OSRS Barbarian Fishing Guide: The Fastest Fishing XP Method

When it comes to pure, unadulterated speed, no Fishing method in Old School RuneScape can compete with Barbarian Fishing. This high-intensity technique is the undisputed king of Fishing XP, offering fantastic rates and bonus XP in two other skills.

If your goal is to get the 99 Fishing cape as fast as humanly possible, this is the method for you. This guide will cover the requirements, the method, and the advanced techniques for maximum efficiency.

Getting Started: Requirements

To learn this ancient and efficient technique, you must first speak with Otto Godblessed in his grotto, located northeast of Baxtorian Falls.

  • Skills:
    • 48 Fishing
    • 15 Agility
    • 15 Strength
  • Quest: A Barbarian Rod, which you'll get from Otto, is technically required to learn the method, but you won't use it.
  • Items: You don't need any special gear, but any item that boosts your Strength bonus can slightly increase your success rate.

The Method: Bare-Handed Efficiency

Barbarian Fishing is unique because it's done without a harpoon or rod. You simply click on the fishing spots in Otto's Grotto to catch fish with your bare hands.

  • The Location: The best spot is on the small island in the lake just south of Otto's hut. This spot has multiple fishing pools that move around, minimizing competition.
  • The Process:
    1. Click on a fishing spot.
    2. Catch a fish (Leaping Trout, Leaping Salmon, or Leaping Sturgeon).
    3. The fish is automatically dropped, giving you Fishing XP and a small amount of Agility and Strength XP.
    4. Click on the next spot.
  • The XP: This method is all about speed. You gain no items and no profit, only experience points.

Maximizing XP: Tick Manipulation

While the standard method is already very fast, players looking for the absolute best rates use a technique called 3-tick fishing.

  • What it is: Tick manipulation is an advanced technique where you perform specific actions to interrupt your character's animations, allowing you to perform your next action (in this case, attempting to catch a fish) faster than the game normally allows.
  • The Method: The most common way to 3-tick fish is to use a knife on a log (fletching) or use a pestle and mortar on a swamp tar. By starting and canceling these actions in a specific rhythm, you can force your character to attempt to catch a fish every 3 game ticks (1.8 seconds), instead of the standard 5 ticks.
  • The Result: Mastering this technique significantly increases the number of fish you catch per hour, pushing your XP rates from around 70-90k/hr to a massive 110k-120k/hr.

Ironman Barbarian Fishing Strategy

For Ironmen, Barbarian Fishing presents a strategic choice.

  • The Pro: Pure Speed. Once an Ironman has a sufficient stockpile of food from methods like traditional fishing or Tempoross, Barbarian Fishing is the fastest way to get to 99. The bonus Agility and Strength XP is also highly efficient. The Dragon Harpoon can be obtained from Tempoross which is a nice bonus.
  • The Con: No Resources. The major downside is that it provides zero food. An Ironman must balance the need for raw XP with the need to constantly replenish their food supplies for PvM. Many Ironmen will alternate between Barbarian Fishing for XP and other methods like Anglerfish for supplies.

Conclusion

Barbarian Fishing is the pinnacle of Fishing efficiency. It's an active, engaging method that rewards you with the best XP rates in the game and bonus XP on the side. While it offers no profit, the sheer speed makes it the go-to choice for any player who wants to achieve 99 Fishing in the shortest time possible. Whether you choose the relaxed, standard method or the intense, click-heavy rhythm of 3-ticking, the path to 99 is faster here than anywhere else.

Don't have the focus for tick manipulation? Let our expert anglers take care of the grind for you.

→ OSRS Fishing Services
→ For a more AFK approach, check out our general OSRS Fishing Guide