked the fishing rod, thank god they changed the graphic so it looks appropriately cool for the best fishing rod in the game).
About a year later won the Kaluak one for the heirloom ring. Cataclysm was out by then and I'm a mage, and it seems there were fewer players participating, just as I'd hoped.
Nearly won the Kaluak tournament once before, got the shark, ported to Dalaran but loading the damn city took so long that someone else made it to the npc first.
D Jan 22nd 2012 7:55AM
no
Royal Jan 22nd 2012 10:16AM
I did the Kalu'ak Fishing Derby as often as I could. I came close to winning in Wrath but someone was just turning it in as I was.
In Cata after a year of Derbies, I finally won. It takes luck unfortunately... however the heirloom ring remains "my most commented on/asked about item". When questing, doing a BG or dungeon, so many have asked, "Where did you get that?!"
Oleander Jan 22nd 2012 3:55PM
I'm from a small guild who's been around since server start in vanilla. We didn't do raids because of our size, and only very rarely 5-mans. So doing something else for me was and is fishing.
I fished Stonescale Eel for nearly a month every night from 3 to 6 am in Bay of Storms back when they were valuable.
Did STV since it's beginning and for _every_sunday_for_15_months_ until i won. I've since won every item winnable in the 2 contests on my main and the Kaluak twice more for salty on 2 other chars.
I've actually won the Kauluak once more (on the PTR) and got the rare opportunity to talk El who were just seconds behind me.
The only fishing achievement missing is my guilds http://www.wowhead.com/achievement=5036/thats-a-lot-of-bait where we are 3k short of the goal (I've personally done the 6k of them).
So yes, I've won it 5 times and I'm proud of it!
Nate Jan 22nd 2012 9:59PM
I've won the Kalu'ak fishing contest once and I got the boots(I just dont like leveling alts so i didn't see the point in getting the ring), but i am curretnly working on a second victory. I've already one the fishing contest in stranglethorne twice after about a year and a half, so as they say its all about patience. I dislike the Kalu'ak contest on principle though cause its 90% luck and 10% skill.
Greg Jan 24th 2012 6:35PM
I've won both. The Stranglethorn tournament after months of trying. The Kalu'ak tournament on accident.
El Diabolo Jan 25th 2012 10:05AM
Won both contests, once each. Got a nice fishing rod and nice pair of boots. No heirloom ring for me, as I don't play alts.