Winning
The main aim of the contest is to be the first angler to catch 40 Speckled Tastyfish and deliver them to Riggle Bassbait in Booty Bay (taking and completing the quest "Master Angler"). During the contest Riggle Bassbait is stood in the centre of Booty Bay.
Each week, the winner can choose one of:
- Arcanite Fishing Pole
- Skill bonus: +35.
- Minimum fishing skill required: 300.
The highest skill-bonus fishing pole in Azeroth.
- Hook of the Master Angler (illustrated right)
- Trinket.
- Use: 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 (but now does work at the water's surface).
Brian Westley writes: "Using the Hook of the Master Angler, Azure Silk Belt, and items that reduce mage's Blink cool-down by 10% to 13.5 seconds, I can swim as fast as a druid (average 100% run speed), if I blink as often as possible and change back into a fish. The belt doesn't stack - it's just for the short time I'm human when blink takes me out of fish form. If we both drink swim speed potions I lose, because my Blink distance doesn't double. But I can swim to/from Teldrassil [to/from the coast of Darkshore] without dying."
Those with the ability to track humanoids continue to see people using the trinket as humans, not as the beast they have become.
The winner can only win one reward per contest. If you win the contest a second time, you can gain the second reward. Both rewards are bound to you. Most anglers retire from the contest after winning twice.
The winner is announced as "Master Angler" to everyone in Stranglethorn Vale. This "title" cannot (currently) be worn like arena titles or "Champion of the Naaru".
Rare Fish
There are 3 rare fish that can only be caught during the tournament, and only caught from the School of Tastyfish. These fish are not unique - you can catch several. These rare fish can be handed in to Fishbot 5000 (pictured right) in exchange for a reward. Fishbot 5000 can be found in Booty Bay during the contest, next to Riggle Bassbait:
| Fish | Reward | Benefits | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Brownell's Blue Striped Racer |  | Nat Pagle's Extreme Anglin' Boots | +5 fishing skill, +12 Stamina. Full details » |
 | Dezian Queenfish |  | High Test Eternium Fishing Line | +5 skill bonus to pole. Full details » |
 | Keefer's Angelfish |  | Lucky Fishing Hat | +5 fishing skill, +15 Stamina. Full details » |
You will get the reward each time you hand in the rare fish: It does not matter how many you have handed in before, or who else may have caught or handed in the fish. Unlike the main contest, there is no competition for rare fish. These rare fish can be stored between events, so you don't need to hand them in immediately.
There is one other rare fish that can be caught from Schools of Tastyfish, but should not be delivered to Fishbot 5000 - the fish can be equipped immediately and used as a weapon:
- Rockhide Strongfish
- Acts as a one-handed mace: 46-87 damage, speed 2.50 (26.6 damage per second), +8 Stamina bonus.
- Requires level 40. Can be traded.
There is about a 1% chance (1 in 100 catches) of getting a rare fish: Under 0.5% chance of catching any one rare. The Rockhide Strongfish seems to be far less common than the other 3 rare fish - you might never see one. For further information, read this forum discussion.
Learn More
- Equipment - Describes equipment used to bolster your fishing skills and help you fish.
- STV Rare fish drop rate? - El's Anglin' forum discussion.
- Also in the Stranglethorn Extravaganza chapter: Contest, Preparation , and Strategy.
