What are the Advantages of a Fisher for a Retainer

I have one retainer who is a Fisher. He is now level 71 and unable to advance further. I do not know why. I thought perhaps it is because my level 73 Fisher needs to complete some quest before my Retainer Fisher can advance beyond level 71. The only quest I receive from the Fishing Guild, other than a level 3 quest, says I have to catch a Titantic sawfish, and then, as if that wasn't difficult enough, I have to catch an additional something. I really don't want to do any more of this.

Before I convert my Retainer fisher to a miner, which seems to be much better than a fisher (he can gather 100 crystals once he reaches level 80), I thought I would see if anyone sees advantages to having a fisher for a retainer and if they would please advise me as to what these advantages are.

Obviously I lose a lot switching my level 71 fisher to a miner since he has to start out again at level one. But the fisher seems basically useless to me.

You can get the Fat Cat minion with a fisher retainer only. Ofc its heavily rng if you'll get some, but they always sell well ^^

IIRC Retainers are always capped a few levels below yours unless you're at the level cap, so you'd need to further level up your fisher before your Retainer can gain more levels, it's not locked behind any quest.

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Originally Posted by WhiteArchmage

IIRC Retainers are always capped a few levels below yours unless you're at the level cap, so you'd need to further level up your fisher before your Retainer can gain more levels, it's not locked behind any quest.

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No, retainers are capped at your own level.

Fishers are the least useful retainers. Only get one if you already have one each of the other (battle, miner, botanist) or don't intend to level the other gathering classes yourself.
There are lots of fish that a fisher retainer can't catch for you, and as time have passed there have been fewer and fewer useful things you can catch with fishing - and most of those a retainer can't catch for you anyway,

1) Your retainers level is capped at your own level in that job/class. Since your own fisher is at level 71, not 73 as you claim (at least according to the lodestone), that makes sense - you need to level up your fisher, after that your retainer can advance.

2) There is no level 3 quest related to fisher. Not sure what you're seeing there.

3) The quest that wants you to catch a Titanic Sawfish is optional and not related to the actual fisher questline - its meant as an intro into the "real" challenge of the class, which is catching the infamous "big fish".

4) ...buuuut the quests dont matter in the end because its all just related to your level anyways.

5) Fisher retainer can bring back a few unique minions (Domakin, Fat Cat, Axolotl Eft, Gestahl - Mindflayer and Odder Otter are not unique to fisher but can be obtain by a retainer of that class aswell). More might be introduced in the future.

6) Catching certain fish can be annoying and the ones your fisher can bring back are often (but not always...) the ones that are used in recipes. Right now, Blue Crabs are needed for high level crafting food and can be brought back by your fisher. (...I really should sent mine out for these...)

All in all I would agree, that fisher is the least useful out of the 4 types of retainers one can have. And if you look at it like this: Does it really matter if you lose your leveling progress there? Considering that your retainer doesnt seem to be useful to you right now and maybe never... do you really lose anything useful by resetting?
Just make sure that if you assign a new job for your retainer its one that you're leveling quickly - specially going into Endwalkers! I made the mistake once of making my DoW-retainer a warrior - a job I had at max level when I picked it back in ARR, but one I dont like all that much... but had to level straight away in HW just for the sake of my retainer.

My alt has 4 fisher retainers... (soon my 2nd alt will as well)

1) stupid easy to get fisher to cap (don’t need to clear any major amount of storyline)
2) constant source of income via 18h ventures (Allagans coins, occasional minions sell well)
3) all retainers on same job = only 1 class I need to level

Don’t necessarily recommend it on your main character, but on alts? Easy money.

Depends on what you use your retainers for. The fishing retainer is the only one that can fetch the Fat Cat minion (as stated above).

It is more than capable of bringing the same items your miner retainer fetches with each Quick Exploration.

Frankly, it's useful enough but not essential unless you are cooking some of the CP/GP enhancing recipes. Then again, I don't send out my miners or botanists to fetch crystals (at level 50, 6 years ago, sure ...) All of my retainers do Quick Exploration these days, since I have no need for wood or stone or fish.

If you really need another miner (or, perhaps, a hunter), think about investing in the level 60 retainer jump potion if you're going to switch. And get ready to buy all that old gear. Again.

At level 70, there are no further 'fishing guild' quests. There are a few quests at the Crystarium though, which you can use to quickly advance a level or two for your fisher. If you are level 73, and your retainer is level 71, just realize that it takes a whole lot longer for your retainer to gain a level (unless you have it doing Quick Explorations) than it does for you to do so.