What did SE do to fishing?!

[Nexus]

So I've talked to numerous people about this and at this point I'd like the community, and the development team to take a close look at fishing. The issue is.... During the last few days I decided to go tackle some "Big Fish" by using HQ mootching. Now pre-heavansward this was rather simple and lucky. However now it seems that even getting an HQ level 10-15 fish is a 1 in 30 chance. What the hell?!?! Also before anyone says "oh your gathering is likely too low." My gathering is 379 and I'm trying to catch HQ basic fish so that's not the issue. The issue is that clearly SE has done something sever to the rate of HQ fish you can get that it has made fishing damn frustrating, especially on time and weather restricted "big fish". If any of you have had a similar issue or have a serious solution. Please comment below and lets get this fixed asap and return fishing to the fun event it once was.

[Tint]

i can't notice any change in the HQ chance. i think it's capped at 15% like the HQ chance for the other gatherers. so sometimes you have bad luck and uhm... sometimes the RNG just hates you xD
(chatched all fish in game, 46,5k in total, 9,6k were HQ)

[Sackerhacker]

I dont know everything, but isn't Gathering for catching a variety of fish, and Perception is for catching HQ?

[NaliaBrown]

I don't know, I find that with the Patience skill, I might catch fewer fish overall, but more of them are HQ. I feel like I catch a lot of HQ fish. Even in old zones. Isn't that what Patience is for?

[Zorlinta]

Well yeah perception goes for HQ not gathering. But certainly some fish seems were a bit arranged to have lower hq rate still with patience to stop getting "high ammount" of big fish catch under very few time.

An issue wherein the fisher action “Mooch” could result in an unexpectedly large amount of a certain fish to be caught in a short time span under certain conditions.

[NaliaBrown]

Oh, that thing with the mooch happened to me once! I don't remember which fish. But I caught like 10 in a row, mooch after mooch after mooch. I think I was in the North Shroud. It was hilarious, I just kept going to see how long it would go on.

[LineageRazor]

I haven't noticed any change in HQ rate with the release of Heavensward.

On the topic of some fish having a greater HQ rate, though, I must admit that it feels like mooch bait fish - ESPECIALLY double mooch bait fish, like Assassin Betta - seem to have a higher than normal HQ rate. I haven't actually recorded any data so it could well be all in my head, but it WOULD explain why I've seen things like Ala Mihgan Fighting Fish (HQ) -> Assassin Betta (HQ) -> Assassin Betta (HQ) -> Assassin Betta (HQ) -> Assassin Betta so often.

[Menardy]

I can't see any differences in HQ rate with HW. Tbh, i finished the fest of famine quest in 2 days with 4 of 6 fish caught in one day, it was extremely easy to get them with the new skills, and 5 of the 6 needed fish were HQ.
Another day i was able to get 6 Ninja Betta in one window, so no, i don't think they changed anything.

[Magistrella]

Use your Patience and Patience II skills

lvl 50 big fish are trivial since 3.0 Getting a double mooch is easier then ever before....