Quote Originally Posted by ChameleonMS View Post
Sorry about the confusion I have only equipped +Gathering items on the retainer. Thus, non-gathering gear was a reference to DoL gear that does not have +Gathering as a native stat, not specifically a reference to combat gear.
I remember it being a thing, back in the 2.x days, where HQ combat jewelry had higher gathering/perception stat caps than the actual gathering jewelry (which had a higher GP cap). Fishers who knew this used to use the combat jewelry, as they did not care about the GP. Some took that to their retainers as well, who similarly do not care about GP.

That said - get both Gathering and Perception. At some point, you'll max out at 30 in an hour. Then with more Gathering it will go to 30 in 50 minutes. Then it will finally actually max out at 30 in 40 minutes. Perception bumps the rate of HQ mats, which may or may not be an issue.

The 1150 gathering stat listed below is, I think, the point where it reaches 30 in an hour. I do not know whether it is feasible yet to bring the SB, or even HW, venture times down to 50 or 40 minutes.