Using Fishing Skill to Find Good Fishing Spots

[Kels]

I posted this in the "visible fish" thread but @JP_Finn suggested I make a new thread.

I had an idea that may be more simple to implement than new graphics, it would work in a similar way to predicting the weather. You could "activate" your fishing skill next to a body of water and it would give you an idea of how good the fishing is in the nearby area. Not sure how large of an area exactly, maybe as small as 20x20 zoomed in squares to as large as a single zoomed out square. For example, a low skill fisherman might get "you see a few fish swimming around, this may be a good fishing spot". A high skill fisherman may get "this area looks good for casting a line to catch larger fish, but not good for setting a net". Skill would dictate how much information you can get as well as the accuracy. Obviously a low skill would be less accurate and give somewhat vague information. Perhaps under 20 or so it gives no real information and returns something like, "this spot looks as good as any to catch a fish". It may also help with judging fish behavior, such as spawning salmon not being interested in bait and must be netted or speared.

Using the skill would work in a similar way to weather or herblore and would give slight skill increases as you use it to find fishing spots. Since it uses a mechanic that already exists for weather and herblore, adding it may be somewhat easier than other options. It would also make sense logically within the game, since an expert fisher would never just cast a line or set a net, they would first find a good area. It may not assure success, but it would be better than a guess.

[Tom H]

I'm from Louisiana, the 'Sportsman's Paradise'. Fishing doesn't work that way in slow-moving waters, nor in open sea. It certainly would not work that way for ice fishing. People have favorite fishing spots because they've caught fish there, not because their senses tell them it's a good place. 

[Privateer]

I'm from Louisiana, the 'Sportsman's Paradise'. Fishing doesn't work that way in slow-moving waters, nor in open sea. It certainly would not work that way for ice fishing. People have favorite fishing spots because they've caught fish there, not because their senses tell them it's a good place.

^ This  or maybe my fish sense is broken :,(

[Matti-patti]

1) Learning patterns of migratory fish (even something like Pike-Perch can be a local migrator with preferred wintering and nesting areas).
2) Learning good and bad times to fish for particular species of fish.
3) Learning good and if not bad at least less good methods of fishing (for particular fish) depending on time of the year and for example water temperature.

Perhaps bit broader than what was being talked about, but fishing can be bit more than just tossing the hook and bait into water and hoping for best. That being said, I think that falls more into the category of hunting elk during snow crust that Sami talked about in latest development update than roll of dice. There could also be a more extended array of fishing implements, such as a weighted line for the rod for fishing deeper.