Character

= Background =

When leveling fishing at 25 I found it difficult to find spots that provided decent EXP and a nice assortment of fish. This guide was made mostly by checking against http://en.ff14angler.com/ and various video/text guides. I'll be quite honest that Leves along with GC turn-ins will provide you with the fastest EXP. This guide tries to move around as much as possible while still keeping reasonable EXP. Scenery wise North Thana was about the only place I wanted to get out of ASAP :)

= Gearing =

Unlike other gathering classes which are focused on GP based skills, fishing has none of those. Fishing basically boils down to:

1) Right bait, right fishing hole, right level
2) Real in fish that bite
3) Mooch, but be wary of fish you can't catch
4) If inventory is an issue, use release on lower level/crappy sell fish

With that in mind accessories are kind of a pain point. At around 30 was when I started to consider melding. The higher your perception, the better the HQ chance, and the more EXP for HQ. You also get bonus EXP if the fish you catch is the largest recorded for that area. Not only that, but HQ fish can sometimes be used to mooch for higher level fish. With this in mind I actually recommend melding those to actually make them useful. However to keep costs down maybe consider changing the melds every 10th level.

Always keep up on your gear and I highly recommend HQ, especially on pieces that provide additional perception. When you're doing a market board search the smart way would be to search on all 50 fisher equipment, then note which levels you can change to different pieces. This lets you plan all the way to 50, potentially skipping some to hold out for others. Personally I just check every level.

= Bait =

Be sure to check for what bait you need before setting out. Sometimes you get lucky and the bait you need is in the same area you're fishing. If you're at a major city about to head to a new fishing spot, check the marketboard. Buy it there if the price is greater than teleport to a different area + base price of the item. Remember to be careful of taxes actually making it more if the seller is not from the city your marketboard is in.

Consumable bait is mostly cheaper and can be purchased through NPC. They provide faster fishing in general. Lures are multiple use, but some can only be obtained through crafting / market board. They also take longer than consumable to get a grab.

= Money =

Fishing can add up with the price of gear upgrades, teleports, and purchase of various bait. I check the MP for HQ fish/mooched fish and just leave them with my retainer. However this guide is meant mostly to get EXP, with less concern on better selling fish.

If you go the materia meld / HQ route with food I'd say about 300k is safe from going at least 25-50, maybe even more than that. Selling fish to NPCs/on the market helps a bit. Spirit bond older gear and selling the *non perception* materia is probably a good plan. Mining tends to have decent income if you're looking for a somewhat stable income gathering class.

= Food =

Any perception+ food is recommended. Haddock Dip is the best overall.

Now then on to the fishing spots.

= Level 25-27 =

Verdant Drop ( http://en.ff14angler.com/?spot=20402 )
Bait: Bass Ball ( http://en.ff14angler.com/bait/1015 )

Bass ball is consumable but can target a wide range of fish for leveling.

= Level 27-30 =

Moondrip ( http://en.ff14angler.com/?spot=30108 )
Bait: Chocobo Fly ( http://en.ff14angler.com/bait/1016 )

Non-consumable lure bait. Pretty constant rate on Grip Killifish for nice EXP. Though given the level gap will make it harder to HQ.

= Level 30-32 =

North Bloodshore (6AM - 6PM ET) ( http://en.ff14angler.com/?spot=10503 )
Costa del Sol (6PM - 6AM ET) ( http://en.ff14angler.com/?spot=10502 )
Bait: Spoon Worm (Until 34) ( http://en.ff14angler.com/bait/1017 )

I found this to be a little sloww EXP wise. There's other areas with bigger fish you may be able to nail but I've found this area has a pretty good variety of close to level EXP fish. Using Perception food can really help with speeding up the process (Haddock Dip is the best if you've got a bunch of gil laying around).

North Bloodshore provides a nice range of fish close to 30, with Whitelip Oyster being the target fish. Once the window opens I switch back to Costa del Sol for Fullmoon Sardine. Now, I've found that EXP wise North Bloodshore tends to be a bit more stable. However, if you get an HQ Fullmoon Sardine you can use it to mooch for level 41(!) silver sharks. An HQ record breaker + silver shark mooch got me 17k EXP at one point, which is quite a lot for that level. If you're at this point when you hit 32, I recommend using up the rest of your Spoon worm bait to try for the mooch.

If you stick to North Bloodshore primarily, Costa del Sol will provide a fishing point for those fish becoming aware of you warnings. Anti-aggro tip: If you run along the shorelines you can avoid aggro on the flying octopus mobs. Put the rocks between you and the wandering one's line of site to have aggro free fishing.

= Level 32-35 =

North Bronze Lake ( http://en.ff14angler.com/?spot=10703 )
Bait: Silver Spoon Lure ( http://en.ff14angler.com/bait/1019 )
Bait: Sinking Minnow (34) ( http://en.ff14angler.com/bait/1021 )

Decided to switch to Lure fishing here. Bonytongue is mainly what I'm targeting. This has the chance to also hit some 36+ fish if you're lucky. Sticking close to the gate entrance saves you from having to worry about aggro. Though there is an NPC fate that spawns there on occasion so try to get a little right/left removed from it to avoid the AOEs.

If you get a fish awareness warning, switch to Bronze Lake Shallows ( http://en.ff14angler.com/?spot=10704 ) with the same bait to reset. Do note that there is a fate boss on the way so hug the camp as close as possible when you go there. There's also a fate that spawns in the tunnel that you'll need to stealth through (or easier switch to a high level character then back to fisher when you get there).

Sinking minnow at 34 gives you a better chance at Giant Bass so I recommend switching to that when you can. Also has nice chance on a Silverfish, which if you HQ can be used to mooch a level 50(!) giant catfish (around 6k EXP *NQ*).

Alternative:

Moondrip ( http://en.ff14angler.com/?spot=30108 )
Bait: Silver Spoon Lure ( http://en.ff14angler.com/bait/1019 )

If you can get high enough perception through melding / food then this place is great to go the HQ Exp route. Using silver spoon lure grants you the ability to catch level 36 Silverfish. Topping off what's available in Bronze Lake. However, NQ wise Bronze Lake seems to be more consistent with level 34/37 fish than Moondrip does with 36 Silverfish. Personally I like Bronze Lake's scenery better :D

= Level 35-39 =

Sagolii Dunes ( http://en.ff14angler.com/?spot=30405 )
Sagolii Desert ( http://en.ff14angler.com/?spot=30404 )

Bait: Sand Leech ( http://en.ff14angler.com/bait/1022 )

Gonna be camping here for a few levels. Dunes and Desert are your back and forth for fish awareness warnings. They offer the same fish however so you can camp one for awhile then switch to the other for awhile. Nothing specific being targetted here just whatever EXP comes up. Note that storm riders can pull in 3 star fish wish are WAYYY over your gathering and will get away.

= Level 39-40 =

Bluefog ( http://en.ff14angler.com/?spot=30502 )
Bait: Spinner ( http://en.ff14angler.com/bait/1027 )

Just some filler to get to level 40 bait for more targeted catches. The same bait can be used at Ceruleum Field for fish awareness reset.

= Level 40-43 =

Ceruleum Field ( http://en.ff14angler.com/?spot=30501 )
Bait: Stem Borer ( http://en.ff14angler.com/bait/1030 )

The need for higher level bait to catch better EXP fish makes this range kind of slow. I recommend going all out on perception food if you want to make this a bit faster. Getting really lucky will land you an HQ Silverfish which can be used to catch a Goldfish. Even luckier HQ Goldfish will allow you to double mooch for Wootz Knifefish.

= Level 43-44 =

Raincatcher Gully ( http://en.ff14angler.com/?spot=10506 )
Bait: Snurble Fly ( http://en.ff14angler.com/bait/1032 )

A bit of hopping around here to prepare you for skyfishing. Snurble fly targets level 45 and 46 fish to help along the EXP a bit more. Nothing spectacular that can be mooched here.

= Level 44-45 =

North Silvertear ( http://en.ff14angler.com/?spot=50101 )
Bait: Topwater Frog ( http://en.ff14angler.com/bait/1033 )

The last filler until skyfishing. Ilsabardian Bass is the main target with chances for Silverfish to mooch goldfish and others. The Bass are a pretty frequent drop with this bait just harder to HQ. Singing Shards is nearby.

= Level 45-48 =

Sea of Clouds ( http://en.ff14angler.com/?spot=40109 )
Bait: Hoverworm ( http://en.ff14angler.com/bait/1035 )

Welcome to the world of skyfishing. Howeverworm is pretty much all you're going to need bait wise. The Nail is your closest bet for fish awareness resets. Nothing to really cause aggro for you here.

= Level 48-50 =

The Ship Graveyard ( http://en.ff14angler.com/?spot=10607 )
Bait: Yumizuno ( http://en.ff14angler.com/bait/1040 )

This is just making it so that you're not stuck in Coerthas for 5 levels. Honestly though Coerthas is probably better for you EXP wise. Nice remote island but you'll need to stealth past some aggro mantis and skele. The lighting here makes for some amazing scenery sometimes. Most of your EXP will come from HQs so be sure to keep gear up to date and use food.
Isles of Umbra Northshore for awareness reset.