Deep Sea Trawling Gameplay & Tips

Basic Gameplay Loop

1. Find a shoal: Use a fathom stone or fathom pearl, but all shoals are actually on static paths. Once you know the path, you don't need the pearl. The fathom pearl is not required after you know the routes.
2. Set up your crew: One on the helm, one on the chum station, one on a net, and you on the last net. (The ghost crewmate is the only one who can operate the cotton net, but is hard to understand.)
3. At the shoal: Use the chum spreader. The shoal stays for about 30 seconds. Fish with your net, and you can spam click for a tick manipulation effect (no item needed). You must keep both your own and your crewmate's net at the level of the shoal. The shoal's level changes when it first becomes static and about 60% through. The game tells you in chat if your or your crewmate's net is at the wrong height (your own message is unfiltered, crew's is filtered).
4. After 30 seconds: The shoal starts moving again. You can still fish, but now you must drive the boat and operate your net at the same time. The shoal follows a static path, so learning the route improves your uptime and efficiency.
5. Fish type changes: Occasionally, the shoal will become a different fish (e.g., mostly marlin, sometimes bluefin).
6. Emptying the net: Right-click the net to empty fish into the cargo hold. Use fish crates to make each inventory space count for 10, allowing up to 2000 fish with an ironwood hold before needing to bank.

Numbers, XP Rates & Supplies

• 1 hour: 452 marlin, 78 bluefin
• 37k Fishing XP, 34k Sailing XP (without rosewood hull)
• 68 fine fish offcuts used
• No rosewood hull (shoal sometimes outran me; rosewood would improve rates)
• With ironwood hold and fish crates: up to 2000 fish before banking

Advanced Tips & Feedback

• Crew net management: You must lower your crew's net for them. The game message for the crew's net being too low is filtered, while your own is not. This is unintuitive and easy to miss.
• Ghost crewmate: Only the ghost can operate the cotton net, but is hard to understand (even with Morytania legs 4).
• Net operation: You can't raise or lower your net unless you're "operating" it. Sometimes it takes two clicks to start operating the net.
• XP rates: This is a relatively low XP method for Sailing (34k/hr), especially compared to AFK methods (100k/hr possible elsewhere). Suggest buffing to 50-70k/hr. Fishing XP is reasonable.
• Active gameplay: This method is active and skillful, reminiscent of blackjacking, but more enjoyable for many players.
• Fathom pearl feedback: The fathom pearl is a high-level, rare upgrade but is not needed after learning the static shoal paths. The fathom stone is sufficient.
• Voice/text alerts: Setting up voice-to-text or watchdog alerts for net height changes can help maximize uptime and avoid missing chat messages.

Numbers & Results

• 1 hour: 452 marlin, 78 bluefin
• 37k Fishing XP, 34k Sailing XP
• 68 fine fish offcuts used
• No rosewood hull (shoal sometimes outran me)

Feedback & Tips

• You must lower your crew's net for them. Game message for crew net is filtered, your own is not. Only the ghost crewmate can operate the cotton net, but is hard to understand.
• You can't raise/lower your net unless you're "operating" it. Sometimes takes two clicks to start operating.
• XP rates are low compared to AFK methods. Suggest buffing to 50-70k/hr. Fishing XP is fine.
• Active, skillful method—reminds some of blackjacking, but more enjoyable for many.

More Resources

• OSRS Wiki: Deep Sea Trawling