By now you have got the hang of fishing and are pulling in a good amount of Moat Carp (and making some good FFXI Gil on them, if you are selling them at the Auction House). If you have not yet decided, it is time for you to think seriously about going for Lu Shang’s Fishing Rod. It is by no means a requirement for you to start going for it now, but it is a way to get a head-start on the quest (see Fishing 311: Advanced Quests). Your next location for fishing depends on which route you want to take (to Lu or not to Lu?)

If you choose to go for Lu, as a safe trip, an easy choice is going to Port San d'Oria and fishing there. This is a good place to fish because the NPCs are located here that you you need to trade Moat Carp to for the Lu quest. I have found, though, that Port San d'Oria becomes "fished up" very easily, meaning that it runs out of fish and you need to wait a little before fishing again. If you have an Airship Pass and don't mind traveling a little, I would suggest Bastok Markets (Waterway) because it provides you with a much greater percentage of fish caught.

In each area you can catch many Moat Carp while catching Tricolored Carp, which cap at 27. In Bastok Markets (River) (with Little Worms, not Insect Balls), you can target Dark Bass instead of Tricolored Carp; the Dark Bass cap at 33. Due to how far Tricolored Carp and Dark Bass are above your level (assuming you're at 11), skillups will be slow from 11-17, so be wary of taking this route. The advantage is that you are catch a lot of Moat Carp and you are slowly getting FFXI Gil closer to Lu.

Also, if you choose to go this route, I would suggest investing in a Hume Fishing Rod, Halcyon Rod, or a Mithran Fishing Rod. The first two fishing rods are designed for quickly reducing the stamina of carp, making these fish easier and quicker to catch; however, there is still a possibility of them breaking in these areas. The Mithran Fishing Rod is stronger and will not break in these areas, but it does not reduce stamina quite as quickly. You might also want to invest in Insect Balls because these are supposed to target carp better than Little Worms (that is what I have been told by many fishermen even though I experience better results using Little Worms). Insect Balls can be crafted by a Cook and cap at level 29. It is cheaper to make these for yourself rather than buying them. And if you make them, you can get FFXI Gil skillups in another craft. To see more on fishing related crafting, please see Fishing 210: Fishing and Crafting.