One of the best AFK fishing methods, by far, is Dark Crabs. In this guide, I’ll be going over what you’ll need to fish for them and how to do it safely without the risk of dying from any potential PKers in the area.
Dark Crab Fishing Requirements
To fish for Dark Crabs, the things you’ll need are:
- A Fishing Level of 85
- Elite Wilderness Diary
- Lobster Pot
- Dark Fishing Bait
- Knife
- Lockpick
Why Should You Do Dark Crab Fishing?
Dark Crab fishing is a great option primarily because it offers great AFK benefits. Since the crabs don’t move, you can get a lot in an area without worrying about moving or going to a different area. You can also note your dark crabs by speaking to the NPC inside the area.
Expect around 40k Fishing XP and 400k GP every hour with virtually no interaction on your part.
Dangers Of Crab Fishing
However, one thing you’ll have to be aware of is PKers. Since the area is open, you’ll have to deal with potential Pkers coming on the scene and potentially killing you. Here are a few things you can do to reduce your chances of getting killed.
#1. Have a Stronger Defense
So long as you’re Prayer is up and you’ve got some good defense, you should be able to escape without too much of an issue. Make sure you have some Degrade armor in case you do die. That way, your higher-tiered stuff isn’t taken if you die. Here’s an example gear setup:
Inventory Setup
#2. Go To High-Risk Worlds
Ideally, you’ll want to do dark crab fishing in high-risk worlds, as this will remove the player’s ability to use the “Protect Item” prayer. This won’t affect you so much as it will the PKers since they will be less likely to bring dangerous or useful weapons with them when running around.
#3. Make Sure You’re Using Prayer
You’ll want to make sure you’re using Prayer and that your defense-based prayer abilities are active. This should keep you alive long enough to help you escape the area.
In particular, make sure your Quick Prayers are primed and ready. These should include:
- Protect from Magic
- Augury or Piety
- Protect Item
#4. Lockpick Escape
You can escape from PKers by using your lockpick, heading out of the Dark Crab spawning area, and up to the top of the hill to the axes, a lockpick area and lockpick it. From there, use a brew, wait around 10 seconds, and X-log out of the game.
This may seem a bit of a long-winded method, but it is almost guaranteed to ensure you get away safely.
#5. Heighten Your Awareness
Another method of defending yourself includes changing the notifications in RuneLite so you are aware of when certain actions are likely to happen (like when your HP is reduced) so that you can react and escape.
#6. Join A Clan
Finally, consider joining a clan while fishing. This creates a “safety in numbers” effect and reduces the chance of you being singled out or attacked by a PKer. It also improves the odds of you and your clan either defeating the PKer or escaping.